With clear, simple prose, Penner brings the reader into the world of the Pilgrims. She starts with their history, explaining why they left England, their time in Holland, their hard trip across the Atlantic, and the hardships they faced in the New World. She centers on their diet, manner, and methods of cooking. Penner adds details that kids will enjoy - bugs in the food, sleeping on the dining room table, dirty napkins, and gross recipes! This is an excellent addition to any child's library! ( )

Lacks depth and doesn't seem to include primary sources. Letters, journal entries, or pictures from that time would provide a richer source of information and increase the overall believability of the content. The pictures aren't referenced. There is a glossary and recipes at the end of the book, which is neat. But overall, this is not a useful book to show kids or to be used as a reference of any sort. I would not use this book in any lesson. ( )

This book, intended for children ages 7-11, includes some recipes that might be fun for elementary students to try. However, the volume is seriously flawed by historical inaccuracies and poorly chosen illustrations. Even an amateur historian can recognize factual errors in the text (for example, Winslow's portrait was painted in London, not in America as the author implies). Also, the book's illustrations stretch the boundaries of Plymouth Plantation (and the credulity of the reader) well beyond acceptable limits. That is, the author included illustrations of a gravestone, as well as a harpooned whale, from Salem, MA; portraits of famous Puritans from Boston; and even several drawings from Colonial Williamsburg in her book. Little wonder that American school children know little about their country's history, never mind its geography, with books like this one appearing in the classroom. Worse, a selection from this book appeared in the reading section of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment in recent years. Shame on the MA Department of Education for spotlighting shoddy work by a careless author. ( )