Thanksgiving is a holiday that gives me all the “warm fuzzy” feelings. It is a time to reflect on our many blessings and the beauty around us in the world and in life. It’s also a holiday focused on family and love and food. What’s not to love? For books around and for Thanksgiving our favorite themes are gratitude, Native Americans and the holiday itself. Gratitude is a main focus of the holiday and is such an important skill so we love books that feature this trait. Books that celebrate Native American culture are important for me to include because not only is Native American culture important to teach and celebrate, but the holiday of Thanksgiving has Native American ties. The Native American books in this list also focus a lot on gratitude too so they are extra lovely for Thanksgiving. And lastly, of course there have to be a few books about the holiday and feast itself.
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Thankful by Elaine Vickers and Samantha Cotterill- This book is a beautifully illustrated one that teaches gratitude. Each page spread is an expression of things that the family featured is thankful for. It also introduces the idea of making a gratitude chain where each link states what you are grateful for.
Greet the Dawn: The Lakota Way by S. D. Nelson- This book is one that is full of gratitude for the beautiful world we live in. It expresses thankfulness for little, everyday blessings and is also a wonderful tribute to the Lakota culture.
Friendsgiving by Nancy Siscoe and Sabina Gibson- This book shows a lovely, little group of woodland friends as they prepare and share Thanksgiving together. A sweet reminder that Thanksgiving is best shared with anyone you care about, family or not.
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wendie and Harry Delvin- This book has all the vintage goodness that I adore and a memorable story where the family invites someone to Thanksgiving that they have prejudged in a negative way. However, their false judgement is proven wrong and they are reminded that it is always best to extend kindness and grace to everyone without judgement.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal- I adore this book! It tells the story of a family making traditional fry bread together and is a beautiful tribute to how food brings us together and is a part of our heritage.
Bear Says Thanks (The Bear Books) by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman- We love this bear series and this book is no different. In this installment Bear and his group of friends all contribute something to have a Thanksgiving feast together.
Pearl and Squirrel Give Thanks by Cassie and Ryan Ehrenberg- This is a sweet story about a homeless dog and squirrel and how they practice being thankful to celebrate Thanksgiving. I love that in the end they find a new home.
We Are Water Protectors by Carol Lindstrom and Michaela Glade- A call from the indigenous people of North America to care for our water and protect it’s cleanliness/purity. The illustrations are fantastic and the text is empowering.
Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know by Brittany Luby, Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, Alvin Ted Corbiere, Alan Corbiere- This book is bilingual and written in both English and Anishinaabemowin . It tells about an Anishinaabewaking grandmother and grandchild and their appreciation for the many joys and blessings of each season.
Thanksgiving Is Here! by Diane Goode- This book captures the chaos and wonderful energy of large family gatherings for Thanksgiving. I love watching individual characters in the group from page to page and adore the vibes of love and fun.
The Grumbles: A Story about Gratitude by Tricia Goyer, Amy Parker and Monica De Rivas- This book is a silly and fun parable that also brings home the message of gratitude in an entertaining way. In the story we see a family of Grumbles who are having a hard time being grateful until Grandma Gratitude arrives and reminds them what it’s all about.
SILLY TILLY’S THANKSGIVING DINNER. by Lillian Hoban- This book is older and its an early reader book, but it is so sweet and is a favorite in our home so I had to share. In the story Silly Tilly is worried because she is hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but has lost all her recipe cards. She is pleasantly surprised when her guests each show up with a dish from a missing recipe card.
We Give Thanks by Cynthia Rylant and Sergio Ruzzier- A sweet and simple book that has a list of things to be grateful for and winsome illustrations that are fantastic. Perfect for Thanksgiving and all year round.
For Every Little Thing: Poems and Prayers to Celebrate the Day by June Cotner, Nancy Tupper Ling, Helen Cann- This Christian book is filled with a collection of little poems for children that are curated to help foster gratitude and to celebrate the beauty of life.
Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac and Greg Shed- This book tells the Story of Squanto and the First Thanksgiving in a more accurate way than I have seen in other Thanksgiving books. It is very well done.
The Candy Dish by Kobi Yamada and Adelina Lirius- This book is the most lovely parable about gratitude. In the story a young child discovers a magic candy dish one day that produces one candy every day. At first they are upset because they want more, but soon learn to savor each piece every day and see how gratitude sweetens their life.
When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messengered Susan Katz and David Kanietakeron Fadden- This is a story about a Lenape family and some of their typical activities together throughout the year from tending to the garden to sledding. My favorite part is that each page spread is split in half with the left showing an illustration dejecting similar scenes, but with their ancestors and the right dejecting their family.
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