The Can-Do Thanksgiving
Marion Hess Pomeranc is an award-winning author. The Can-Do Thanksgiving was a Bookselling This Week Pick of the List and chosen as an Honor Book by the Society of School Librarians International 1999 Book Awards. The American Wei was a Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year list winner, and was an honors award winner from National Parenting Publications. And The Hand-Me-Down Horse was a Smithsonian Magazine Notable Children's Book of the Year, a Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and a Sugarman Family Award winner for Jewish Children's Literature.
In The Can-Do Thanksgiving, Dee is eager to contribute to the class Thanksgiving Food Collection, but she would really like to know what will happen to her can of peas after she donates it. She places a sticker on the can with the name of her school. The church that received “Dee’s peas” invites her class to prepare and serve Thanksgiving dinner to those in need.
1. Where did the idea for The Can-Do Thanksgiving come from? Do you and your family participate in food collections or serve at a soup kitchen or shelter?
The idea for The Can-Do Thanksgiving came to me as I was bringing several cans from my kitchen to my synagogue for an annual food drive. "Where do these cans wind up?" I wondered. I assumed that if I wanted to know the answer to this question . . . so would kids. The story itself, though, came from my imagination as I tried to make the issue come alive in a way that would be fun and lively for children to read , and in a way they could understand and relate to. I haven't worked in a food kitchen, but when my son was younger, we used to carry bagels with us to give to homeless individuals we'd run into who were asking for money on our local Manhattan streets.
2. Dee and her classmates are fortunate to share in the excitement of preparing and helping to serve the food at the church where the meal is served. Would elementary-aged children be welcome to help out at most soup kitchens?
I'm really not sure if kids can work in soup kitchens. I assume not. That's a bit of poetic license I took in creating Can-Do. But I would strongly suggest that there are things kids can do in soup kitchens, like setting tables or giving out napkins and paper cups, or even helping with clean-up, or perhaps they could deliver the cans they collect directly to the site where they will be used.
3. If the kids couldn't participate on-site, do you have other ideas how a canned food collection could be a more meaningful activity than just contributing to a collection box?
I think it would be nice if kids personalized their donations with letters and drawings about why they chose a particular type of can, or how they feel about donating, or even about a time that someone helped them out. Children have a beautiful way of expressing generosity and love that is unique and can touch anyone.
4. Kids need to eat more vegetables! Dee learns from her father how to prepare a "Vegetable Medley" for dinner. Do you have a family recipe you would like to share for this dish?
Our favorite way to prepare veggies is to roast them at a high temperature. We mix them up with olive oil and a generous dose of salt and place them on a flat baking sheet. Then roast them at 425 for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to curl up and brown. Yummy. We do this with broccoli, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, too.
5. If kids and their families are just starting to volunteer, do you think a food collection is a good project for kids of all ages? If so, why?
I believe that collecting food is a very meaningful way for children to volunteer in their community. Food nourishes and sustains us, and on a very basic level children can understand the sorrow of not having enough to eat.
6. What do you hope children will take away from reading The Can-Do Thanksgiving?
I want kids to understand that anyone of us can be in a situation of need. I want them to understand that those who need are just like us. And finally, I want kids to know that they can help.
7. You've written two books about children as American immigrants, The Hand Me Down Horse and The American Wei. Did your background have an influence on this subject?
Immigration is a real part of my life. My parents, my in-laws, and my husband are all naturalized American citizens who were born in other countries.
8. Are you currently working on a children's book or do you have other projects planned?
I am working on another book about volunteering.
FamilyCares thanks Marion Hess Pomeranc for her time and talent. Check your local library for “The Can-Do Thanksgiving” and “The American Wei” or order them on–line. Your children will enjoy the stories and so will you!
Interview conducted by email November 2006
Maureen Byrne
