Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! I always love sharing brand-new picture books…and when they are written by a dear kid-lit friend, it’s even more fun. And today, I’m sharing a book that is a TRIPLE pleasure for me…it’s brand-new…it’s written by a dear kid-lit friend, Alayne Kay Christian…and that friend is a long-time critique buddy of mine (part of my very first critique group formed in 2012) and so I saw early drafts of this wonderful story: TURKEY ON THE RUN!

TURKEY ON THE RUN!

Written by Alayne Kay Christian

Illustrated by Neha Rawat

Published by Flamingo Books (imprint of PRH) [September 29, 2026)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Courage, ingenuity, Thanksgiving

Synopsis:
You won’t catch this turkey for your roasting pan—Turkey on the Run! A feather-filled fiasco about a turkey determined to see the dawn of another Thanksgiving Day. As the whole town gives chase, this plucky bird dashes, dodges, and schemes his way towards freedom, only to discover that what waits at the end of the dining tale might not be as disastrous as he originally suspected. Told in bouncy, rhyming verse that fans of The Gingerbread Man will gobble right up, this spirited twist on the traditional holiday tale is stuffed with humor, heart, and holiday cheer.

“A silly caper filled with Thanksgiving fun.” – Kirkus Reviews

“An autumnal color scheme and comical digital images convey a harried urgency befitting Turkey’s predicament. This fast-moving comedy is perfect for turkey trot and tofurkey lovers.” —Publishers Weekly

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love rollicking rhyme that provides the perfect read-aloud!
2. I love the fabulous humor…and the ingenuity of the turkey!
3. I love the engaging, I-can’t-wait-to-turn-the-page-to-see-the-next-one illustrations!

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
TURKEY AND FALL CRAFTS
A note from author Alayne:
If you would like a list of links to various turkey and fall crafts, you will find them in my free downloadable teacher’s guide on my website. https://alaynekaychristianauthor.com/teacher-guides-school-visits

ME: And Alayne has more to share with us because she graciously agreed to stop by to give us the story behind the story…your inspiration for it…and more! Welcome, Alayne! It’s lovely to chat with you!

ALAYNE:
I’m so glad to be here!
First, I want to thank you, Vivian, for featuring Turkey On the Run! for your Picture Book Friday selection this week. And thanks to Susanna Leonard Hill who started this fantastic and informative weekly event way, way back when. Now for my inspiration. . . .

Over twenty-five years ago, I had made a Thanksgiving card with three views of a turkey running around with speech bubbles saying,

“Did you know 90% of Americans prefer ham for Thanksgiving?”

“What? You’ve never heard of pizza?”  

“Think of your health! This would be a great time to start a vegetarian diet.”

I thought it was funny, and was quite impressed with my humor. Now, that I’ve revisited that memory, I kind of wish I had modified those lines to rhyme for Turkey On the Run! Who knows, maybe there will be a chance in the future.

The basic idea of a turkey trying to convince people to eat anything but turkey never left me. But how in the world would I execute it in a picture book? I thought, and I thought until I started noticing fractured fairy tales. I also think there may have been some blog posts about reimagining classic fairy tales. And one day, it hit me. The Gingerbread man running . . . Turkey running. What is he running from? Just like in The Gingerbread Man, maybe he runs from the little old lady and the little old man. And what rhymes with “man” besides “can?” “Pan!” To be more specific roasting pan. Escaping the fate of a roasting pan is great character motivation, and things grew from there.

It wasn’t originally in rhyme other than the “run, run, run as fast as you can” part. And it was long and clunky because I was trying too hard to stick to The Gingerbread Man structure too closely. Now, I understand that would have been a big mistake. I had to make the story my own, and eventually I got there.

CHALLENGING MOMENTS

Finding the right structure and killing my original darlings took me a very long time. Another challenge that I feared rhyme, and for good reason. Even after taking Renée LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab. But that course inspired me to at least try. And try I did. It wasn’t until I had much more practice with rhyme that it finally started to come together.

Gaining confidence or maybe I should say lack of confidence was a big challenge. I submitted it to an editor here and an editor there—no more than a handful of times. I pitched it a lot on Twitter pitches and such. But I convinced myself it had no real potential. All along, I kept trying to perfect it. And then one day, I got a request from the pitch I posted! And the rest is history. I am so grateful that my agent, Jackie Kruzie and my editor, Claire Tattersfield both saw the potential in this fun story.

HUMOROUS INCIDENTS

I appreciate that Claire has a similar dark side as mine. Together, we thought it would be very funny for the adult readers of Turkey On the Run! if perhaps in the background of the Turkey Trot dinner scene, there were people with a grocery store plucked turkey on a stick going into an outdoor turkey fryer. The thought still cracks me up. But, either fortunately or unfortunately, the powers that be said that it would be too dark for this picture book.

However, they didn’t have a problem with Turkey’s seat of honor at the dinner table looking a lot like a serving platter, which I think is hilarious. When it comes to humor, I must give credit to Neha Rawat. She did an amazing job of bringing this humorous, high-speed adventure to life.

ME: This is all super cool, dear Alayne. Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I know that all of us love hearing how stories came to be…and it helps us all to realize that published books emerge from long journeys…we just have to have faith…and never give up.

To learn more about the author and illustrator and their books:
Alayne Kay Christian is an award-winning author, a former acquisitions editor, and a writing teacher. Her books include An Old Man and His Penguin: How Dindim Made João Pereira de Souza an Honorary Penguin; The Weed That Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Story of the Toledo Christmas Weed; and Turkey On the Run!  Born in the Rockies, raised in Chicago, and now a true-blue Texan, Alayne’s writing conveys her creative spirit, a bit of her funny bone, and the kinship to nature and humanity that lives within her heart. https://alaynekaychristianauthor.com/

Neha Rawat from India, is an author/illustrator of children’s books. Her illustrated works include Masala Chai, Fast and Slow, Zuni and the Memory Jar, and The Totally NOT Wicked Stepmother. Her debut author/illustrator picture book Ghungroos for Gauri will be published by Candlewick Press in 2026. When not drawing, Neha enjoys yoga, board games, hiking, and cuddling floofs. https://neharawat.com/

TURKEY ON THE RUN! launches on September 29th…the same day as my newest book, PIPPA’S HANUKKAH HUNT….Alayne and I are so excited to have book twins!
I know we all want to support new books…so, what can you do, you ask?
1. Buy the book
2. Review the book on Amazon
3. Review the book on Goodreads
4. Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.

Thank you for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a great weekend. I’m actually in Vienna right now…and will be going to Greece (Agatha Rodi…are we going to connect in person?) in a few days…and will be back in the states October 4th. My book will be launching while I am away (on the same day as Alayne’s)…maybe I’ll have to have a Greek celebration…Ópa!