Milly and The Macy's Parade

Milly And The Macy's Parade
Illustrated by Brett Helquist

Happy November!  Although I'm still picking up Halloween candy wrappers, my holiday-loving daughter is wondering already, "What holiday is next mom?"  Thanksgiving!  I just love Thanksgiving, and despite my daughter's efforts to convince me that it would be fun for her to give gifts that day, this is precisely one of the reasons I love this holiday.  Simple gratitude is all that is required! I love working together to prepare a feast, and the joy of just being together with family.What a great holiday!  In celebration of this upcoming day, I am sharing with you a very sweet  picture book called Milly And The Macy's Parade.

Milly came to America from Poland, and since she became accustomed to her new home, she has grown quite fond of it. She especially loves to wander through Macy's department store--the glamorous and glittery place of her father's employment. Although her mother is learning to find some Polish foods, and appreciating a few new ones, and her father is learning more English words, they are still homesick for Poland, especially near holidays.  Milly gets a great idea and convinces Mr. Macy himself that a parade is in order.  Indeed it is and it warms the hearts of the immigrants and helps them find their new American holidays nearly as comforting as their old ones.

This sweet story is fictional but based on some truths about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the America of 1924.  The text has nice vocabulary and an appealing storyline, and illustrations by Brett Helquist are magnificent. This is a sweet and interesting story. I can't wait to point out this famous parade to my children on Thanksgiving day.  For me, once again, a little bit of history goes a long way.

Make sure you haven't missed Brett Helquist's beautiful illustrations in another of his delightful books:  Roger, the Jolly Pirate!