1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving

by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac

Book Overview

Countering the prevailing, traditional story of the first Thanksgiving, with its black-hatted, silver-buckled Pilgrims; blanket-clad, be-feathered Indians; cranberry sauce; pumpkin pie; and turkey, this lushly illustrated photo-essay presents a more measured, balanced, and historically accurate version of the three-day harvest celebration in 1621.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0792270274
• ISBN13: 9780792270270
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: National Geographic Kids
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.99 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.7" x 11.2"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Context to a Myth

Since none of us were there, none of us exactly what happened and even if we had been there, we still would only know our small part of the total experience -- this can be said about other historical events. No history books is flawless and totally complete. That said, this is a well researched beautfully illustrated book. The illustrations are photographs from a reenactment of the 1621 event at the Plymouth Plantation living history museum. Actors are Native Americans (Wampanoags and others) and Plymouth Planation staff. The illustrations are probably the closest we are going to get to provides a look at what it really looked like. The book itself an attempt to provide context to the myth attached to the holiday of Thanksgiving. It discusses the myth, the Wampanoag people, the people involved in the event that inspired the myth, and the existence of other harvest/thanksgiving type celebrations. If I could only have one book to use to discuss Thanksgiving with children, it would be this one. It may not be perfect, but its very good and the illustrations it provides are unique, not found in other books about Thanksgiving.

Informed History

Informed History - This is what we should be teaching our children. This should be a standard in every classroom! Beautiful pictures too!

1621 : A New Look at Thanksgiving

Excellent resource for units on Native American cultures or communities. My students are doing a unit on communities using Plymouth colony and the Wampanoag tribe as examples of early communities. Great resource to accompany Tampenum's Day, Sarah Morton's Day, Samuel Eaton's Day and other books about Plymouth colony.

A Refreshing View of the real Thanksgiving

I highly recommend this book. As the daughter of a Cherokee-English African-American woman,educator and grandmother I was always taught the truth along with my brothers about this very important holiday/harvest festival. Early on we were taught to share what we had with the less fortunate and to give to others who really needed something. Also my grandmother the late,great Hattie Little-Tabor who was my mom's mother fed homless people who stopped by her home during the Great Depression. This book brought back full circle the fact that we must all strive to work together to overcome greed to serve all in need. I highly recommend this book.

An exquisite book

This is a beautifully written and exquisitely photographed book about the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621 (according to the Western calendar). The photos were taken during re-enactments at Plimoth Plantation, and are historically accurate as well as lovely to look at. The text gives the Wampanoag perspective on the event with sensitivity and vibrancy. All in a book that is clearly successful in engaging young readers, no matter how much or how little they already know--or think they know--about the history of Thanksgiving.