Thelonius Turkey Lives!: (on Felicia Ferguson's Farm)    by Lynn Rowe Reed Order:  USA  Can Knopf, 2005 (2005) Hardcover      Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke Open this oversize picture book, Thelonius Turkey Lives!, and surprise - inside the front and back cover are photos of touchable, fluffy feathers in vivid pink, red, blue, green, and purple. The illustrations inside are just as splendid, as Lynn Rowe Reed draws her characters in simplistic, expressive large forms, along with notations of animal-talk - mooing, clucking, neighing, and gobbling. Thelonius's story begins: 'Every year, a plump, wattle-y turkey disappeared just before Thanksgiving. This year, there was only 1 turkey left on Felicia Ferguson's farm.' Yes, it is Thelonius Turkey, the countdown is at seven days to Thanksgiving, and the turkey is nervous! He gets three full meals a day, and Felicia keeps plucking his feathers ... hmm, Thelonius wonders is Felicia trying to fatten me up? When he announces to his farm friends, 'I will not go to the chopping block without a fight', his audience applauds. His friends help him in inventive, mischievous ways. The cow pumps milk into Felicia's shower, the pigs disappear and Felicia finds them in her bed fast asleep. On day zero, Thelonius and his friends are in for a surprise, and so are 'the heads of people all over the world'. Lynn Rowe Reed has created a wonderfully-spirited book, combining text and sounds in story form, with eye-catching pictures. Don't miss Thelonius' story or the bonus recipes at the end of the book. I agree with the inside front flap that says, 'Read to a Child! The Most Important 20 Minutes Of Your Day'. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews