Last November, I posted my first installment of the “Picture Book Favorites” blog. It is a joy to share my favorite books each month and I always look forward to hearing your comments as well. Let’s keep it going! This month’s favorites share the theme of thankfulness. Each of them gives tribute to the Thanksgiving holiday, but the common message they send is deeper than one day can hold. These books remind us to slow down and take time to give thanks. Enjoy!

“In November” written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Jill Kastner (Copyright 2000, Harcourt, Inc.) describes the annual November activities of creatures both great and small as cooler weather moves in. The beautiful oil on paper illustrations are a perfect complement to the telling of the story.

“Thanksgiving Graces” written by Mark Kimball Moulton and illustrated by David Wenzel (Copyright 2011, Ideals Children’s Books) is a busy rhyming story about a boy who watches his family’s Thanksgiving guest list grow out of control and worries that there won’t be enough food for everyone. As the meal comes together, he learns a lesson about the grace of sharing what you have with others and the reason his family gathers for their annual Thanksgiving meal.

“The Memory Cupboard: A Thanksgiving Story” written by Charlotte Herman and illustrated with acrylic paint on boards by Ben F. Stahl (Copyright 2003, Albert Whitman & Company) is the story of a girl named Katie, who travels with her parents to visit her grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving. When Katie accidentally drops and breaks a special gravy boat, her grandmother takes her to a memory cupboard where she keeps the items she’s fond of that have somehow been broken over the years. Katie learns that it’s the memories that make these things special and that “people are always more important than things.”

Other Thanksgiving favorites include:

“The Night Before Thanksgiving” written by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Tammie Lyon (Copyright 2001, Grosset & Dunlap division of Penguin Young Readers) is a fun story about all the chaos that families put themselves through as they prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday meal.

“Llama Llama Gives Thanks” written by Anna Dewdney and illustrated by J. T. Morrow (Copyright 2017, Viking division of Penguin Young Readers) uses simple text and descriptive illustrations to remind us that “Thanksgiving is not just one day” and to “give thanks all year, in every way.” This board book is a quick and easy read to share with toddlers.

Happy Reading!