Gladys Hunt on The Scent of Thanksgiving

Editor’s Note: Are the smells of sage and pumpkin spice already wafting through the house? In this post, Gladys Hunt finds wonderful smells in the pages of some outstanding picture books for Thanksgiving.

The smells of Thanksgiving

Originally published on the Tumblon website, November 19, 2009

Every November Cynthia Rylant’s wonderful book called In November (illustrated by Jill Kastner) sits on our coffee table within easy reach for anyone to pick up. It’s our annual reminder of how special November is. In November, the text reads, “the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures.” The book is full of color and smells and feelings.

A very small child cannot relate to the music of the text, but the pictures are an awareness exercise to encourage looking at the world—its trees, its birds, its creatures, its family. Kastner’s illustrations are delightful at any age (she draws the cutest mice ever!) and as children grow they will love Rylant’s evocative use of language:

“In November, the smell of food is different. It is an orange smell.

A squash and a pumpkin smell. It tastes like cinnamon and can fill up a house in the morning and can pull everyone from bed in a fog. Food is better in November than any other times of the year.”

Every year since we first read this someone in our family will say, “November has an orange smell” and we all smile because we have this common experience of enjoying a good book together.

It’s a thanksgiving book, too, recounting the blessings for which we give thanks. I don’t know where you are coming from in terms of faith, but I intend to make sure my children grow up knowing that thankfulness to God should be a spontaneous response for all our bounty.

And speaking of Thanksgiving, when you buy Thanksgiving Day books for your children, be certain the story is told historically and not laden with the political correctness of the day. In some books the Pilgrims gather to thank the Indians, (and I hope they did that for any kindnesses shown) but they had endured a hard, hard year and felt grateful to be alive. Choose a book that has some of the speech of the colony’s leader to get the true flavor. Writers sometimes get sentimental and misty eyed or have their own agenda as they rewrite history with their own innovations. The story of how and why these early settlers came to this land can be badly skewed. There are lots of good books to choose from. Get one you would like to read every Thanksgiving for years to come. Two classics that are favorites are The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dagleish, illustrated by Helen Sewell and My First Thanksgiving by Tomie dePaola.

© Gladys M. Hunt 2008-10, reissued in 2022 with minor adjustments with permission of the Executor of the Literary Estate of Gladys M. Hunt (4194 Hilton SE, Lowell, MI 49331). Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

Resource: We have Thanksgiving books to recommend, too! See our downloadable pdf list.

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