Off to Plymouth Rock by Dandi Daley Mackall. Illustrations by Gene Barretta.

(Nashville TN: Tommy Nelson Inc, 2003. 32 pp. $12.99, ISBN 1-4003-0473-3)

Ages 4-8

A perfect book to read to the family as you gather for Thanksgiving, “Off to Plymouth Rock” will appeal to ages 4 to 8 as well as the young at heart.

Shared in rhyme to engage young minds, Mackall tells the story of the first Thanksgiving without talking down to her young audience.

The story begins with the pilgrims’ flight from their European homeland:

Pilgrims flee!

Sail the sea,

Knowing there’s no guarantee.

Leaving, grieving,

Still believing …

Off to Plymouth Rock!

The story continues by telling the tale of their perilous voyage, the terrifying winter after their first arrival, and the compassion of Massasoit, the Indian chief, who moved by their suffering helped the pilgrims to survive.

“Off to Plymouth Rock” describes Squanto teaching the pilgrims about native crops such as corn and the joy of the first harvest. As it concludes with the first Thanksgiving we are reminded how different the first Thanksgiving was from our gatherings and yet we can see the seed with which they began.

Humble living,

First Thanksgiving –

Here at Plymouth Rock.

The illustrations are also particularly worth noting.

Gene Barretta engages the reader with his drawings of two young girls throughout the story. Fear, hope and wonder can be seen in their faces as their lives begin to intertwine.

The final illustration of the book shows the girls playing together under the table near the feet of immigrant pilgrims and native Americans.

One sees it is not only a look back but also a prayer for our future – that one day we may all get along and welcome one another to the table.

The edition I reviewed included a read-a-long “Activity” CD which was a disappointment, but the book is charming and will be a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving gathering.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s be on our way,

Off to Plymouth Rock!

Geri Williams is a local book fancier.

The movie will be shown at Clearlake United Methodist Church at 14521 Pearl Ave. near Mullen in Clearlake.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for snacks and socializing; the film starts at 6 p.m.

This is a a Pacifica documentary produced and written by Geoff Brady of Pacifica's outstanding station, WBAI.

The footage in this film is a video and photographic document of high atmospheric aircraft activity and related weather control programs conducted over New York City from 2008 to 2009.

The film describes how our weather has been silently stolen without permission for the purposes of scientific experimentation and use by the military as a weapon of war.

Audio of NASA, U.C. Berkeley and Stanford scientists reveals the disconnect in their thinking as they casually discuss manipulating the climate to solve "Climate Change" and for use as a weapon, while ignoring the effects that dumping massive quantities of metal aerosols into the atmosphere will have Earth's life systems.

This serious and fascinating documentary does not indulge in conspiracy theories, but sticks to known facts, and speculations on what is happening.

Lake County resident and researcher Tom Slaight will introduce the film and will share about 10 minutes of his own video of similar if not identical emissions over Lake County. Slaight also will be available for discussion and a question and answer session following the film.

For more information call 707-279-2957.

Pictured from left to right: Reid Carpenter (drums), Landon Bracisco (vocals/guitar), Rafael Roy-Labelle (bass) and Jacob Gill (vocals/guitar). Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE – Local teen rock band String Theory will be the opening band for The Lost Boys on Friday, Nov. 6, during the Grand Finale Weekend at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa.

String Theory band members live in the Cobb/Middletown area and are freshmen at Middletown High School.

Doors open at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover charge.

String Theory will kick off the show at 9 p.m., and the Lost Boys will perform at 10:15 p.m.

For more information about String Theory, visit www.myspace.com/stringtheory27 . Come and support your local teens!

On Saturday, Nov. 7, Raul Gilbert, Lourdes Thuesen and Mary McMillan will explore the issue of “Writing as Expression.”

Look for lively debates and thought-provoking discussion.

During the hour, Thuesen and McMillan also will discuss their experience as editors of the Lake County Record-Bee column, “Creative Expressions.”

Based on the true story of an adopted dog who finally found his home, "Darby's Story" is a heartwarming family tale for readers and listeners alike.

Steward will hold signings on the following dates:

• Saturday, Nov. 7, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Kamp K-9, The Lodge at the Blue Lakes, 5135 West Highway 20, Upper Lake;

• Saturday, Nov. 7, to Sunday, Nov. 15, Cobb Mountain Art Galleria, Cobb Mountain Village, in the 16000 block of Highway 175, Cobb;

• Saturday, Nov. 21, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wild About Books, 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake;

• Friday, Dec. 4, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Watershed Books, Author's Studio, 305 N. Main St., Lakeport.

The event will take place from 5:30 p.m to 7 p.m. at the gallery, 325 N. Main St., Lakeport.

New in the November show are Toni Stewart's one-of-a-kind handcrafted hats. The popular artist Ray Farrow returns to the gallery with his fine oils, and Elaine Lewis displays her flair with acrylics.

Continuing in the October show are Bill Bartram in oils and Paula Strothers, Diane Constable and Paula Starkey in acrylics. Bruce Vandariss is exhibiting vivid paintings done in colored pencil. Keith Nelson's 8-foot metal giraffe gains immediate attention as you walk into the gallery, but take time to examine his other work as well.

Each of Bill Blum's miniature wooden gnome homes hold a surprise. To accompany them, Chris Schreier has fashioned wee folk art gnomes. Sunny Franson's beautifully executed oils reflect wonderfully soft landscapes and wildlife of Lake County. Judy Cardinale continues in this show exhibiting her versatility as an artist as she changes out her animal collection to vibrant watercolor landscapes and seascapes. Rounding out this fine collection of artists is the intricately fashioned jewelry by Anna Koot.

Returning to the Linda Carpenter Gallery to show their ever-growing talent and experimenting with various mediums and techniques are students from Cobb Mountain under the energetic tutelage of Linda Prather.

This is not just a student exhibition but a fine example of how art expands our lives by having us explore other cultures, nature and science.

Mrs. Liotta's class of fifth, sixth and seventh graders did just that by using the Internet to check out masks from around the world and then using Smart Board to examine them and determine how they would create their own masks.

Mr. Weiss's third and fourth graders studied the values of colors, learning warm and cool shades, and through the medium of watercolors learned to mix, blend and apply washes to their paper. You can view the end result of this creative process in their display of vases and flowers in the Impressionistic style. Two art docents, Jennifer Prather and Merilyn Mahnke, contribute their time and talent to this class.

Please join us for this evening of art, meet the featured artists and sample the award winning wines from Gregory Graham Wines.

Enjoy the delightful music of Ian Shaul on acoustic guitar as he plays and sings his own compositions.

We look forward to meeting you, sharing our gallery and bringing even more and new artistic talent to you in the months ahead.

For more information call 707-263-6658.

Shelby Posada is executive director of the Lake County Arts Council.