Must Read Thanksgiving Books!
What does Thanksgiving mean to your family? For my family, it is a designated time to get dressed up in your living room best and eat a wonderfully carbohydrate-dense meal with people you maybe haven’t seen in too long. But for many, there is a lot of history and traditions behind the day before black Friday. Whether you’d like to teach some of the family-friendly traditions of giving thanks or are ready to dig deeper into Indigenous American experiences related to Thanksgiving and early American settlers, we’ve compiled a list of books that may spark some conversations with your family.
Keepunumuk: Weeachumun’s Thanksgiving Story
Written by Danielle Greendeer (Author), Anthony Perry (Author), Alexis Bunten (Author), Garry Meeches Sr. (Illustrator) is a beautifully illustrated and more complete story of Keepunumuk, the time of harvest for the Wampanoag people from the regions around Plymouth. Written and illustrated by Native people, including Danielle Greendeer of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation, the story centers on the Wampanoag experience as told by a grandmother to her grandchildren. (ages 3-7)
Duck for Turkey Day
Written by Jacqueline Jules. America is made up of people from many cultures and traditions. While many celebrate Thanksgiving, they don’t all do it with turkey and pumpkin pie. This tale encourages kids to learn more about what Thanksgiving dinner looks like in households across the country. (Preschool ages)
We are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
Written by Traci Sorell (Cherokee) shows younger kids how traditional values centered around thankfulness and gratitude are honored today by people in the Cherokee Nation. Since our kids will be asked what they are thankful for as they sit around the Thanksgiving table, I love how this book can give them food for thought on how to incorporate gratitude into their everyday lives. (ages 3-7)
I Am Thankful: A Thanksgiving Book for Kids
Written by Sheri Wall. Teach kids about coming together with loved ones and to give thanks! I Am Thankful is an adorable, rhyming storybook that follows three different families as they celebrate the holiday with their own traditions, acts of kindness, and ways of giving back. (ages 3-5)
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message
Written by Chief Jake Swamp (Mohawk) has been a beloved children’s book for over 25 years. Though not specifically about Thanksgiving, it’s a great children’s book for Thanksgiving because it was written to help younger readers better appreciate the earth and all it provides. (ages 5-11)
Of course, this is just a short list of books touching on themes of Thanksgiving and the Indigenous experience in the United States. There are many more resources out there to either just practice being thankful for what we have or digging deeper and sparking conversations about the origin of our holiday.
For more books on Thanksgiving or Native American traditions and perspectives, visit this list of books written from the Native perspective or these diverse and thoughtful books for the classroom.
