I'm looking for some wonderful Thanksgiving picture books, especially ones that capture the tradition of the holiday (not necessarily "First Thanksgiving" stories but ones with families gathering together for the feast, enjoying autumn, being thankful, etc.) I found a ton of great Halloween picture books, seems there is a lack of picture books for Thanksgiving although I hope I am wrong about that. Thanks! :-)

Just came across this one today:

One Little Two Little Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy

This one looks interesting to me:

Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac

Also interesting looking:

This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed

We have: Silly Tilly's Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving at the Tappletons
Arthur's Thanksgiving

I don't know if any of them are great though. Cranberry Thanksgiving is supposed to be really good, but I believe it is out of print.

You are right. There is a real lack of Thanksgiving books.

I really love Squanto's Journey by Joseph Bruchac, who is one of my favorite children's authors. It's not really so much about the holiday though, as a picture-book biography of the man who came to be known as "Squanto." A good corrective to some of the historical myths out there... but not so good for someone looking for a celebration of holiday traditions.

Thanks for the great suggestions! I already have "Cranberry Thanksgiving" and "One Little Two Little Three Little Pilgrims" on hold at the library. I'm excited about "Silly Tilly" and "Thanksgiving at the Tappletons" as I love Lillian Hoban and Eileen Spinelli! ;-> And the rest sound great, too. YAY!

Oh, and to return the favor, here are a few I read and enjoyed last year:

Thanksgiving Is Here! (love Diane Goode!)

Thank You, Sarah The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving (true story! very interesting!)

Also, I THOUGHT there was a picture book about the Macy's thanksgiving parade but now I can't remember/find it!!! Any clues???

Silly Tilly is good for a vegetarian family. I can't remember why but it must be true, because that is what I wrote in my review. lol

We also have Franklin's Thanksgiving. I gave it four stars. We might have more in our bookcase, but I haven't gotten them out yet.

Some excellent books for teaching Thanksgiving in a historically accurate way (i.e. including the Wampanoag's perspective) include:

The Story of Thanksgiving by Robert Merrill Bartlett - It focuses on the evolution of Thanksgiving; how the Wampanoags first celebrated it, and how it is celebrated today.

Giving Thanks: the 1621 Harvest Feast by Kate Waters. It uses real photographs and places based on true historical accounts, the true story of Thanksgiving is told from the point of view of two boys: one, a Pilgrim, and the other, a Wampanoag youth.

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neil Grace
Native Wampanoag people recreate the events of the first Thanksgiving by wearing authentic clothing and assuring Wampanoag perspectives. The pictures that match the text preserve and respect the Wampanoag oral telling of Thanksgiving. The book also takes care to debunk many myths associated with the holiday.

have funnn and good luck :)

Thanks for the continued suggestions. I am grateful to find some books on the Wampanoag perspective, as well! (I get more than a little irked at some of the portrayals of "Indians" in Thanksgiving themed picture books!)

Kathryn wrote: "I'm looking for some wonderful Thanksgiving picture books, especially ones that capture the tradition of the holiday (not necessarily "First Thanksgiving" stories but ones with families gathering t..."

I love "A Turkey for Thanksgiving" I think it's by Eve Bunting

Kathryn — Perhaps you'll enjoy a thanksgiving book I wrote called The Ugly Pumpkin . It looks like a Halloween book on the outside but looks can be deceiving.

happy thanksgving,
dave horowitz

p.s. here's a preview video: http://www.goodreads.com/videos/show/682...

Thanks, Dave! Great to hear from the author! I actually have this one on my list as I've heard some great things about it and I think it's a wonderful concept :-)

Kathryn — That's so great to hear. I'm new to Goodreads. I can't believe what an excellent forum this is for both authors and readers.

By the way, I'm also the illustrator of the Ugly Pumpkin, so here's a little secret that's fun for kids to know about. On each spread in the book (including the endpapers) there is a tiny pair of eyes peeking out from a different hiding place. Some are easier to find than others.

Enjoy,
dave

I just read Thanks for Thanksgiving Love this one! The illustrations are absolutely adorable. This is exactly the sort of Thanksgiving book I was hoping for but having such trouble finding; a story with a contemporary family, yet a timeless quality, too--filled with things that children are thankful for in their own lives, but also with a fair share of autumn surroundings and a big ol' Thanksgiving feast at the end! It's a simple rhyming story but heart-felt sentiments and the illustrations really won me over.

Can I just say that I did a little happy dance when "Ugly Pumpkin" came out in paperback because I knew I would sell even more. It's on my "hotlist" for ordering every fall... good for Halloween and Thanksgiving and SO much fun to read at story time!

I also love "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie" written by Alison Jackson and illustrated by Judy Schachner (of "Skippyjon Jones" fame). Hilarious!