Thanksgiving is nearly here. Get children in the holiday spirit with these great Thanksgiving picture books.
Smashed between the excitement of trick-or-treating and the season of gift giving, Thanksgiving is often overlooked as a special time to spend important time with family. The books listed here are a great way to teach children the meaning of Thanksgiving and to help them understand why people celebrate this time of thanks.
Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks
Everyone has something to be thankful for, whether it is good health, a loving family, or a best friend. Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland (Grosset & Dunlap, ISBN-10: 0448422867) makes children think about what they have to be thankful for,
The Night Before Thanksgiving
The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing (Grosset & Dunlap, ISBN-10: 0448425297) begins with the hustle and bustle of preparing for a Thanksgiving meal. This picture book portrays a typical American Thanksgiving day of watching parades, football on the television, and the family gathering.
Pilgrim’s First Thanksgiving
Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving by Ann Mcgovern (Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN-10: 0590461885) is a historical and legendary look at how Thanksgiving first began. Children will learn about the hardships faced by Pilgrims, how the Native Americans helped them, and, most interestingly, what foods were served on the first Thanksgiving.
Thanks for Thanksgiving
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes (HarperCollins, ISBN-10: 006051096X) is a heartwarming picture book that gets children thinking about what they have to be thankful for. In the back of the book there is a place for children to write a list of things that they are thankful for.
Thanksgiving at the Tappletons
Filled with giggles, Thanksgiving at the Tappletons by Eileen Spinelli (HarperTrophy, ISBN-10: 0060086726) is a fun read that children will love. The Tappletons, a family of wolves, faces every sort of dinner disaster imaginable on Thanksgiving. After running around, chasing after the turkey and facing other calamities, they finally realize that Thanksgiving is about family, not the meal.
This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story
This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melme is a counting book with a Thanksgiving theme. What makes this book incredible are the illustrations. There are so many hidden details on each page that children will be enthralled.
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving
1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace (National Geographic Children's Books, ISBN-10: 0792261399) is an accurate look at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. Being a National Geographic book, it is filled with beautiful photographs and, in short chapter, packed with factual information on the history of the legendary event of the Pilgrims and Native Americans.
Visit the Local Library
To find more Thanksgiving picture books, visit the local library. The librarian will be able to point out new and classic books for the Thanksgiving seasons, as well as books on the history of this American holiday.
