Thanksgiving is a great time of year to share Thanksgiving picture books with the kids in your life. If you are a teacher, these books are great to remind your students to be thankful for things at school. If you are a parent, grandparent, or have special kids in your life, use these Thanksgiving picture books to remind your kiddos to be thankful for what they have.
* Each book title links to Amazon just to make it easy – you can read reviews, a summary, and order should you choose! (This post contains affiliate links.)
How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace
The students at this school are about to put on a Thanksgiving Day play, but the show can’t go on. There is a turkey loose in the school! This crazy Thanksgiving picture book will have everyone guessing as to what will happen next. Don’t worry, the turkey is eventually caught, but not eaten.
The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing
Thanksgiving is a big deal and takes a lot of preparation. In this picture book about Thanksgiving, your learners will explore food and family traditions. Everyone brings something different to the table during the holidays. Some people like different food, different fun, and different clothes, but we all come together at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
In this Thanksgiving picture book, the pictures come alive with things that every kiddo is thankful for. We get to follow along as the main character goes through everything they’re thankful for. From sharing time with family we don’t often see to the food we eat and the games we play before and after dinner, everyone will find something to relate to in this book. Exploring what others are thankful for will surely remind your readers to be thankful for the little things, too.
A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
It used to be that turkeys didn’t catch on to the fact that they were Thanksgiving dinner before it was too late and they were already in the pot. Now, the turkeys are far too smart. In this Thanksgiving picture book, we follow a town with a clever plan. They are going to set a trap for a plump and perky turkey to be their thanksgiving dinner. Peter the turkey is smarter than they anticipate, though. It makes for an incredibly entertaining book along the way. Learners of all ages will love this book.
A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
Thanksgiving usually includes a turkey dinner. In this Thanksgiving picture book, the Moose family invites all of their friends over for a Thanksgiving feast. When it comes time for the party to begin, all of their friends have come except for Turkey. He is hiding because he’s afraid that his friends want him on the table as dinner instead of joining them as a party guest.
With all of these great Thanksgiving picture books, you will hold everyone’s attention. Whether you are reading to a class full of students or sharing these books at home with friends and family, there are many good lessons to be shared. Thanksgiving is a great time to remind ourselves and those around us that we have a lot to be thankful for in our lives.
Thanksgiving Activities for Your Classroom
If your students can’t get enough of Thanksgiving children’s books, be sure to check out these Thanksgiving coloring pages! You’ll find all kinds of options that focus on helping your students learn! There are color-by-numbers, color-by-letters, and even color-by-sight words! These coloring pages are great for keeping your students entertained while helping them learn! These packages contain 28-46 pages, depending on which one you select. But the best part of all? Your students can use what they’ve been learning from the books to help them color these pages!
Are you still looking for more ideas? Check out the FREE Reading Graphic Organizer today! This tool can help students identify the main idea, story elements, and the beginning, middle, and end of stories. It can be used with any story you want to introduce in your classroom, and best of all, it’s FREE!
