Review: Sharing The Bread (Pat Zietlow Miller)

Celebrate the true spirit of a traditional Thanksgiving with

Sharing the Bread:

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story

by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

“The gouache on watercolor paper affords a three-dimensional, old-fashioned quality to the setting and characters, while the ever-present family dog and cat offer relatable detail for today’s digital natives. . . . [the color scheme] lend[s]authenticity to this celebratory tribute to our national holiday.”

—School Library Journal

SHARING THE BREAD
by Pat Zietlow Miller; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Schwartz & Wade Books
Hardcover: 978-0-307-98182-0 | On sale September 22, 2015 | $17.99 | $20.99 Can. | 32 pages | Ages 4–8
Ebook: 978-0-307-98184-4| $10.99

Celebrate food and family with this heartwarming Thanksgiving picture book. We will share the risen bread. / Our made-with-love Thanksgiving spread. / Grateful to be warm and fed. / We will share the bread. In this spirited ode to the holiday, set at the turn of the twentieth century, a large family works together to make their special meal. Mama prepares the turkey, Daddy tends the fire, Sister kneads, and Brother bastes. Everyone—from Grandma and Grandpa to the littlest baby—has a special job to do. Told in spare, rhythmic verse and lively illustrations, Sharing the Bread is a perfect read-aloud to celebrate the Thanksgiving tradition. 

PAT ZIETLOW MILLER received an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor for Sophie’s Squash, her picture-book debut, which was published to four starred reviews and named a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit the author at patzietlowmiller.com.

JILL McELMURRY illustrated the bestselling picture book Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle and The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins, among others. She is the author and illustrator of Mario Makes a Move, which Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, said “captures the exuberance of the creative spirit alongside the quirks of a character accepting his limitations.” Visit her atjillmcelmurry.com.

First of all... I LOVE the holidays so when I was given the opportunity to review Sharing The Bread then I immediately accepted. Sharing The Bread is a beautiful description of the meaning behind Thanksgiving. It has simple yet beautiful illustrations that will appeal to not only the young audience but everyone. 

Sharing The Bread expresses how to have the whole family involved in the process and traditions that go along with Thanksgiving. Each member of the family has their own job and they all work together to bring Thanksgiving to the family. 

My favorite quotes from the book state: 

"Food and loved ones. We are blessed."

"Fold, shout, sit and pray,

All together on this day."

Schwartz & Wade Books is an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (RandomHouseKids.com), the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Visit us online at @RandomHouseKids |facebook.com/RandomHouseKids | RandomHouseKids.com