TOO MANY TURKEYS
by Linda Arms White
Released September 2010
Holiday House
From the author/illustrator team that brought you TOO MANY PUMPKINS comes another fine book. This time there are too many turkeys—but don't worry, unlike the fate of the pumpkins in TOO MANY PUMPKINS, none of these turkeys end up in the oven!
Fred and Belle do a good deed by taking in Buford, a little turkey lost in the rain. But no good deed goes unpunished, as the saying goes, and soon Fred has to deal with more than he bargained for. His solution to a sea of turkeys on his porch, in his yard, and throughout Belle's perfect garden is nothing short of brilliant.
TOO MANY PUMPKINS is one of my all-time favorite books so I jumped at the chance to illustrate another fine story by Linda White. Having had turkeys in the past, and planning on having more in the future, I already had turkey experience to “draw” on. Turkeys are the silliest birds to sketch and paint and I found myself laughing out loud throughout the illustrating process.
I like to use not only real animals in my books, but real people too. The friends I used as models for DAVY CROCKETT GETS HITCHED were kind enough to model for me and play the roles of Fred and Belle. (Morgan and Darcie are really good sports!) My own chicken house became “Casa Buford” and the former home of dear friends, Steve and Sara, became Fred and Belle's house with the addition of a barn and huge gardens.
The paintings in this book were done in watercolor. I think TOO MANY PUMPKINS may be joined on my personal list of “favorite books I've illustrated” by its “cousin,” TOO MANY TURKEYS. I think it's time Tom and I got some more turkey poults. We'll choose from one of the fine “heritage breeds” of turkeys in order to help with genetic preservation of these fine old birds. After all, Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird!!!
TOO MANY PUMPKINS received many excellent reviews. The Junior Master Gardener Program and American Horticultural Society partnered together to develop the “Growing Good Kids—Excellence in Children's Literature” Book Awards Program. The mission of the program is to recognize those children's books that are especially effective at promoting an understanding of, and appreciation for, plants, gardening, and the environment. In 2005 the awards program developed a unique category of “CLASSICS,” choosing the TOP 40 BOOKS published in the last 100 years. I was thrilled that TOO MANY PUMPKINS was included in this list of the “BEST OF THE BEST of plant, garden, and environment-themed picture books.”
I think TOO MANY TURKEYS will also help promote awareness of good garden and soil practices.
If you're thinking about turkeys, check out these neat web sites:
heritageturkeyfoundation.org
albc-usa.org (this is the web site for the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy)