It’s beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving around Chicago. We’ve had snowfall twice, scarves and hats are constant wardrobe staples, and our fireplace is blazing. It’s the perfect time to snuggle up with some books, especially those that help us to feel thankful.
Mo Willems in a genius in our house (and in many). His The Thank You Book is so good. Piggie decides to thank everyone she knows, and Gerald worries she will miss someone to thank. Their conversation is hilarious and heart-warming. My kids learned to thank all kinds of people for all kinds of things, which is exactly what I want them to do! My oldest kid is just learning to read and loves that she can read this one herself. I love that, too!
Eileen Spinelli and Archie Preston’s Thankful is perfect for my youngest kid to start to understand what it means to be thankful. It’s full of cute pictures and fun rhymes about what different people are thankful for. It ends with a person being thankful for the baby in the book, which makes my youngest laugh each time.
Todd Parr’s books are all winners in our house. The Thankful Book is true to Parr’s silly, simple, heartfelt, and bright style. We love the mix of self-gratitude, like being thankful for “my hair because it makes me unique” and funny notes, like being thankful for “underwear because I like to wear it on my head”. We giggle our way through this book every time.
We Are Grateful by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frané Lessac shows readers how Cherokee people use the word otsaliheliga to show gratitude throughout each season. It uses different Cherokee words (with pronunciations on the side) to show various traditions and activities that take place throughout the year, each focusing on things for which the people are grateful.
Splat says Thanks by Rob Scotton is a sweet twist on gratitude. Splat the Cat is trying to help his mouse friend, Seymour, feel better when he’s sick. He has made a book about Seymour to keep track of all the times that Seymour helped him, and reads the book to sick Seymour, looking for a smile to show his friends is feeling better. He gets it at the end, after thanking Seymour for helping him and his sister whey they were also sick (wonder how Seymour got sick!). This book inspired our family to keep a list of things we’re thankful for this month.
In Bear says Thanks by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman Bear wants to invite his friends over for a big dinner but finds he has no food to share. One by one his friends come over bringing their own food to share, and each time Bear says thank you. Inside he feels badly that his contribution isn’t the same as the others’. His friends help him feel better by recognizing that he brings something else to the party besides food that is just as valuable to them.
This one brings my educator heart to tears every time I read it. Nikki Grimes’ poems and Cozbi A. Cabrera’s images show speakers facing issues like loneliness in the lunchroom, math tutoring, and the value of saying “Thank you”. This one is too advanced for my youngest (2.5 years old) , but applicable to school-aged kids. My oldest (6 years old) was just starting to understand these, so we’d recommend it for older elementary-aged kids.
We hope you are staying cozy with some good reads! Drop us a note with your favorites, and know that we’re grateful for you!