Reading List: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time when families and friends come together to share food and laughter as the days are getting shorter and colder. Beginning as a celebration of the welcome early European settlers received from Native Americans, Thanksgiving maintains the sentiment of sharing one’s bounty with others. Each home has its own unique traditions, but there are many shared behaviors across the United States, as well. No matter how the holiday is celebrated, the essence is the same: giving thanks for all that one has in their life. This book list includes titles for children aged 4-7 and shows how people give thanks at Thanksgiving and throughout the year.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	Around the Table that Grandad Built By: Melanie Heuiser Hill Illustrated by: Jaime Kim A family gathers with friends and neighbors to eat and celebrate around a table that the grandfather built.
	Duck for Turkey Day By: Jacqueline Jules Illustrated by: Kathy Mitter When Tuyet finds out that her Vietnamese family is having duck rather than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, she is upset until she finds out that other children in her class did not eat turkey either.
	Gracias By: Pat Mora Illustrated by: John Parra A young multiracial boy celebrates family, friendship, and fun by telling about some of the everyday things he is thankful for.
	Grandma’s Tiny House By: JaNay Brown-Wood Illustrated by: Priscilla Burris In rhyming text, when the whole family and guests show up for the big dinner at Grandma’s house, it becomes clear that the house is much too small to hold them all.
	I am Thankful By: Suzy Capozzi Illustrated by: Eren Unten Throughout a Thanksgiving Day filled with family and fun, a child finds opportunities to be thankful.
	Round the Turkey: A Grateful Thanksgiving By: Leslie Kimmelman Illustrated by: Nancy Cote As they gather to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, members of an extended family take turns describing, in rhyme, the things that make them feel grateful.
	Sharing the Bread: an old-fashioned Thanksgiving story By: Pat Zietlow Miller Illustrated by: Jill McElmurry Illustrations and simple, rhyming text reveal a family’s preparations for their Thanksgiving feast, with everyone pitching in to help—including Baby, who sleeps quiet as a mouse.
	Thank You, Omu! By: Oge Mora When the aroma of Omu’s homemade stew fills the air, her neighbors arrive, one by one, for a taste until all is gone except for her generous spirit.
	Thanks for Thanksgiving By: Julie Markes Illustrated by: Doris Barrette At Thanksgiving time, children express their gratitude for the people and things in their lives.
	Thanksgiving By: Connor Dayton Introduces Thanksgiving, discusses the origins of the holiday, and describes how Americans celebrate.
	Thanksgiving Is— By: Gail Gibbons Introduces Thanksgiving feasts, Thanksgiving traditions, and the history of Thanksgiving to the reader.
	The Very Stuffed Turkey By: Katharine Kenah Illustrated by: Binny Talib When he is invited to five Thanksgiving dinners, Turkey accepts all of his friends’ invitations but wonders if he has room in his stomach for all that food.