It started with one red cap across the street. Now there are flags on every porch, a boat parade on the lake and Uncle Earl is coming to Thanksgiving. Don’t panic. Sixty cheerful, practical skills for keeping the peace, the pie and your sense of humor. Every skill fits on one illustrated page.
“Uncle Earl can keep the cap on. He still carves the turkey.”Mother, on Thanksgiving morning
The newspaper only makes it worse. The neighbors have three new flags. Grandpa won’t take his cap off at church. This book is the calm, friendly voice your family needs, written in the trusted style of the old household handbooks, with a painting for every step.
From spotting the first red cap to the handshake over the fence, every job fits on a single page.
Painted 1950s scenes of the family, the uncles and the neighbors in their red caps show exactly what to do.
Good-natured humor about the caps, the flags and the honking. Everyone is welcome at this table, and there is pie for all.
US Letter pages with color tabs on the edge, ready for a binder or a print shop.
Each chapter opens with a full-page painting and a short introduction, then moves through its skills one page at a time.
Chapter One · Skills 01–06How to recognize the first signs that the red caps have arrived
Chapter Two · Skills 07–14Getting your house ready to ride it out in comfort
Chapter Three · Skills 15–21Getting along with the neighbors when the neighbors are all wearing red
Chapter Four · Skills 22–27Thanksgiving, Christmas and every Sunday supper in between
Chapter Five · Skills 28–34The fine old art of conversation, and changing the subject
Chapter Six · Skills 35–40Calm, cheer and a good night's sleep in uncertain times
Chapter Seven · Skills 41–47The diner, the fair, the barbershop and every red cap in between
Chapter Eight · Skills 48–54For the days when things get a little bit crazy
Chapter Nine · Skills 55–60After the honking stops: fences, potlucks and handshakes
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A green side panel lists what to gather, from earmuffs to an emergency pie, with a picture of each item.
The skill number, its chapter, how long it takes and how hard it is. "Skill 01 · The Morning It Began · 5 minutes · Easy."
Six painted steps, each with a short title and plain instructions you can read across the Thanksgiving table.
The things that go wrong, called out before they happen. “Never say ‘Well, actually’ at Thanksgiving.”
Tap a page to see it full size. Scroll sideways for more.
Every piece of gear from the red cap to the inflatable eagle, and how many caps to expect at each holiday.
The apocalypse survival kit, the Thanksgiving go-bag and the list for before Uncle Earl visits.
The weather, baseball and pie are safe. The newspaper is not. A handy chart for every family meal.
Tick off each skill once you’ve done it, look up odd words, and find any topic fast.
The printed book is a full-color paperback with a glossy cover, the size of a magazine. Each copy is printed fresh when you order it and mailed to your door. Take a look inside above; the rest is waiting in the book.