Thanksgiving is fast approaching and November is universally recognized as the month of giving thanks and so, we would like to take a moment to give thanks for books! And not just any books. We are especially thankful for picture books (it is Picture Book Month after all). Below is a list of books celebrating Turkey Day and also a smattering of titles all about being thankful. A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman The townspeople of Squawk Valley need a plump and perky turkey for their Thanksgiving feast, but turkeys have gotten too clever and won’t jump into their pots anymore. What are the townspeople to do? They hatch a plan, but things don’t go quite as they had planned… Over the River and Through the Wood: A Thanksgiving Poem by Lydia Maria Child There are many versions available of this classic poem and song, but our favorites are a version illustrated with woodcuts by Christopher Mason and a slightly wacky one illustrated by David Catrow. The words of the poem remain the same in both versions, but the illustrations are markedly different and offer two very unique reading (and singing, if you are so inclined) experiences that just have to shared! Llama Llama Gives Thanks by Anna Dewdney Llama Llama and his family are preparing a Thanksgiving feast to enjoy with their good friends the Gnus. Young children especially will love this sweet, rhyming board book that highlights the familiar, simple joys of the season. This Little Turkey by Aly Fronis Following the tune of the popular nursery rhyme, “This Little Piggy,” This Little Turkey follows a family of turkeys as they prepare for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is Here! By Diane Goode At grandma’s house on Thanksgiving morning the turkey goes in the oven and then the doorbell rings and the guests arrive. This story perfectly captures all of the fun and craziness of a family gathering. One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B. G. Hennessy Count along with this story about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags as they prepare for the harvest feast. Then at the end of the story learn a bit more about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags in the section titled, “A Note from the Author.” 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston A variation on the “and then there were none” rhyme, this book follows ten silly turkeys as they go about their hilarious escapades: doing a noodle dance, attempting to roller skate, swinging from a vine…so much goofiness! Children will especially enjoy the repetitive phrase, “Gobble, gobble, wibble, wobble.” A Very Thankful Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen Through moving rhymes and beautiful illustrations, this book reminds the reader of the everyday things that we should all be grateful for. This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed A great companion to One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims, this counting story once again introduces readers to the Pilgrims and Wampanoag as they prepare for their Thanksgiving feast. This story has added bonus of hidden pictures within the illustrations, including a turkey somewhere in each spread, as well as countless other little creatures throughout the book for the reader to find. Sharing the Bread: An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller Celebrate the timeless tradition of a family working together to prepare their Thanksgiving meal with this rhyming story. The illustrations are a visual feast and open the door for a discussion of life in the 19th century. A Snowman Named Just Bob by Mark Kimball Moulton This beautiful story of one magical Thanksgiving Day and the formation of a lasting friendship will definitely make you feel all the feels and is sure to become a family favorite. Moulton’s rhyming text flows smoothly and the illustrations are enchanting! Thankful by Eileen Spinelli Similar to A Very Thankful Prayer, this story is also a reminder of all the little things there are in life to be thankful for. It is a touching story that will make you appreciate the blessings that you have. The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing As we have all come to expect of her, Wing offers up a Thanksgiving tale set to the well-known rhythm of Clement C. Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas (also known as The Night Before Christmas) that highlights all of the excitement of preparing for and enjoying Thanksgiving Day. Turk and Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy by Lisa Wheeler Turk is the biggest, strongest, most graceful bird on Wishbone Farm and his parents couldn’t be more proud. Runt, Turk’s little brother, is the scrawniest bird on the farm, but also the smartest. As folks begin to arrive to pick out a plump, juicy turkey for their holiday feasts, Runt is the only one wise to their plans and comes to his brother’s rescue again and again. No one will listen to him! That is, until a little old lady decides she wants Runt for her Thanksgiving Day feast. This story is so much fun and children will love the Runt’s master plan at the end! Share your favorites with us in the comments!
Happy reading!
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As you may or may not be aware, we here at BTBL believe in taking advantage of those spontaneous moments of play and learning that can pop up throughout the day. For instance…as we were sitting down to lunch at my daughter’s little picnic table this afternoon, my munchkin jumped up and headed into the study chanting, “Mouse, Mouse, Mouse!” For whatever reason she had suddenly decided she wanted to read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. Okay. This mum can roll with that. Instead of forcing her to sit back down and eat her lunch as would probably be most parents’ first response, I extricated myself from the tiny table to help her get the beloved story down from the shelf. She knows exactly where her favorites are located as we have all of our picture books alphabetized, so they always go home to the same spot each time. Yes, we, or rather I am very OCD about my bookshelves. Anywho…I got the book down for her and she brought it over to her picnic table and we sat back down to munch and read. Our luncheon storytime was going smoothly, eating and reading melding together beautifully, until we got to the part where Mouse wanted to draw a picture and got out some crayons. Once again, my girl was up and running, but chanting “crayons, crayons, crayons,” this time. She went straight over to the bench where the coloring supplies are stored and got out the baggie of crayons. Being a team player, I got a piece of white computer paper for her and we sat back down at the picnic table. Now we had a luncheon of coloring and reading happening, albeit there wasn’t too much eating going on anymore. My budding artist began working on her own masterpiece, while pointing out the colors of crayons that Mouse had and finding the corresponding color in her own bag. Watching her become so inspired by the story we were reading was extremely exciting as a parent. She was interested in what we were reading, totally focused, and fully engaged in the experience. The best part of it all…? It was driven by her. She wanted to read. She wanted to color like Mouse. And I let her, rather than putting a halt to the whole moment by insisting that it was lunch time. Through this one experience we shared a story (granted we didn’t finish it, but that isn’t really always important), discussed the illustrations and what the characters were doing, we reviewed colors, drew different shapes and the alphabet all while working on fine motor skills, and we bonded with each other, making new memories we will cherish (well, I will at least, ha).
The point of all this babbling…????? Sometimes you just gotta go with it, regardless of what the plan was at the time. Sometimes you need to let those spontaneous moments of play and learning just happen, whenever they happen. Children are naturally curious and creative and they will put those natural abilities to good use when you, as the parent, allow them the time and resources to do so. Happy playing and reading! PS: We LOVE Laura Numeroff's If You Give A... series around here, particularly the stories of Mouse. Check them out if you haven't already! |
AuthorWe are mom Sandra and daughters Amanda and Kate, all with backgrounds in literacy and education, who want to share our philosophy of taking the basics of life; books, simple toys that encourage play, imagination and creativity, and using cooking and baking to teach math and real life skills to raise happy, inquisitive children. Join us in exploring the old and the new and sifting through the myriad of research to consider what is best for our children. Archives
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