Thanksgiving Day Books to Read with Your Children

Does your family have a Thanksgiving Day tradition? The United States President pardons a turkey each year. Some families join to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade each year. Some volunteer their time or go on hikes. Many families spend the afternoon playing board games. This last one can be a little tricky to include younger family members, which is why we love another Thanksgiving Day tradition: reading books together. And because, well, books.

You can have each person bring their favorite book to read (all or in part for longer titles), or the books can be themed. Add a little education into the day and avoid second cousin Tony sharing his favorite horror story.

We've found some of our favorite Thanksgiving Day stories for younger readers. There's a mix of pilgrims, feasts, and thankfulness to cover whatever Thanksgiving Day means for you and your family.

The Berenstain Bears: Thanksgiving All Around - Mike Berenstain

We all love The Berenstain Bears and the bears love Thanksgiving. In this story, the Berenstain family go on a fall walk and see all the signs that Thanksgiving Day is approaching. It's an adorable lift-the-flaps book showing nature’s changes as the leaves turn and the wild turkeys appear.

Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving - James Dean

Many American children learn the Thanksgiving story while performing in elementary school plays. Pete the Cat is no different. The First Thanksgiving is a little more lesson and a little fewer antics than the other Pete books, making a good introduction to the holiday story for the younger ones.

Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks! - Margaret Sutherland

As the title infers, this book is more about thanks than the history. Readers, through the main character, discover all the things they have to be thankful for, from purple lollipops (important to young children) to their parents and teachers. A sweet story helping translate the holiday with more relatable examples for young children.

Five Silly Turkeys - Salina Yoon

After the first time, toddlers are likely to "read" this one alone. The turkey's shiny feathers make this board book very tactile. The story is also a counting game (eliminating turkeys and not to the dining table).

There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Turkey! - Lucille Colandro

Why would she swallow a turkey? Because she was quirky. That’s why. There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Turkey! has the same rhythmic rhyme of the other Old Lady stories and is just as, well, quirky. Some of the things the lady eats are a tad unusual, but it all comes together in the end for Thanksgiving Day.

Squanto's Journey - Joseph Bruchac

The pictorial biography of Tisquantum (Squanto) is great for second graders. Even though it's only 32 pages, it's a more detailed story of the Pilgrims arrival in America. Unlike most Thanksgiving stories, Squanto's Journey is from the Native American perspective, giving your family a wider perspective on a well known tale.

Happy Thanksgiving, Curious George - H. A. Rey

Curious when we would get to Curious George. After attending a Thanksgiving parade, George also helps prepare the dinner. Despite this being about the curious little monkey, nothing will go wrong… right?

Thankful - Eileen Spinelli

Studies have shown that thankful people are happier. While Thankful isn't a Thanksgiving title, it has the main modern theme and adorable illustrations. A brother and sister act out different professions and the things each one is thankful for. They find that there's always something to be thankful for: a waitress is thankful for comfortable shoes. If your family prefers a more modern Thanksgiving Day, then we recommend this one.

The First Thanksgiving - Kathryn Lynn Davis

The Native Americans help the Pilgrims with crops and food, and at the end of the harvest they all sit down for dinner together. #Spoilers. Kathryn Lynn Davis' book introduces the Thanksgiving story to toddlers in a fun lift-the-flaps board book.

10 Fat Turkeys - Tony Johnston

Rhyme, repetition, and counting make this a fun book to read aloud. The Thanksgiving part is that it has turkeys, but it’s so silly that it’s worth hanging in til the end. Guaranteed to have everyone in the room laughing, and not just the children.

Read more by Bianca Smith