Rollicking quatrains and charming animal characters will attract young readers to the quirky holiday etiquette board book Turkeys Never Gobble! by Joan Holub, illus. by Jennifer Beck Harris. A sample: "Rhinos never run/ around the table and act rude./ Porcupines do not poke fun/ if they don't like the food." The pictures tell the real story: the rhino child tries to bolt from his chair, while the porcupine pantomimes his disdain for the broccoli before him. (HarperCollins, $5.99 24p ages 2-4 ISBN 0-06-008091-4; Sept.)
"What happened when Tom Turkey stepped up to the plate? He hit a fowl ball." Turkey Riddles by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg, illus. by Kristin Sorra, gather more than 30 jokes for youngsters to dish out. (Dial, $13.99 40p ages 6-9 ISBN 0-8037-2530-2; Sept.)
Bear in the Big Blue House fans can celebrate with the burly fellow in A Comfy, Cozy Thanksgiving by Kiki Thorpe, illus. by Tom Brannon. Photo stills of the Jim Henson characters appear against Brannon's painted interiors as the friends prepare the meal. When Treelo feels like he's in the way, he ventures out to see how a squirrel and others protect against the cold, before returning to the warmth of Bear's home. (S&S/Simon Spotlight, $5.99 paper 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-689-85012-3; Oct.)
In'Twas the Day After Thanksgiving: A Lift-the-Flap Story by Mavis Smith, a very grateful mouse, tucked behind a flap on each spread, upends the Clement C. Moore rhyme. To the opening words, Smith adds, "and all through the house, a family ate leftovers"; readers lift the flap to close the refrigerator door, " 'Yum, yum!' said a mouse," shown poised to pounce from a countertop. (S&S/Little Simon, $5.99 paper 16p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-689-85234-7; Oct.)
Opening with a pop-up spread of the two-million-plus crowd gathering in eager anticipation, Macy's On Parade!: A Pop-Up for Children of All Ages by Pamela Pease includes the parade route on a tiny map tucked into a pocket, and sparkly confetti so readers can join the festivities. The Radio City Rockettes spring up in front of the Macy's storefront in one spread; the climax is a 3-D float of Santa's sleigh. (Paintbox Press [919.969.7512], $36 16p all ages ISBN 0-9669433-2-5; Oct.)
