distracted by sparkly things since 1969

Thanksgiving Books for Kids

Wednesday Reviews: Thanksgiving Stories

I know it’s cutting it close, but on this day before Thanksgiving, I’d like to review some books for the diners who are sitting at the kid’s table.

The Night Before Thanksgiving (Reading Railroad Books)

The first is The Night Before Thanksgiving“>. Like the characters in this book, my children and their cousins giggle about the same things I snickered over with my cousins — goofing off at the kid’s table, putting olives on our fingers, and eating leftover turkey sandwiches. Nostalgic and fun.

The Very First Thanksgiving Day

The second is a more artful story The Very First Thanksgiving Day, which touches on the fact that we Western Europeans owe our very survival on this continent to the Native Americans who shared their skills and bounty with our ancestors so many years ago. Beautiful illustrations and a repetitive rhythm children love. Artful and insightful.

Give Me Grace: A Child's Daybook of Prayers

My seven year old daughter fell in love with this book, which she read to her two year old cousin last week. It’s not about our Fall holiday, but it does a lovely job of encouraging gratitude. Give Me Grace is short enough to memorize in a couple of readings, and the alluring illustrations feed the eye as well as the soul. Bright and meaningful.

Ox-Cart Man

Finally, I’d like to recommend this pretty, classic story. Ox-Cart Man is not directly about Thanksgiving, but it’s cyclical story of growing-and-harvesting captures the turning of the seasons, while it’s spare bounty quietly instills a since of gratitude amongst our overly-modern children. Classic and grateful.

Click on the links in this post to order these items, or any items at Magpie Reviews, and your purchases will help fund this site. Thank you for your support!

3 comments

1 aola { 24 Nov 2007 at 10:38 am }

Ox Cart Man is one of my all time favorites.

BTW, I am loving the The Sisters Grimm series – thanks for the recommendation.

2 Stacey { 24 Nov 2007 at 12:46 pm }

We enjoyed reading The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood. Not a Pilgrim story, but a story of thankfulness that my girls really like.

3 Rachelle { 25 Nov 2007 at 7:21 pm }

thanks for the new recommendations Stacey! Aola — did you know book number five is out for the Sisters? I’ve tucked it away for Eden’s Christmas gift…

Tell me all about it! Leave a Comment...