ALA Booklist (Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2004)

In the latest Time-Traveling Twins book, Liz and Lenny accompany their grandmother to Plymouth Plantation in 1621. They live in a small, crowded house; do chores; work in the fields; attend worship services, of course; and sit down to a feast with the colonists and Wampanoag. When Liz refers to it as the first Thanksgiving, she is quickly corrected by a Plymouth boy, who explains that it's just a harvest festival like the ones back in England. This exchange, along with Grandmother's explanation of what the settlement's first true Day of Thanksgiving entailed, show Stanley's fine approach. The traditional version, often seen at school pageants, seems stale and dull compared with this fresh, engaging presentation of what life in Plymouth was and was not. An author's note explains how the feast became popularly known as the first Thanksgiving and why that label is inaccurate. Bustling with activity, warmed with color, and full of period details, Berry's attractive illustrations light up the pages of this appealing and engaging volume.

Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

A set of twins visits Grandma for Thanksgiving and takes a time-travel adventure to Plymouth Colony before tucking into the traditional feast. Informative and entertaining, the text works well with cartoon-style art that features word balloons. Festive endpapers picture a variety of holiday foods past and present.

Kirkus Reviews

In their third tale of time-travel with their grandmother, Liz and Lenny travel back in time to the Plymouth colony where they are able to work with the "planters" (later called Pilgrims) and enjoy the three-day harvest festival. Stanley's facts are informative and instructive regarding the true circumstances of the colony and the work of the pilgrims. Speech balloons and detail-rich illustrations amplify the information aspect of this text, while giving readers much to come back to over and over again. Stanley's and Berry's research seems impeccable. Those who expect to see the pilgrims dressed in black and white may be surprised to see the red, earthy greens, browns, blues, violets, and grays—but those colors are historically authentic. A must for collections needing accurate and informative titles focusing on Thanksgiving. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

When the Time-Traveling Twins visit Grandma, her magic hat whisks them to Plymouth Plantation in the fall of 1621. As with the series' previous titles, the narrative moves the action forward while delectable factual details come across in thought balloons comics-style. Readers will likely learn a few new things (e.g., the Puritans first took refuge in Holland before coming to America) and delight in other discoveries (because water in England "wasn't safe to drink," even the children sipped beer for breakfast). Berry's full-bleed spreads show autumnal New England at its best, while split panels convey a variety of perspectives, such as the climactic spread of the harvest meal. Ages 5-10. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 4-In this well-researched, time-travel adventure, Grandma, twins Liz and Lenny, and Moose the dog journey back to 1621 and a three-day feast with the settlers at Plymouth Plantation. In conjunction with her fast-paced and informative text, Stanley uses dialogue bubbles to give readers all sorts of interesting, comical, and possibly shocking tidbits-for example, Colonial kids drank beer, which was actually healthier than the water. This story debunks popular myths about the Pilgrims and the Thanksgiving holiday while whetting young readers' appetites for more information about life at this time. Complementing the book's conversational flavor, Berry's cartoon illustrations are bright and appealing. Clever endpapers contrast the dishes served "Then" and "Now," from "boiled eels" to "jellied cranberry sauce." An author's note provides more information about the holiday.-Julie Roach, Malden Public Library, MA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.