As an adult, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. But, as the daughter of immigrants who were new to America, I never felt like we were doing it “right” as a child. Holidays and traditions, regardless of their most wholesome intents, sometimes have an exclusionary factor about them: Some part of the story is always left untold.
As kids, we learned the story of Thanksgiving from a very privileged perspective. Now, as adults, we’re learning that much of what we learned has not been the entire truth. There is not much we can do to change the things we were taught. However, what is within our grasp is how we approach these topics without our little ones. As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
As a mother, this has become a driving force in my parenting. Now that I know better, I want to do better. And in many ways, this means relearning the things I thought I knew. So when I look for books for my kids for any and every occasion (seriously, cannot stop with the books), I try to consider the perspectives that might be missing from the conversation.
As for our collection of Thanksgiving books for kids, we have adorable, fun stories about friendship and sharing and turkey. We have warm, comforting stories about gratefulness and giving thanks. And we have sobering, perspective-shifting stories about how people different from us think, feel, and live. And though one of my favorite things is teaching my kids, what I love even more is learning right alongside them. Read on for 30 Thanksgiving books for kids that are both cute and culturally responsive.
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Adorable (and silly) turkey-day picture books
These books capture the Thanksgiving magic we all know and love so well—delicious food, quality time with family, and a strong sense of community. Plus, they’re just silly and lighthearted enough to capture your little one’s attention.
Adam Wallace
A silly and lighthearted read, How to Catch a Turkey features a turkey on the loose in a school. It combines STEM concepts with heartwarming illustrations as the race to catch the turkey ensues.
Phyllis Alsdurf
Every year a family and their friends gather in the woods to celebrate Thanksgiving among the trees. Everyone brings something to share, and the day becomes a long celebration of family and friendship.
Melanie Heuiser Hill
A family gathers around the table for a highly-anticipated meal, but this feast is peppered by family traditions: the napkins Mom sewed, silverware gifted to Dad. Suddenly, dinner becomes a celebration of family ties and bonds.
Melissa Sweet
This book tells the story of the puppeteer, Tony Sarg, who inspired the helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
Jack Bishop
This charming story celebrates the magic of cooking on Thanksgiving from the perspective of a young girl who—despite her pickiness—decides she’s going to try every single pie her family makes.
Eve Bunting
A classic tale that has stood the test of time, A Turkey for Thanksgiving, a feast amongst all the animals in the neighborhood turns into a lesson of friendship and acceptance.
Karel Hayes
In this book, a bear family experiences the adventures of fall, including a county fair, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
Carole Boston Weatherford
While not specifically taking place on Thanksgiving, this charming picture book celebrates the bonds of an intergenerational Black family as they prep a dinner together.
Karma Wilson
The playful text and charming illustrations bring this celebration of family and friendship to life.
Natasha Wing
A charming addition to Natasha Wing’s bestselling series, follow along as food is prepared, cousins are greeted, and everyone gathers around the table.
Picture books about gratitude and giving thanks
What’s at the center of celebrating Thanksgiving? Feeling grateful for what you have—food on the table, a loving family. To help your little ones understand this better, read them any of the stories below, all of which remind us just how much we have to be grateful for.
Drew Daywalt
In this humorous Thanksgiving celebration, the Crayons reminisce on all they’re grateful for, reminding young readers just how important it is to express their gratitude.
Eileen Spinelli
Thankful combines charming rhymes and whimsical illustrations to convey the importance of being thankful for everyday blessings.
Sheri Wall
There are never too many messages of gratitude to be shared, whether around Thanksgiving or any day. Join relatable, diverse characters who model the abundance of possibilities for giving thanks. Not only does the entire storybook rhyme, but there are happy thankfulness activities and crafts included at the end!
Alicia Ortego
While not specifically centering on Thanksgiving, this story teaches littles ones that they don’t need any kind of special power to feel thankful. The magic of gratitude lives in their hearts.
Jarvis
Award winning author Jarvis guides kiddos through a carefully crafted journey of all the different ways we can say “Thank You.”
Perspective-shifting Thanksgiving picture books
Like everything else in the United States, Thanksgiving is a holiday with a complicated, layered history. Discussing this with your kiddos can be tough, but these picture books are a great jumping off point to help them learn about Native American communities, culture, and more.
Cara Ashrose
Long before Columbus landed in America, hundreds of groups of people had already made their homes here. You may have heard of some of them—like the Sioux, Hopi, and Seminole. But where did they live? What did they eat? How did they have fun? And where are they today?
Traci Sorell
Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.
Laurie Halse Anderson
Many don’t know that—in the 1800s—observance of Thanksgiving was waning. It was thanks to one pivotal woman, Sarah Hale, that Congress sought to revive the holiday. This charming picture book tells the story of her determination and strength.
Danielle Greendeer, Alexis Bunten, & Anthony Perry
In this educational and moving Thanksgiving story, two kids from the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe learn the story of Weeâchumun (corn) and the first Thanksgiving.
Kevin Noble Maillard
Using food as its focus, Fry Bread is an evocative and heartwarming story of a modern Native American family.
Jacqueline Jules
Tuyet is upset when she discovers her Vietnamese family will not be having Thanksgiving for dinner—they’ll be having duck. But when a school project reminds her and her classmates that there’s no “right” way to celebrate Thanksgiving, she starts to feel prouder of her family’s traditions.
Traci Sorell
Too often, Native American history is taught as a finished chapter, not an ongoing story. This colorful non-fiction story teaches young readers everything they didn’t learn in school about Native American culture and history.
Elsa Okon Rael
As Jewish immigrants from Russia, Rivka is having a hard time explaining to her parents the importance of Thanksgiving. But with a little help from her Rabbis, she’ll help her family see the importance of being thankful.
Kate DePalma
While everyone knows about Thanksgiving, this book immerses young readers in 12 different fall festivals from around the world!
Patrick Hulse
This charming picture book is a fresh and inclusive portrayal of Thanksgiving, with a focus on community, friendship, and respect for America’s first inhabitants.
Thanksgiving board books for our littlest readers
For the newest readers, these Thanksgiving board books for kids employ simple language and colorful, stimulating illustrations to teach about core Thanksgiving concepts, such as yummy food and remembering to be grateful.
Rose Rossner
A punny and charming story for your little munchkin that uses endearing plays on words related to fall and Thanksgiving food. From acorns to apple cider, get ready to express your love in sweet, silly, and festive ways!
Anna Dewdney
This board book uses simple text and a beloved set of characters to introduce toddlers to all the special parts of Thanksgiving: yummy food, quality time with family, and pumpkin pies galore.
Monique Gray Smith
While it’s not deliberately about Thanksgiving, this lovely story centers around Indigenous children and families, and the everyday moments that inspire joy. It’s an inclusive and heartwarming way to give homage to Thanksgiving’s theme of gratitude.
Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Biscuit introduces the concept of being thankful in a way that is accessible for tiny tots.
Cindy Jin
Two of the most important words we can hope to teach our children as early as possible. An adorable diversity of little characters help guide our littles on where they can see blessings shining in their lives.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ojus Patel, Former Editor
Ojus is a freelance writer, editor, and former teacher who specialized in early childhood special education. In addition to The Everymom, her work has been featured on Babylist, Cubby, Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, Romper, and The Everygirl. When not chasing her two boys, Arian and Shea, and snuggling her daughter, Zadie, Ojus loves to write about the layered complexities of motherhood.Â
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Smith, Editorial Intern
As editorial intern, Rebecca works with The Everymom team on updating existing content, photo sourcing, pitching original articles, and more. She’s passionate about creating authentic and diverse online content, and is thrilled to help women of all ages feel represented by contributing to The Everymom.
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