Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I take this opportunity most years to highlight the celebration and its emphasis on being thankful. No matter your approach to Thanksgiving or how you celebrate, this selection of children’s picture books has you covered with a variety of ways to recognize the day as well as encouraging a spirit of gratitude all year long.
At Our Table, opens a new window by Patrick Hulse, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight
As a family prepares for a Thanksgiving celebration they remember all the things there is room for at their table and in their home. Some are physical things, like a tablecloth and desserts. Others are more emotional, like room to be silly and room to celebrate. This story presents a creative way to think about all there is to be thankful for.
Gather Grateful, opens a new window by Megan Litwin, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
The weather is getting colder, and the time for gathering begins. Animals gather and store food to eat and leaves and sticks for warm nests. Birds gather together, then fly away on migration. A family gathers around the table and a bonfire where they gather stories and memories. Rhyming text and rich, color-saturated illustrations make this a pleasure for the ears and the eyes.
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story, opens a new window by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten, illustrated by Garry Meeches, Sr.
In this book, the story of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving in America is told from the perspective of the Wampanoag who helped the Pilgrims. When the newcomers arrive, the First Peoples are wary. But after witnessing the struggle of the newcomers, the First Peoples reach out to teach them how to raise corn, beans, and squash. When the time to harvest comes, the newcomers prepare a feast and celebrate with the First Peoples who helped them survive.
Sarah Gives Thanks, opens a new window by Mike Allegra, illustrated by David Gardner
For years throughout the mid-1800s, Sarah Josepha Hale worked to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in the United States. Those who did celebrate, did so on different days. In some parts of the country, it wasn’t celebrated at all. Hale believed the Thanksgiving message of appreciation was one that ought to be celebrated across the country. As an author and magazine editor, Hale had a platform to widely share her belief about a nation-wide day of Thanksgiving and additionally regularly wrote letters to presidents, governors, and other officials to encourage their support. Hale finally accomplished her goal in 1863, when President Lincoln issued a proclamation establishing a national Thanksgiving holiday.
Thank You, opens a new window by Jarvis
A little boy expresses gratitude for the simple things in his life: the moon, the sun, the shade of a tree. He is thankful for practical things, like his boots that allow him to walk outside and his toothbrush for his smile. He is also thankful for whimsical things, like the colors yellow and blue and the word “tyrannosaurus.” Not specific to Thanksgiving, this book provides a fun way to encourage gratitude all year long.
Darcie Caswell is Director of Youth Services at CRRL. This column originally appeared in The Free Lance-Star newspaper.
