Our November tradition is say something that we are thankful for every morning while we are eating breakfast. I like starting off our day on such a positive note. Plus, I absolutely love my son’s answers! The month of November, and Thanksgiving especially, provide a reminder to be grateful for all we have. To encourage thankfulness and gratitude, I picked Thanksgiving books with these themes in them to read with my son. Here are the ones we have enjoyed:
6 Thanksgiving Books
Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson–
Karma Wilson is one of my favorite authors and my son and I especially lover her Bear series! In this Bear book, Bear and friends come together for a wonderful fall feast. Each one contributes something to the meal, except for Bear, whose cupboard is empty. Bear is thankful for his friends and their generosity, but worries that he has nothing to contribute. That’s not true, his friends say. Then Bear shares the one thing he can, his fantastic stories! I love this lesson that everyone has something to share even if it is not a material thing.
The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan and Jan Berenstain–
I loved the Berenstain Bears when I was a kid and I’m excited the their books are still available so I can share them with my son! In this Thanksgiving-themed story, the Berenstain Bears are entering the pumpkin contest. Of course the cubs and Papa really want to win first prize! Mama Bear gently tries to teach Papa and the cubs about the true meaning of Thanksgiving, but the bears are too consumed with the idea of winning to listen. When the family doesn’t win first prize, the Bears begin to understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving and being thankful for what they do have.
One is a Feast for Mouse by Judy Cox–
One is a Feast for Mouse is one of my favorite books to read at preschool storytime. This story is a beautiful example of not becoming greedy and taking more than you need. Mouse is a little animal and really doesn’t need too much food. However, when he sees all of the food set out for the family’s Thanksgiving meal, he gets greedy. He’s so busy trying to gather as much food as he can, that he doesn’t notice the cat! After escaping from the cat, Mouse learns to be thankful for what he has.
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes–
This sweet book reminds us to appreciate the little joys in life, like going to the park and our pets. Most of all, the children in this story are thankful for their family! Told in rhyming text with lovely illustrations, preschoolers will enjoy the simplicity of this story without being bored. At the end, the author includes a page for the reader to list some things that they are thankful for 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli–
The little girl and her dog, Biscuit, are busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. They bring yummy goodies to share with the neighbors, they bake a pumpkin pie for grandpa, and they decorate the house for the whole family to enjoy. I love that they are thinking of others! At the end of the book, the little girl says the things she is thankful for, and of course, one of the things she is most thankful for is Biscuit.
The Thankful Book by Todd Parr–
This is not a Thanksgiving book, but it is a THANKFUL book and honestly, Todd Parr’s books are awesome! I am huge fan of his artwork. You might recognize his artwork from Sesame Street. This book celebrates the things that we can all be thankful for, such as music for dancing, learning new things, and our shadows for making us look taller. With a mix of serious and silly, this book will have kids thinking of all the things they are thankful for too!
I hope you and your kiddo enjoy these Thanksgiving books as much as my son and I did! To help cover the costs of this site, I’ve joined Amazon’s Affiliate program. If you buy a book through one of my links, then I get a small percentage of the sale. thank you for your support! Happy Reading 🙂
Turkey Time
Looking for turkey stories? Check out my post for 9 turkey books to read with your kiddo: Turkey Books
Turkey Craft: Make a Turkey Paper Bag Puppet out of a brown, paper lunch bag and construction paper.
Family Turkey Activity: Disguise the turkey so that it can avoid becoming dinner. Use your imagination to cleverly disguise this turkey! See the example and download the PDF here: Disguise the Turkey Post.
