Thanksgiving picture book recommendation are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. These titles can be found on my Amazon Storefront under “Thanksgiving Picture Books– https://amzn.to/43B9OqQ )
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Thanksgiving Is a Blessing
by Rachel Tawil Kenyon (Author), Udayana Lugo (Illustrator)
Summary: Thanksgiving means different things to people in the community, including harvesting food for a feast, participating in a turkey trot, and sharing a prayer.
Comments: This rhyming picture book highlights the contributions of various community members and their shared Thanksgiving celebration. A creamy pumpkin soup recipe for Thanksgiving is included at the back.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Happy Friendsgiving: A Thanksgiving Celebration of Found Families
by Marcie Colleen (Author), Laura Sandoval Herrera (Illustrator)
Summary: Friends and their families gather at each other’s homes to prepare for a Friendsgiving dinner. They enjoy watching a parade, football, and engaging in other activities together, appreciating their time together.
Comments: This would be a great read-aloud book to discuss how to appreciate one another.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Two-List Thanksgiving
by Christine Whan (Author), Sienna Youngsun Kim (Illustrator)
Summary: A young girl makes two Thanksgiving lists for the celebration of American and Korean foods to celebrate on Thanksgiving day when her mother’s parents visit and her father’s parents visit.
Comments: There is a glossary of Korean terms with a pronunciation key, an Author’s Note, and two recipes at the back.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
20 Fun Facts about Thanksgiving
by Shannon Harts (Author)
Summary: This nonfiction picture book presents interesting facts about Thanksgiving, including the story of the first Thanksgiving, how it became a national holiday, and the concept of Friendsgiving.
Comments: This text includes various features such as different font sizes, captions, text boxes, photos, a contents page, a glossary, and an index.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story
by Danielle Greendeer (Author), Anthony Perry (Author), Alexis Bunten (Author), & Garry Meeches Sr. (Illustrator)
Summary: N8hkumahs9(Grandmother) and her two grandchildren are harvesting. They ask to hear about Keepunumuk(the first Thanksgiving).
Comments: This is the first Thanksgiving narrated from the perspective of the Wampanoag people, incorporating words from the Wôpanâak language.
Illustrations were created with acrylics.
The back sections include more information about the Wampanoag Tribes.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Giving Thanks: How Thanksgiving Became a National Holiday
by Denise Kiernan (Author), Jamey Christoph (Illustrator)
Summary: In this narrative nonfiction story, we learn that Thanksgiving was not always celebrated on the same day. Sarah Josepha Hale lived in America in the 1800s. She believed that everyone in the United States should give thanks on the same day. She wrote to various presidents over the years, trying to get it declared a national holiday. Finally, one president agreed and made it at the end of November.
Comments: The illustrations were created with digital and traditional media.
Rating: 4/5 ✅✅✅✅
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Harvest Days: Giving Thanks Around the World
by Kate DePalma (Author), Martina Peluso (Illustrator)
Summary: Twelve different cultures from around the world have their own unique ways of expressing gratitude.
Comments: Pronunciation guides are provided, along with information boxes that offer additional details. Each culture examined includes a brief explanation. The final pages feature a timeline showing when the cultures celebrate, as well as 12 more in-depth information entries at the back.
I found this book very interesting. I believe the back pages should have included a globe indicating the locations of the countries or a map in the country’s book section.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.