THE CHRISTMAS FEAST

This turkey is no turkey.

When Fox absconds with a turkey for his Christmas feast with his wolf and weasel pals, he gets more than he bargained for. Although the turkey is alarmed when she’s snatched away from the farm, she’s more than pulled herself together by the next double-page spread. In this picture, Le Huche depicts her perched atop a chair in Fox’s disorderly home, berating him for the mess. By the time Wolf and Weasel arrive, everything is tidied up, and Turkey sets her sights on bossing them around, too. Appalled that they’d even consider turning her into pâté before fattening her up, Turkey sends the befuddled trio out to gather food. She then cooks up a delicious “frog and sprout stew” for dinner, further solidifying her unexpectedly empowered position in the household. By the time Christmas Eve rolls around, Turkey has fully incorporated herself into the group, and Wolf, Weasel, and Fox are dismayed when she asks them “how would they cook her?” True to the dry humor of this trickster tale, she continues, “‘I would like to be flambéed.” Needless to say, this does not come to pass, and Turkey instead cooks up a feast for the four of them. A sly twist offered in the cartoon art at the final page turn provides readers with a final treat to savor.

Deliciously funny.