Thanksgiving and Gratitude
Thanksgiving is an excellent time to discuss gratitude with kids, and children's literature is the perfect place to start.
When I began teaching in 1991, there were very few fun and colorful Thanksgiving books for children. Thankfully, that has changed! (pun intended) Today, there are tons of incredible picture books about Thanksgiving and turkeys, in particular. Books that teach kindness and lessons about gratitude and, well, thankfulness. Below is a list of my favorite books to read with children around Thanksgiving. There are lessons to be learned in several of the books, but some are just pure Thanksgiving fun!
Here are my 16 favorite Thanksgiving Books for Kids!
Arthur's Thanksgiving by Marc Brown
Yes, I include Arthur and Franklin in all my holiday lists. They are staples in my classroom! In this story, Arthur gets to direct the Thanksgiving play, but he can't find anyone to play the turkey.
This biography tells the story of Tony Sarg who invented the giant balloons that fly over the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. His story is fascinating and lends itself to many topics-biographies, parade history, balloons, STEM, etc.
by Karma Wilson
Bear invites his friends for dinner but doesn't have anything to offer himself. My little friends love Bear and his friends!
The Best Thanksgiving Ever by Teddy Slater
The fresh and funny story of a turkey family celebrating Thanksgiving.
Cold Turkey by Corey Rosen Schwartz
In this fun BRAND NEW book, Turkey spends the day sharing his clothes with his freezing friends. So what happens when he has nothing left??
Franklin's Thanksgiving by Paulette Bourgeois
It's Thanksgiving, and Grandma and Grandpa Turtle are out of the country, which leaves Franklin feeling a little blue.
Gracias, the Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley
What do you do when your father sends you a live turkey for Thanksgiving and you want to keep it as a pet??
I know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
My favorite "Old Lady" story. A sweet little old lady is rather hungry and eats way too much at Thanksgiving dinner. Adore this ending!
The Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli
You and your littles will laugh as you read about two very different families as they celebrate Thanksgiving.
A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
One of my favorites! The town of Squawk Valley has no turkeys so the citizens hold a contest to trap one. Such fun illustrations!
Thanksgiving at the Tappletons by Eileen Spinelli
Celebrate Thanksgiving with the Tappletons, a thankful and hungry family of wolves!
Turk and Runt by Lisa Wheeler
Runt, the smallest turkey at Wishbone farm, tries to warn his family of the dangers turkeys face at Thanksgiving. So cute!!
A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
The Moose family and their animal friends must search for Turkey when he doesn't show up for Thanksgiving dinner. You can't beat Eve Bunting!
Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
It's Thanksgiving, and one very clever turkey tries many disguises to save himself from being eaten! My kiddos love this one! There are now five books about this funny little turkey! I love them all!
Twas' the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
Don't you love this book??!! The story of eight precious little kiddos who fall in love with some overstuffed turkeys they meet on their field trip to the farm! Love! Love!
I hope you found something to make your holiday celebration fun! There are SO many more books out there! Til' next time! Happy Reading!
The titles listed here are Amazon affiliate links. These books are found on other websites, as well.