As a mom of three children who have been born into a life of privilege and relative ease, I desire to instill in them the virtue of gratitude. I see this as an everyday endeavor that is taught primarily through my example, but I DO look forward to shining an extra bright light on the concept of giving thanks each November as Thanksgiving draws near.
My favorite way to foster gratitude in my kids is to set aside time throughout November to read Thanksgiving books together as a family.
In recent years, our family has built a collection of books that are centered around the history of Thanksgiving, the theme of harvest, the concept of gratitude, and the joy of generosity.
Thanksgiving Books for Kids
- My First Thanksgiving by Tomie dePaola. This book is perfect for the toddler and preschool set. It gives a basic introduction to the story of the Pilgrims’ and Native American’s friendship and shared feast. Then it touches on current day Thanksgiving traditions and our reasons to be thankful. Tomie dePaola’s signature illustrations are inviting and enjoyable for our littlest kids.
- From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by James Graham Hale. This book has beautiful illustrations and text that walk through a pumpkin’s life cycle. It holds the attention of all my kids who range from 5 to 10 years of age. My 10-year-old daughter says, “I like how the pumpkins grew from flat white seeds to big, round orange pumpkins!”
- Being Thankful by Mercer Mayer. If your preschoolers or early elementary kids enjoy the Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer, then they’ll love this one! In it, Little Critter is repeatedly discontented with what he has, especially when compared to nicer, newer items that his friends own. After spending some time with his grandparents on their farm, he gains perspective and a strategy to remind himself to be thankful for everything he has. After reading this to my five-year-old daughter for the first time, she expressed interest in having her own “thankful rock” just like Little Critter.
- Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla, illustrated by Peter Buchard. Disclaimer: our family JUST purchased this chapter book so we have NOT read it yet. I’m comfortable including it here, though, because it comes highly recommended to me by a trusted friend. My 9-year-old son also just finished reading another title by the same author and could not put it down. I’m looking forward to learning more about the life of Squanto, an important historical figure and a key player in the events of the first Thanksgiving.
- Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin. This was published in the early ’70s, but don’t let the retro aesthetic deter you. In this story, Maggie and her grandmother have an annual tradition of inviting guests to their Thanksgiving table who are either “poor or lonely”. This year, they have two gentlemen guests: one who is polished and well-mannered and another who is rough around the edges. It becomes apparent during meal time, that one of the men is there with intentions to steal a coveted family recipe for his personal gain. Maggie and her grandmother learn an important lesson about not judging a person’s character based on outward appearances. My 9-year-old son melted my heart recently when he said, “I thought it was great that they showed grace to the man who tried to steal the recipe.”
- Thankful by Eileen Spinelli. This book is filled with sweet, rhyming text paired with whimsical illustrations. While it is geared more toward a preschool and early elementary set, my 9-and 10-year-olds still love it. The message conveyed in Thankful is that there’s joy to be found when ordinary people embrace their purpose in life and are thankful for their gifts and abilities.
- The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh. This will be the third year I’ll read this short chapter book out loud to my two older kids. The main characters are a family of pilgrims. The story begins when they leave Europe on the Mayflower. I appreciate this book, because it does not spare the details of the harsh realities of life aboard the Mayflower and the early days in the colony. It’s not easy to discuss themes of suffering, disease, hunger, and death with our kids, but it’s important to talk about hard things with them. This book provides age-appropriate introductions to the hardships within the historical events that inspired our annual Thanksgiving traditions.
Do you plan to add any Thanksgiving books to your family’s library this year?
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