Dino Thanksgiving

Lisa Wheeler, Barry Gott (Illustrator)
This book is DINO-mite!
This adorable book is a perfect Thanksgiving story for young children. It captures all the chaos of the holiday portrayed with colorful dinosaurs instead of people. The action is told in catchy rhymes that have a nice easy rhythm. The illustrations are full of details that are fun to explore. I like that all the dino names are in bold colorful font. I recommend the book for children two to eight.

One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale or Mouse’s Thanksgiving

Judy Cox, Jeffrey Ebbeler (Illustrator)
This adorable picture book tells the tale of a mouse who looks for his own Thanksgiving meal from the leftovers still on the dining room table. When he spots one pea, he is thrilled at his find. But then he spies one item after another and towers his treasures one on top of the other until they eventually topple over. Kids will love the repetitive text that lists each item found so far, much like the “The house that Jack built” or “There was an Old Lady”. Jeffrey Ebbeler’s charming illustrations add to the humor.

This story helps teach the difference between want and need. Kids learn best if you teach but don’t preach, and this funny tale shows what can happen when someone gets greedy. The title of the book accurately describes the moral of the story. Mouse tried to grab more than he needed and almost ended up with nothing. At the very end he found the one lone pea that he started with, and he realized that his original choice was enough. This classic is a great one to repeat from year to year. If read on Thanksgiving afternoon, this reminder not to take more than you can handle, might prevent a lot of tummy aches from over eating!

Turk and Runt

Lisa Wheeler, Frank Ansley (Illustrator)
Turk and Runt is a cute story about Turk, the biggest turkey on the farm. His mother thinks that he could be a ballet star, his father thinks that he is an athlete. Only his little brother Runt knows what might be in store for Turk. ” But nobody listens to Runt.” This is a story about recognizing everyone’s talents. Physical prowess grabs attention and when the talent is intellegence, it is often overlooked.The character names are clever and the story is funny and pictures are cute. Sensative children might be wary of the plot. Turk is in mortal danger, and no one but his brother realizes it. But the story is funny and ends with “no harm, no foul.” This is a winner, as long as no one identifies so much with the turkey, that they don’t want it on the menu!

T Is for Thanks

Melinda Lee Rathjen, Amy Husband (Illustrator)
This board book is a cute little book that tells the child. T is for Thanks. Turkey then jumps into the act and declares”and Turkey”. With each page there is a mishap and another T word added. The bright colorful illustrations catch the eye and children will enjoy joioning in on the refrain. Although it is not specifically a Thanksgiving book, it is a perfect book to share with a toddler during the season.

Thank You, Omu!

Oge Mora
This Caldecott Honor Book is a sweet story about sharing that is appropriate at any time of the year, but also ideal for the Thanksgiving season. Omu makes red stew ( a tomato based Nigerian beef stew) for her dinner. As it simmers, the scrumptious smell wafts through the air, and one by one, neighbors follow the aroma to her door. She is always willing to share. At the end of the story, she is rewarded for her generosity when people return the favors. I loved this simple tale. The cut paper and multimedia illustrations are eye catching and the reader will want to spend time later looking at all the details. The repetitive phrase will soon have listeners chanting along with the reader. The book is recommended for ages 4-8. Little ones will love listening to this book and the language is appropriate for a second or third grade reading level.

Duck for Turkey Day

Jacqueline Jules, Kathryn Mitter (Illustrator)
This cute picture book follows a young girl who is concerned because her her Vietnamese American family is having duck for Thanksgiving dinner instead of turkey. Author Jacqueline Jules has created a lovely book that explores multicultural celebrations of an American holiday.

Molly’s Pilgrim

Barbara Cohen, Jennifer Bricking (Illustrator)
This classic 1983 book has been published 38 times over the past fifty years and is often used in the classroom. It tells a Thanksgiving story of a different type of pilgrim. This historic fiction takes place around the turn of the previous century. Molly’s family emigrated from Russia and after a year in New York City, they moved to a small town. A Russian Jew, she looks different and speaks different from her peers and finds herself bullied by the girls in her new school. When the class is told to make clothespin dolls of people at the first Thanksgiving, Molly’s pilgrim is not what the teacher expected. This short story with captivating pen and ink illustrations may be a Thanksgiving story, but it is really a story about inclusion and acceptance. It would be perfect for a multicultural lesson for any elementary classroom.

At only 48 pages, but with lots of text at a third-grade reading level, this middle grade story falls somewhere between a picture book and a chapter book. I recommend this book for families and classrooms with children 5-10. Readers may also be interested in the short 1984 video available on the Hoopla library app.

Not This Turkey!

Jacqueline Jules, Kathryn Mitter (Illustrator)
Mel and his family may have lived in America for a few years, but they had never celebrated Thanksgiving, only the Jewish holidays. When father wins a giant turkey, Mel’s parents decide to have a big family Thanksgiving feast. But things don’t turn out quite the way they expect. this is a charming Thanksgiving story with watercolor illustrations. although the main characters are Jewish, this is a story about individuality and can be enjoyed by anyone.

Rivka’s First Thanksgiving

Elsa Okon Rael, Maryann Kovalski (Illustrator)
This award winning book tells the story of a young girl in the early 1900’s who learns about Thanksgiving at school. Although she was born in America, her parents are Jewish immigrants from Poland and have never heard of the holiday. Rivka tells everyone that Thanksgiving is for all Americans, but her elders don’t agree. Rivkah rises to the challenge to try and change their minds.

Similar to the classic “Molly’s Pilgrim” by Barbara Cohen, this story explores the concept that immigrants of many nations have come to America to escape persecution. Although it is a picture book, the topic and the amount of text is aimed at older children. I would recommend this book for children 6-10 years old.