Celebrate a Meaningful Thanksgiving with These 5 Kids’ Books

Sponsored* by Carole P. Roman | Opinions Are Our Own
The Children’s Book Review

Reading together during the holiday season is a beautiful way to connect with the kiddos in your life. Selecting a book that fits the Thanksgiving season just makes it all the more meaningful. Thanksgiving, a celebration of the harvest season, is the time in which family and friends come together to share a feast. For many, it is also time to practice gratitude for all that we have to be grateful.

Written for varying ages, the following books are an assorted collection that honor this holiday each in their own unique way. We explore colonial America, togetherness, farming, and gratitude. Go forth and feast on these five titles. You can thank us later!

If You Were Me and Lived in…Colonial America: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time

Written by Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by Sarah Wright

Author Carole P. Roman has won numerous awards for her series If You Were Me and Lived In … An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time. Readers can experience what it was like to live in a whole different period. In the fourth installment to the series, Colonial America, readers explore how the pilgrims came to land on American soil and the challenges they had while settling. They will learn about things like housing, land, cooking, diet, clothing, and the jobs and hobbies of people from this time. There is a heartwarming page that includes meeting and making friends with a native boy. “You met him at the river one day. You were scared, but he was friendly, and somehow, you learned to talk to each other by using hand movements. He was your age, and when he stopped laughing at your clumsy fish hook, he taught you how to hunt and trap the local game.” Ideal for children ages 7 and older, this book includes just enough information to create interest and start broader conversations. Questions are often asked to inspire deeper thinking and encourage young learners to look for changes between the historical period and our current times. Colonial America is a fascinating way to introduce young children to the world as it was.

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Ages 7-12 | Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | April 28, 2016 | ISBN-13: 978-1523234073

Scarecrow

Written by Beth Ferry

Illustrated by The Fan Brothers

Through poignant and lyrical text, Scarecrow is a picture book that beautifully demonstrates how two rivals come together to form a bond between two unlikely friends. As we move into the holiday season, life gets busy, and often family members with differing beliefs come together. This story is a tender reminder of the fulfilling nature of friendship and compassion. It is also a powerful reminder to reach out and help others. Kids will receive the sentiments, as will the adults that sit down to read it with them. The Fan Brothers artwork is stunning.

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Ages 4-8 | Publisher: HarperCollins | September 3, 2019 | ISBN-13: 978-0062475763

Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story

Written by Pat Zietlow Miller

Illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Sharing the Bread is a delightful picture book. It is a celebration of food and family. It shows each family member, with their own particular job, working together to create their Thanksgiving spread. The tradition of family coming together, working together, and being together is the true essence of this celebration. The rhythmic nature of the text makes this a great read-aloud choice.

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Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Schwartz & Wade | September 22, 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0307981820

Thankful

Written by Eileen Spinelli

Illustrated by Archie Preston

It is one thing to have good manners—to know how to say thank you. It is an entirely different thing to be thankful—to practice gratitude daily. Award-winning author Eileen Spinelli makes it easy for kids (and parents) to discover the many things they have to be grateful for. Using rhyme, in combination with Archie Preston’s delightful illustrations, this read-aloud is an encouraging blessing in itself. Readers will recognize the benefits of nature, tangible items, and the good-doings of members in their near and far community. Charming!

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Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Zonderkidz | September 1, 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0310000884

Farmblock

Written by Christopher Franceschelli

Illustrated by Peskimo

Thanksgiving is certainly a time to appreciate the harvest season and the food on our table. Where does our meal come from? From planting the crops to harvesting the veggies, Farmblock gives our youngest readers a look into farming through the seasons. Using die-cut pages and gatefolds, little hands can lift flaps and flip through the pages to see the pumpkin patch, a thanksgiving meal, and even a trip to the farmer’s market. This board book is a winner for Thanksgiving and all year round.

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0-4 | Publisher: Harry N. Abrams | October 1, 2019 | ISBN-13: 978-1419738258

The article Celebrate a Meaningful Thanksgiving with These 5 Kids’ Books was curated by The Children’s Book Review and sponsored* by Carole P. Roman. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with American History, Carole P. Roman, Fall, Farm Life, Gratitude, and Thanksgiving.

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