By Brenda Reeves Sturgis
Marshall Cavendish Children’s, $16.99, 32 pages
ISBN 9780761458470

A little learn-to-count creativity will appeal to readers when sharing Brenda Reeves Sturgis’ first children’s book, 10 Turkeys in the Road. David Slonim’s illustrations alone will keep readers occupied and checking out the action that’s packed on each page. Adults too, may be delighted to find clues about what those turkeys are really up to.

“Ten turkeys blocked the road one hot and hazy day. A pickup screeched. A farmer beeped. One turkey flew away.”

Aimed at ages 3 – 6, 10 Turkeys in the Road follows the antics of a gaggle of turkeys that interrupt a farmer’s trip along a dusty, desert road. One turkey flies away as the farmer tries every trick he knows to get the birds of a feather to move out of his path. When the turkeys outwit the farmer, he’s left to fend for himself as the sun looms along the desert horizon, and thanks to a carload of pigs, the farmer heads out to find the turkeys. Will he be surprised where he locates the ten turkeys?

The conclusion seems abrupt, but shouldn’t bother the targeted readers. Overall, this easy to read rhyming book will maintain young readers’ interest and have them laughing at the antics of these feathered friends.

Reviewed by LuAnn Schindler