I love Christmastime and will be the first to admit that one month is just not long enough to enjoy decades of amazing Christmas music.
I also love decorating and gift-giving and getting into the holiday spirit. However, I’m just not ready to pull out the Christmas decor yet and jump right over Thanksgiving. (No judgment for those you who are already decking the halls!)
My heart really needs a little extra dose of thankfulness this year. With this in mind … I’ve compiled a list of books that include a little something for everyone – just in case others are feeling that longing too!
And even if you are already decorating your home for Christmas and singing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (pun intended) – the theme of developing a grateful heart will still fit right in!
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Five Little Thank-Yous by Cindy Jim and illustrated by Dawn M. Cardona
Shaped like a little turkey hand, this short and sweet board book is the perfect Thanksgiving book for the little ones in your family. With five reasons to be thankful and a simple rhyming text, you can count your blessings from even the youngest of ages. Plus, you can use this cover as inspiration to make a fun “hand”-made craft with your little turkeys.
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A Very Thankful Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen and illustrated by Natalia Moore
This board book is a bouncy, rhythmic prayer of thanksgiving for friends, family, and all the wonderful aspects of fall – including Thanksgiving. The illustrations feature adorable woodland characters and the rhyming text make this a delightful and quick read.
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Thankful by Eileen Spinelli
Promoting creative play and imagination, a brother and sister find things to be thankful for throughout their day. As they water the garden the text reads, “the gardener’s thankful for…” and as they draw, “the artist is thankful for…” and as their dad makes dinner, “the chef if thankful for…” showcasing not just their creativity, but the various roles and occupations they imagine themselves in. This delightful book is available in both a picture book and shortened board book format.
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Thanksgiving in the Woods by Phyllis Alsdurf and illustrated by Jenny Lovlie
Based on the true story of a family from upstate New York who has celebrated Thanksgiving with a big outdoor feast for over twenty years, this book is a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving book collection! Filled with family, faith, and friendship this book is also an inspiration for gathering outdoors, even when we might not think it could be possible. This one totally has me thinking outside the box!
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Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey and illustrations by Genevieve Godbout
Beautifully illustrated, the simplicity of this text includes a young girl saying thank you as she encounters each wonder in nature. By the end she gathers the ingredients for her mom to make Apple Cake. This book is perfect for young readers to share in the reading experience. A bonus recipe for apple cake is also included at the end.
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Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Omu makes a delicious stew that draws everyone from the neighborhood. She generously opens her door and offers food to all who are hungry. However, when Omu goes to eat there is none left. Just when Omu thinks she will have to go without, everyone she’s shared her stew with returns with a meal of thanks. This is a delightful story of how living with a generous heart brings people together.
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For the Beauty of the Earth by Folliot S. Pierpoint and illustrated by Lucy Fleming
As an illustrated version of the classic hymn, I absolutely adore this book! For the Beauty of the Earth is a song of thanksgiving – for nature found here on earth and in the sky, and for the love found in friends and family. Each time I read this, I find myself humming the tune all day long … and if you’re not familiar with this hymn, the music and lyrics are included.
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The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera
This might not be the first book that comes to mind when thinking about the Thanksgiving holiday, but that’s okay – I love the practical application and the message of this adorable book. After Grace has a birthday party, she begins to write thank-you notes for the gifts she received. The illustrations are adorable, with all the thank you notes written in Grace’s handwriting. Once Grace writes her birthday thank-you notes, she doesn’t stop there. She begins writing them to others in her life and soon she is spreading appreciation all over town – making everyone feel valued.
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The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton, and illustrated by Christine Davenier
From The Very Fairy Princess series, this book demonstrates what it’s like to choose a thankful heart all day long – even when things don’t always go your way. I love that this book highlights that gratefulness is something we often have to choose.
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We Are Grateful by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frane’ Lessac
Author Traci Sorell is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and in this book we learn all about Otsaliheliga, a Cherokee word that is used to express gratitude. A book rich with gratitude, there’s also the opportunity to learn about Cherokee culture and vocabulary. I also appreciated the pages at the back with additional definitions, an author’s note, and the Cherokee syllabary.
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The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt and illustrated by Cyd Moore
As a mama and daughter spend time looking through old scrapbooks and photo albums, the daughter attempts to guess what could be mama’s most thankful thing. Mama has many, many things to be thankful for throughout her life, but her most thankful thing is revealed once she opens her daughter’s baby book.
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The Best Part of the Day by Sarah Ban Breathnach and illustrated by Wendy Edelson
Written about her own family’s bedtime tradition, author Sarah Ban Breathnach shares the story of playing a favorite game called, “the best part of the day!” As they recall every good thing – “was it getting our pumpkins or painting their faces?” – they use this activity as a way to give thanks and find joy in each day.
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Look and Be Grateful by Tomie dePaola
This little picture book by Tomie dePaola is an illustrated poem he wrote about being grateful. With very simple text, that is easy to read, this book would also be perfect as a shared reading with an emergent reader. “Today is today, and it is a gift. So, be grateful.”
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Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman
A tribute to friendship and sharing, Bear is lonely and missing his friends. One-by-one they all stop by with food to share for a meal, but Bear’s cupboards are bare and he’s sad because he has nothing to give. This easy-to-read picture book is a great addition to the topic of gratefulness.
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100 Ways to be Thankful by Lisa M. Gerry
This book is perfect for those non-fiction lovers out there! By National Geographic Kids, this one includes great ideas on how to be thankful, with full-color photos and lots of additional fun facts. My kids LOVED receiving the National Geographic Kids magazine when they were younger and with four kids, it was one we subscribed to for years. True to form, this book does not disappoint!
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A Thank You Walk by Nancy Loewen and Hazel Quintanilla
This Bright Start board book about gratitude is meant to support the development of emotional intelligence. Using simple two-color illustrations (black line and pops of orange), a mother and daughter take a thank you walk … looking for the many ways they are able to say thank you along the way. Finding appreciation in the littlest things, this short and sweet book is a great way to foster a thankful heart in young kids!
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Thankful Together by Holly Davis and illustrated by Valerie Sokolova
Written in rhyming prose, this story of thankfulness is about a mother and daughter squirrel who pause to give thanks to God throughout their day. For example, after they run, jump, skip, and hop they say, “Thank you, God, for the games that we play.” Based on Psalm 30:12 – O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever – this book would be a wonderful bedtime devotional or could be used as a mentor text to create your own prayers of thanksgiving.
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Around the Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill and illustrated by Jaime Kim
Let’s be honest, a huge part of celebrating Thanksgiving is coming together around the table with those we love. There are so many things to love about this book – including the diversity in both faces and festive food. This book was also included in a list of books that are perfect for celebrating grandparents, which you can read about here.
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The Blue Table by Chris Raschka
The simplicity of this book, with very few words, highlights the artistic work of Caldecott award-winning illustrator Chris Raschka. Simple, yet the message is fantastic – the table that we use every day is the one where we gather together … and as the illustrations demonstrate one where we hold hands to give thanks. This book could also be used to teach metaphorical inferencing, as the blue table could be interpreted as a representation of our world.
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Grow Grateful by Sage Foster-Lasser and Jon Lasser and illustrated by Christopher Lyles
Kiko goes on a school camping trip and discovers that being grateful is much deeper than simply saying thank you. Not only does her concept about gratefulness develop throughout the book, she learns about friendship and helping others too. A story by Magination Press, published by the American Psychological Association, this book includes pages of advice and tips for parents on how to grow gratitude in children.
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Giving Thanks: More than 100 ways to say thank you illustrated by Ellen Surrey
Andy, a young boy, is asked, “Who would you like to say thank you to?” So he shares fifteen people he would like to thank in his life. On each two page spread that follows, there are prompts such as, “What would you like to thank them for?” and “If you could share an afternoon with them, what would you do?” and “If you could take them anywhere, where would you go?” Andy shares the many ways he would show gratitude! This book would be a great mentor text, for kids to brainstorm how they can thank the people in their lives. Plus, there are great ideas for creating a gratitude jar and making personalized cards included at the end of the book!
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The Blessing Jar: A Story About Being Thankful by Colleen Coble and illustrated by Rebecca Harry
Punky Grace is in a grumpy mood. Things are not going her way, so her grandmother shares with her the perfect cure for her grumpies … the Blessings Jar. Grammy then takes Punky on an adventure to fill the jar with little reminders of God’s blessings. By the end of the day, Punky realizes that she was so focused on finding God’s blessings that her grumpies completely went away. Based on the author’s own real-life story, this book could be used as an inspiration to start your own blessings jar and to look for reminders of God’s goodness in your own life.
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Pete the Cat: Rock On, Mom and Dad! by James Dean
I know this isn’t your typical book about Thanksgiving, but for Pete the Cat lovers out there this book certainly helps to foster an attitude of appreciation. In this book, Pete finds a meaningful way to say thank you to his Mom and Dad for all the ways they care for him. If you are looking for books that grow an attitude of gratitude, this one certainly deserves to be included.
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Duck and Hippo Give Thanks by Jonathon London and illustrated by Andrew Joyner
Hippo is really looking forward to an old-fashioned Thanksgiving. In fact, that’s all he wants. However, Thanksgiving Day comes and he does NOT get his good, old-fashioned celebration because his friends surprise him with something else. In a season of flexibility and learning to make near-daily adjustments, this book is a fantastic reminder that we can be grateful and find joy … even when things don’t go our way or Thanksgiving looks a little different!
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The Thank You Book by Mo Willems
In true-to-style, comical Elephant and Piggie Book form, in this book Piggie realizes he has a lot to be thankful for and wants to thank EVERYONE. Except, Elephant is certain Piggie will leave someone out. Great for fostering critical thinking through the use of making predictions, this book truly is funny … and includes an unpredictable twist at the end.
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BOOKS of POETRY
Father, We Thank You by Ralph Waldo Emerson and illustrated by Mark Graham
Illustrator Mark Graham uses an impressionist style of artistry, creating beautiful illustrations to compliment the poem written by American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. From everything from nature to health to food and friends, this book is a breathtaking book of thanksgiving.
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Thanku: Poems of Gratitude Illustrated by Marlena Myles and edited by Miranda Paul
This creative compilation of poems is an anthology of gratitude written by a diverse and talented group of writers. Reading through them left me feeling more and more grateful. As a teacher, I also LOVE that over 30 poetic forms and literary devices are featured! The poetic form is identified with each poem throughout the book, PLUS there’s a paragraph description included for each form at the back.
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The Book of Giving: Poems of Thanks, Praise and Celebration collected and illustrated by Kay Chorao
Featuring over sixty poems from beloved writers, both the poems and artistry make this feel like a treasured gift-book. Uplifting and encouraging, the poems range from light and fun to ones that could effortlessly be used as bedtime prayers.
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Thanks A Million written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Cozbi A Cabrera
A compilation of sixteen poems, this book features so many things we can be thankful for. The absolutely lovely illustrations include diverse characters, and the variety of poetic forms – from haiku to rebus to riddle to a poem for two voices – also makes this book a great teaching tool.
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All reviews are completely my own and I only recommend books I truly believe are worthy of sharing with others. (Believe me, I read many books I do not recommend, which means you won’t see me writing about them!)
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