THE THANKSGIVING DOOR

After Ann and Ed, an elderly couple, overcook their dinner, they venture out to the nearby New World Café and find the door open. Readers are privy to the restaurateur's preparations for a family-only dinner and the children's plot to scare off the uninvited guests—but Grandmother reminds them it's a day of sharing, and the family shows Ann and Ed to seats of honor. Unusual centerpieces, Russian-looking fur hats on the men and white linen scarves to cover the women's hair, suggest the family's ethnic origins, but the focus here is not so much on the menu as on the spirit of generosity intrinsic to the holiday. The hosts show Ann and Ed upstairs for dancing after dinner; Ann teaches them to conga, Ed and Papa swap hats, and a friendship blooms. Adults may best appreciate the staid but accomplished artwork, but all will likely tap into the acts of kindness that contribute to Atwell's (River; Barn) economically told tale. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)