Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark made him a household name to kids in the ’80s, and public enemy number one to the Karens’ of School Public Libraries all over America. Gammell’s illustrations captivate, excite, and leave us uneasy with his unique interpretations of art imitating life. If one is familiar with his work, he’s pretty easy to spot in other literary and exhibit endeavors; and the “Thanksgiving Poems” book is no exception as that accustomed awe-inspiring creep factor captures the very essence of Autumn and Thanksgiving through visual imagery.
First published in September of 1985, the “Thanksgiving Poems” book collected and sorted by Myra Cohn Livingston is a collection of 16 poems and songs from various storytellers’ including musical excerpts from the Osage and Navajo nations. Ranging from contemporary, comical, to a little preachy, (there are some King James verses in this thing). The book is a short 32-pages and the poems discuss trees, turkeys, families, and food; giving thanks, what happens when families congregate during thanksgiving, and the history of thanksgiving can all be found in this little diddy.
However, Gammell is the clear winner here as he blows out a vessel of watercolor hues of orange, white, and blue with powerful illustrations accompanying each entry. I could go on, but hey, a picture is worth 1000 words so here you go!
Fantastic. For those interested in adding this unique piece of work to your library, you can get it from Amazon here!
I truly hope anyone reading this has a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you choose to celebrate or not, whether you’re with family or alone, I don’t know you, but you are a wonderful human and deserve all the wonderful things this beautiful life has to offer. Thanks for being on this nostalgic trip with me for the past year and a half!
