When I was little, large family get-togethers were basically excuses for the children to stuff our faces and hang out with cousins whom we rarely met up with. In fact, the only childhood memories I have of such occasions are that of eating and playing. And that, basically, sums up The Great Thanksgiving Escape, which gives a kid-centric view of a big family gathering — thanksgiving dinner, in this case — and reminds us how startlingly fresh and different a kid’s point of view can be from that of stodgy grownups and emotionally detached teenagers.

  
And so it is that when forced to attend yet another “boring” family dinner at their grandmother’s, two young cousins team up to make their own fun. But first, they have to get past “vicious guard dogs”, a “hall of aunts”, a roomful of frightening “zombies” and — worst of all — a staggering “wall of butts”… !!

  
With this solo effort, Mark Fearing has brilliantly conjured up a hilariously exhilarating escapade that celebrates food, family and childhood. Truly, nothing stands in the way of fun when you’re armed with the right company, a sense of adventure and a little imagination!