Thanksgiving Books for Kids
This list includes books that I enjoy reading with my daughter leading up to Thanksgiving. All of these are great for preschoolers and beyond, and several are also wonderful for younger toddlers as well. I like to preview books before reading them to my child ensure they’re appropriate for my child’s stage, in line with our family’s values, and it also gives me a chance to consider how to present the book and tell the story.
Why read Thanksgiving-themed books with your child?
It’s exciting for my daughter when her favorite seasonal books come out of storage or when we pick up a stack of seasonal books from the library. Seasonal books help us to celebrate the natural rhythms of the seasons in our home. For the month of November and the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving, we’re focusing our reading list around themes of gratitude, community, generosity, and contentment, as well as reading a selection of books written by Native American authors.
Teaching kids about Thanksgiving
I found helpful guidance for teaching my daughter about Thanksgiving in a respectful and meaningful way at the links below. The Bioneers curriculum also offers excellent resources that accompany the Keepunumuk book (listed below), including crafts and discussion questions.
Webinar Recording – How to Teach Thanksgiving: Resources for Young Children
Cultural Survival: 8 Ways to Decolonize and Honor Native Peoples on Thanksgiving
What about the storage of seasonal books?
I keep our seasonal books tucked away on a bookshelf and bring them out when their time of year arrives. With limited space, I only purchase a few favorites and rely on the library for the rest. If you plan to borrow seasonal titles, I suggest placing your library holds a couple of weeks in advance- popular books tend to go quickly!
The links below are commissionable (commissions earned from books written by Indigenous authors will be donated). Still, I recommend checking your local library first, or browsing ThriftBooks and eBay for used copies before buying new. If your library doesn’t carry a book you’re looking for, consider submitting a purchase suggestion- in my experience, every title I’ve recommended so far has been added to their collection.
Other seasonal book lists:
November & Thanksgiving Reading List
Keepunumuk
This is a Wampanoag story about the first Thanksgiving. This book includes Wampanoag vocabulary and definitions. I reccomend watching this YouTube video, which includes a read aloud, to learn the correct pronunciation of the title and vocabulary.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
A warm story about community and all the things to be grateful for. This book includes the Cherokee alphabet, as well as vocabulary words.
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message
This children’s adaptation of a traditional Iroquois Thanksgiving Address celebrates and shows appreciation for Mother Earth. This is a soothing story to read and a great way to discuss giving thanks and appreciation for the nature with young children.
When We Are Kind
A simple and beautiful book about kindness and community. This book also centers Indigenous characters and culture in the illustrations.
Thanks to the Animals
A sweet story about kindness and giving thanks. After reading this I felt a deep appreciation for the natural world and animals. This book also includes vocabulary from the Passamaquoddy language. This is one of my daughter’s favorite books from this list.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
A beautiful and heartwarming story about how Fry Bread is not only a delicious food, but is also culture, family, history, memory and connection. This book is a wonderful way to introduce culture and the concept of cultural traditions to young children.
The All-Together Quilt
A beautiful story about a community coming together to make a quilt. This has themes of friendship, community, and kindness.
Good People Everywhere
This story reminds us that there are people everywhere doing things for the common good. It has themes of kindness, meaningful work, and generosity. This book is filled with positivity and shines a light on the good that’s all around us. .
Apple Cake: A Gratitude
A simple story of gratitude for the little things in life. It also has a recipe for apple cake in the back of the book! This book would be appropriate for young toddlers up through early elementary ages.
Duck for Turkey Day
A story about a Vietnamese American family celebrates Thanksgiving with duck instead of turkey. I love how this book celebrates diversity of cultural traditions, and sends the message that there’s no right way to celebrate a holiday.
I Am Thankful: A Thanksgiving Book for Kids
A sweet and simple book about coming together and giving thanks. I appreciate the representation of diverse families in the illustrations. There are also a few simple craft and activity ideas in the back of the book.
The Money Tree
Not a Thanksgiving book, but a story that fits the theme of contentment. It’s a classic story about finding joy in the little things. Sadly this is out of print, but can often be found used on Amazon, ThriftBooks, and eBay. I was able to borrow this from my local library.
Bear Says Thanks
A simple rhyming story with themes of gratitude, friendship, sharing, and generosity.
Thanku: Poems of Gratitude
A beautiful collection of poems about gratitude. This book reminds us to be grateful for the simple things. This book has also been a great introduction to poetry for my preschooler. This would be great for older children too.
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