Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this DVD pairs A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with an animated feature about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving feast. Also starring the Peanuts gang, The Mayflower Voyagers doesn't quite capture the whimsy of earlier Charlie Brown specials, but its historical tale should still interest older kids.
Families can talk about the real meaning of Thanksgiving -- how it's not just about turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. How did the Peanuts gang learn that lesson in this story? What will you be thankful for this Thanksgiving?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Teresa Talerico
Nobody does holidays quite like the Peanuts gang, and A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is no exception.
In this popular animated special created by Charles M. Schultz, Charlie Brown (voiced by Todd Barbee) finds himself hosting a Thanksgiving meal for his friends. Stumped over what to serve, he whips up a few tried-and-true recipes, including buttered toast, popcorn, and pretzel sticks. In a fun kitchen scene, Snoopy "conducts" the food preparation to Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy," probably the most well-known and well-loved Peanuts tune. Snoopy steals the show again when he and Woodstock set the Thanksgiving table and later when they don pilgrim-style costumes.
At first, the characters are ambivalent and somewhat negative about the holiday. Sally (Hilary Momberger) wonders what she has to be thankful for, Charlie Brown admits that he finds Thanksgiving depressing, and both are exasperated that Peppermint Patty (Kip DeFaria) has invited herself -- as well as Marcie (Jimmy Ahrens) and Franklin (Robin Reed) -- over for dinner. Later, Peppermint Patty loudly voices her displeasure -- "Where's the turkey?" -- with Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving "feast." But thanks to some philosophical words from Linus (Stephen Shea) and Marcie, the Peanuts gang comes to realize the true meaning of the holiday.
Released in 1988, The Mayflower Voyagers (the second feature on the DVD) strays somewhat from the simplicity that made its predecessors so endearing, but it's still educational. The animated special follows the pilgrims -- including Charlie Brown and friends -- as they journey to the New World in 1620. It does a good job of depicting the perilous Mayflower voyage, as well as the challenges of settling in a new land.
It also introduces Native Americans Squanto and Samoset, who assisted the pilgrims in adapting to their new home by teaching them to fish and plant corn. And, of course, it features the first Thanksgiving, believed to be shared between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag people in 1621. Unlike more-classic Peanuts specials, Mayflower includes adult characters who actually speak. It was part of an eight-episode TV miniseries that explored different events in U.S. history.
Families who enjoy this DVD also like You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving.
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Social BehaviorPositive themes about friends, togetherness, and the true message of Thanksgiving. |
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