This is a great introduction to children about the nature of Thanksgiving and a point of view that we don't often see. The inclusion of the Wampanoag language and the guide at the end were very helpful in immersion and understanding the role of the First People when the pilgrims arrived. The art was whimsical and flowing and worked well with large landscape scenes, though some of the more detailed scenes with faces were a bit hard to distinguish between one another.

The story of thanksgiving is told through the perspective and tradition of the Wampanoag to tell the story of Corn (Weeâchumun) and the first thanksgiving. The story that many of us are familiar with, of the pilgrims and Indians coming together to celebrate a good harvest, is only part of the story…the Wampanoag people actually refer to Thanksgiving as a day of mourning, since the pilgrims brought many diseases and such with them.

Even as an adult, I learned something through this story (and the nonfiction pages in the back of the book) and I can’t wait to honor this story and tradition by sharing this book with my students.

I have purchased this for our collection. I am thrilled to add this as we live on the land that was/is owned by the Wampanoag tribe.

Three cheers for picture books that celebrate the importance of native peoples in the survival of the early colonists. This book promises to tell the story of Thanksgiving from the native perspective and especially highlighting their relationship with corn, it's importance in culture.

I am so thankful that these authors have offered the rest of us this story to read to share with our children. What a gift to be able to offer our children, and all children, something closer to the truth right from the start.

Early on in the book, there is a leap the readers are asked to make in connecting one page to the next. I listened to one of the authors read the book on YouTube and she pauses in her reading to offer context to the jump, but it reinforced my sense that something was missing in order for the book to stand on its own. It requires its reader to know a bit of history themselves to be able to connect the dots for their listeners.

Even despite this, though, 10 out of 10. Have already recommended the book and author's reading on YouTube to my teacher friends in early grades.

Keepunumuk is a lovely addition to the Thanksgiving story. The artwork is beautiful, the story engaging, and the perspective refreshing. The story is told from the perspective of the Wampanaog people and is perfect for younger elementary.

The story of Thanksgiving not told enough. This book goes a long way towards filling in some of the gaps of American history - particularly the role that the Wampanoag tribe played. Too much history has been centering white folks for too long, and I'm grateful for a story that starts to right those wrongs.

We loved this book! Beautiful illustrations and a beautiful story. Highly recommend for all children.

This book tells the true story of Thanksgiving, not from the first European settler´s opinion, but from the First Peoples, here the Wampanaog and Chickasaw. Their people helped the settlers plant corn, beans and squash to survive. This story is told by a Grandma to two of her grandchildren and shows another perspective to this traditional holiday. Sadly it´s in the end called a day of mourning, very probably because of the wrong done to the First Peoples. The explanation of words in their language and a glossary are interesting for young children to read with their parents or for older pupils. The illustrations are amazing, also capturing a tradition of the style of the Woodlands.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully illustrated, this is the perfect book to introduce children of all ages [and adults as well] to the real story of the first Thanksgiving and why it is important to know the truth of that time and why it is still so important to fight for the First People's rights.

Told in a frank, but simple way [highlighting the First People's belief's in the elements, food and ancestor spirits and that they live among them and guide them daily - this is actually some of the coolest parts of the story], with a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the story [and highlighting why it is still so important for the First People's to keep their language and for the rest of us to use it properly] and a summary of what the story means at the end [and why the authors are telling this story in this form], this book is a must-read. It is so well done and I am beyond grateful to have gotten a chance to read this. It is absolutely a book I will be revisiting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, Alexis C. Bunten, Garry Meeches - Illustrator and Charlesbridge for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Impressive!
Stunning!
Dreamy perfect!

Thank you, Charlesbridge, for the advance reading copy.

This book is a gem! I absolutely love the way of how this important story is being portrayed. A Wampanoag story told in a Native tradition. The kids are learning about corn and Thanksgiving from the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe adults.

An eye opener as well as an amazing story everyone should read.

The pages are eye-popping and the presentation is so good.

As someone from another country, this story is not very familiar to me. But I liked the way it showed nature and the tribe. The afterword with more information about their traditions, the map, and even the recipe was very interesting. The art is beautiful!

This story is about the sharing and kindness of those who were well experienced in living on this side of the ocean towards those arriving from far away.
This multicultural view of an event that is recorded in the oral tradition by a people who did not use a written language at that time is for sharing and reading WITH children of all ages and the wordings are good for ESL as well. The names of things in Wampanoag are not any harder to pronounce than words in many Asian or Eastern European (or Finnish!) languages.
The illustrations by Garry Meeches Sr., are clear, brilliantly colored and executed, and visually informative.
Every public and school library needs a copy as well as the usual gifting!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Charlesbridge via NetGalley. Thank you!

Incredible First Nations retelling of the first Thanksgiving...the first of its kind for young readers. It is beautiful and an absolute MUST share with all children.

Keepunumuk was a wonderful story not often told in schools. Getting the Wampanoag side of the story was refreshing. The glossary of terms was helpful and the photo at the back helps students to understand that the Wampanoag people are not just people in a history book. I wish the story had been longer.

Finally, a Thanksgiving story from the perspective of the 'First Peoples.' This is the book every collection needs to contain. The illustrations alone are stunning and provide a beautiful accompaniment to this story. This own voices book is a treasure, and can be shared with the youngest of readers.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that many of us can remember celebrating in school by making paper Pilgrim hats or eating pumpkin pie, turkey, and dressing in the cafeteria. In recent years teachers have begun to search for more information about the First Peoples and their role in helping the colonists survive until that first harvest. Author Danielle Greendeer is a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and tells the story in the Wampanoag tradition, incorporating the Three Sisters of Corn, Beans, and Squash (shown on the cover with the forms of plants and humans). The story weaves in the figures of Ousamequin (Massasoit) and Tisquantum (Squanto), explaining how Tisquantum was sent to teach the colonists how to nurture the Three Sisters.

The acrylic illustrations show the animals and plants of the Wampanoag tribal lands, the traditional dress worn by the First Peoples at that time, as well as the colonists in their English clothing. The narrative is framed within the conversation of a grandmother sharing the story with her grandchildren of that first Keepunumuk (harvest time) that the colonists and First Peoples held together. Rather than having a glossary in the back of the book, important words from the Wopanaak language are defined at the beginning. There is also a brief introduction to explain who the Wampanoag are and why the term First Peoples is used.

This is a welcome addition to the narrative that children are already acquainted with, bringing the perspective of the other half of the group present at that first celebration that some call Thanksgiving, but reminding us that it also has other names and traditions associated with it.

I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes. It is scheduled for publication on August 2, in plenty of time for use during holiday lessons this fall.

NetGalley provided this arc and book club kit in exchange for an honest review.

This non-traditional thanksgiving story is just what the doctor ordered. I have been looking for children's books to include in my collection. I am working on a complete overhaul of our children's sections. I am adding books that tell a more accurate account of what has transpired in the past. Keepunumuk tells of how the Native Americans helped save the pilgrims who invaded their land. This book was well-received by my children. I cannot wait for this book to be available for purchase. I will do read-alouds for my youngest patrons during our programming time.

It's my first time to encounter the Thanksgiving story as it should be told to kids: from the Native American perspective. This is such an important book, and it deserves all the love, support, attention, and SALES previously given to other Thanksgiving tales centering the colonizers' perspectives.

Loved it! I am always looking for books to recommend at Thanksgiving that represent a First People's perspective on the holiday and this definitely fills that need. It is educational and informative of the First People's culture and lifestyle during this time period. Contains maps, end notes, and even a recipe that expand on the book's content.