38 Thanksgiving Books for Kids That Make the Wait for Turkey Fly By!
The best Thanksgiving books for kids turn the busiest week of fall into something cozy: a turkey in disguise, a parade full of giant balloons, a grandma's famous stew and the real people behind the holiday. Below are 38 favorites sorted by age, from board books for babies to chapter books for big kids, each with a quick summary and a parent tip.
Whether you are building a library hold list, planning a read-aloud while the pie bakes or looking for a calm activity for the cousins on Thursday, there is a story here for every reader at your table. Each title links to Amazon, and most of them are popular enough that your local library will have a copy, too.
Key Takeaways
Best for babies and toddlers: Llama Llama Gives Thanks, Feast for 10 and Otis Gives Thanks
Best read-alouds: Turkey Trouble, 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving and Thank You, Omu!
Best for learning the history: Thank You, Sarah, Keepunumuk and 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving
Best for independent readers: Thanksgiving on Thursday and Judy Moody & Stink: The Wishbone Wish
Pair it with: our free Thanksgiving printables for kids for a reading-and-coloring afternoon
Best Thanksgiving Board Books for Babies and Toddlers
Sturdy pages, short rhymes and flaps to lift make these the perfect first holiday books. They are short enough for a toddler's attention span and sweet enough to read again and again.
By: Anna Dewdney
Best for: babies and toddlers
Llama Llama and his family gather for a Thanksgiving celebration in this rhyming board book about noticing all the people and things we are thankful for.
Parent Tip: Pause after each page and ask your little one to point to something they love. It turns the book into a first gratitude game.
By: Cindy Jin
Best for: babies, toddlers and preschoolers
A sweet board book about the little thank-yous that fill a child's day, made for reading aloud with babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
Parent Tip: Count the thank-yous on your fingers as you read. Toddlers love holding up the right number.
By: Eric Carle
Best for: babies and toddlers
The famous caterpillar stars in a peekaboo board book with fall surprises hiding under sturdy flaps, perfect for little hands that like to lift and find.
Parent Tip: Let your child lift every flap, even if it takes a while. The repetition is the fun part at this age.
By: Loren Long
Best for: ages 0 to 3
Otis the friendly tractor and his barnyard pals share what they are grateful for in a short, cozy board book based on the beloved Otis picture books.
Parent Tip: Make the tractor sounds. Little ones remember a book much better when they get to say "putt puff puttedy chuff" with you.
By: Inspired by Don Freeman's Corduroy
Best for: ages 0 to 3
The lovable teddy bear in green overalls celebrates Thanksgiving in this board book, a sweet pick for families who already adore the classic Corduroy story.
Parent Tip: Pair it with the original Corduroy for a two-book bedtime during Thanksgiving week.
By: Cathryn Falwell
Best for: ages 1 to 4
A counting book that follows a family as they shop for, cook and share a big family dinner, counting from one to ten along the way.
Parent Tip: Read it before a grocery run and let your toddler count the items you buy for Thanksgiving dinner.
By: Nicola Edwards
Best for: ages 0 to 2
A snuggly board book full of sweet fall nicknames and gentle rhymes, made for lap reading with the littlest family members.
Parent Tip: Swap in your own family's pet names as you read. Babies love hearing their name in a story.
By: Patricia Hegarty
Best for: babies and toddlers
A counting board book that pairs each number with something to be grateful for, from family to friends to favorite things.
Parent Tip: After the last page, count three things your child is thankful for today.
By: Sherri Duskey Rinker
Best for: toddlers and preschoolers
The hardworking trucks from the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series celebrate Thanksgiving in a lift-the-flap story.
Parent Tip: Truck fans can act out each machine with toy trucks while you read.
By: H. A. Rey
Best for: toddlers and preschoolers
Curious George helps get ready for Thanksgiving in a story with foldout flaps that reveal his latest bit of mischief.
Parent Tip: Ask your child to guess what George will do before you open each flap.
Best Thanksgiving Picture Books for Preschool and Elementary Kids
These are the read-alouds we reach for every November. Some are laugh-out-loud funny, some tell the real history of the holiday and some are simply about sharing a good meal with people you love.
By: Dav Pilkey
Best for: ages 3 to 5
A class field trip to a turkey farm takes a twist when the kids realize what the turkeys are being raised for. Told in the rhythm of the classic Christmas poem, it is silly, sweet and a little bit rebellious, from the creator of Dog Man.
Parent Tip: Read it in a dramatic "Night Before Christmas" voice. Kids who know the original poem will giggle at every twist.
By: Wendi Silvano, illustrated by Lee Harper
Best for: ages 4 to 7
Turkey is in big trouble as Thanksgiving approaches, so he tries one disguise after another, from horse to cow to sheep, to avoid becoming dinner. The ending is a hilarious surprise.
Parent Tip: Pair it with a "disguise a turkey" activity. It is one of the most popular school projects in November.
By: Adam Wallace
Best for: preschool and early elementary
When a turkey escapes from the school play, the class builds clever traps to catch him in this rhyming adventure from the bestselling How to Catch series.
Parent Tip: Hand your kids paper, tape and string and let them design their own turkey trap after reading.
By: Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
Best for: ages 4 to 8
Bear wants to host a feast, but his cupboard is bare. One by one his forest friends arrive with food to share, and Bear discovers he has something to give too: his stories.
Parent Tip: Talk about what your child can share at Thanksgiving that is not food, like a joke, a song or a drawing.
By: Oge Mora
Best for: ages 4 to 7
The smell of Omu's thick red stew draws the whole neighborhood to her door, and she shares until the pot is empty. Then her neighbors come back to return the kindness. This Caldecott Honor book is gorgeous and perfect for a gratitude conversation.
Parent Tip: Cook a simple soup together the week of Thanksgiving and share a bowl with a neighbor.
By: Melissa Sweet
Best for: ages 4 to 8
The true story of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer who created the first giant balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The collage illustrations are as playful as the parade itself.
Parent Tip: Read it the night before Thanksgiving, then watch the parade on TV in the morning and spot the balloons.
By: Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Best for: ages 5 to 8
Meet Sarah Hale, the determined writer who spent years sending letters to presidents until Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday. A funny, fast history lesson about the power of the pen.
Parent Tip: Have your kids write a letter about something they want to change. It is a great follow-up to Sarah's story.
By: Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry and Alexis Bunten
Best for: ages 3 to 7
Told by Native authors, this picture book shares the Wampanoag side of the story of 1621 through twins who hear it from their grandmother, with corn as a central character.
Parent Tip: Use it to start a conversation about how the same event can be told from different points of view.
By: Traci Sorell
Best for: preschool and early elementary
Written by a member of the Cherokee Nation, this book follows a Cherokee community expressing gratitude through the seasons, with Cherokee words woven throughout.
Parent Tip: Practice saying "otsaliheliga" together using the pronunciation guide in the book.
By: Wende and Harry Devlin
Best for: ages 5 to 8
Maggie and her grandmother invite two guests to Thanksgiving dinner, and Grandmother's secret cranberry bread recipe is suddenly at risk in this beloved classic mystery.
Parent Tip: The recipe for the cranberry bread is printed at the back. Bake it together the day before Thanksgiving.
By: Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Best for: ages 4 to 8
In rhyming verse, every member of a 19th-century family pitches in to cook the Thanksgiving feast, from Mama stoking the fire to the kids mashing and stirring.
Parent Tip: Give every child one small job on Thanksgiving Day, just like the family in the book.
By: Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Kathryn Mitter
Best for: ages 4 to 8
Tuyet worries because her Vietnamese American family is serving duck instead of turkey, until she learns that her classmates celebrate in all kinds of delicious ways.
Parent Tip: Ask your kids what makes your family's Thanksgiving table unique.
By: Mark Fearing
Best for: ages 5 to 8
Gavin and his cousin Rosie make a daring run past the crowds of grown-ups to reach the backyard swing set in this funny take on a packed family gathering.
Parent Tip: Perfect for the kids' table. Read it aloud while the adults are still in the kitchen.
By: Phyllis Alsdurf, illustrated by Jenny Løvlie
Best for: ages 4 to 7
Based on a real family tradition, this story follows a family that celebrates Thanksgiving outdoors in the forest every year with friends and neighbors.
Parent Tip: Plan a Thanksgiving week picnic at a local park and bring this book along.
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By: Peter H. Reynolds
Best for: preschool and early elementary
Violet misses the days when her family gathered around the table, so she finds a creative way to bring everyone back together, away from their screens.
Parent Tip: Make Thanksgiving dinner a phone-free table and let your kids collect the devices in a basket.
By: Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Archie Preston
Best for: ages 4 to 8
In gentle rhymes, people of all kinds share what they are thankful for, from a gardener's seeds to a doctor's healing.
Parent Tip: After reading, have each person at the table finish the sentence "I am thankful for..."
By: Jan and Mike Berenstain
Best for: ages 4 to 8
The Bear family gets ready for Thanksgiving and learns about gratitude in this familiar, comforting story from the long-running series.
Parent Tip: Longtime Berenstain fans can pair this with a classic like The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings.
Thanksgiving Early Readers for Kids Learning to Read
These leveled readers are just right for kindergarten and first-grade kids who want to read a holiday story on their own.
By: James Dean and Kimberly Dean
Best for: kindergarten and up
Pete and his classmates put on a school play about the first Thanksgiving in this groovy, upbeat and easy-to-follow story.
Parent Tip: Let your new reader read Pete's lines out loud while you read the rest.
By: Adapted by Farrah McDoogle
Best for: preschool and kindergarten
Daniel Tiger and his friends celebrate Thank You Day by thanking the people who help them, in a simple story based on the PBS Kids show.
Parent Tip: Make your own thank-you cards for a teacher, mail carrier or crossing guard after reading.
By: Jane O'Connor
Best for: preschool and early elementary
Fancy Nancy is determined to make Thanksgiving extra elegant, complete with her favorite fancy words, in this short and sparkly holiday story.
Parent Tip: Let your child design fancy place cards for the table. Nancy would approve.
Thanksgiving Chapter Books and Middle Grade Reads
Independent readers can curl up with these chapter books and history picks during the long weekend. Several of them are part of series your kids may already love.
By: Mary Pope Osborne
Best for: ages 6 to 9
Jack and Annie travel back to Plymouth in 1621 and end up helping prepare the famous harvest feast in this popular Magic Tree House adventure.
Parent Tip: Follow it with the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker on Pilgrims if your reader wants more history.
By: Barbara Park
Best for: ages 6 to 8
Junie B.'s first-grade class works on thankful lists, and Junie B. has some very strong opinions about it. Funny, honest and relatable.
Parent Tip: Have your kids make their own thankful lists, Junie B. style, with as much honesty as they want.
By: Megan McDonald
Best for: ages 6 to 9
Judy and Stink compete over who gets to pull the wishbone at Thanksgiving dinner in a laugh-out-loud holiday story with the famous sibling duo.
Parent Tip: Save the real wishbone from your turkey and let siblings settle it the old-fashioned way.
By: Barbara Cohen
Best for: ages 6 to 10
Molly, a young Jewish immigrant from Russia, makes a Pilgrim doll that looks like her mother for a class project and helps her classmates see that modern immigrants are pilgrims too.
Parent Tip: Talk about your own family's journey to where you live today.
By: Ron Roy
Best for: ages 7 to 9
Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose head to Plymouth for Thanksgiving and get pulled into a mystery in this super-sized A to Z Mysteries adventure.
Parent Tip: Mystery fans can keep a clue notebook as they read and see if they solve it first.
By: Ron Roy
Best for: ages 7 to 9
KC and Marshall investigate a Thanksgiving mystery in Washington, D.C., in this Capital Mysteries story from the author of A to Z Mysteries.
Parent Tip: Look up the White House turkey pardon together after reading. Kids love that it is a real tradition.
By: Cheryl Harness
Best for: ages 7 to 10
The Allerton children sail on the Mayflower and live through the hard first year in Plymouth in this detailed, illustrated history.
Parent Tip: Pore over the detailed illustrations together. There is a lot to discover on every page.
By: Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac
Best for: ages 8 to 12
Created with Plimoth Plantation, this photo-filled book uses reenactment photos to show what really happened at the 1621 harvest celebration, including the Wampanoag perspective.
Parent Tip: It is a great read for school-age kids before a Thanksgiving history project.
How to Make Thanksgiving Reading a Family Tradition
A stack of holiday books goes a long way during a busy week. These simple ideas help turn reading into something your family looks forward to every November.
Borrow before you buy: Place holds early through the Los Angeles Public Library or the LA County Library, since Thanksgiving titles get snapped up in November.
Start a book basket: Set out a basket of Thanksgiving books by the couch the week before the holiday so kids can grab one anytime.
Read one a night: Count down the days to Thanksgiving with a new story each night at bedtime.
Let big kids read to little ones: Older cousins can read board books to toddlers while the grown-ups cook.
Add an activity: Pair a story with our Thanksgiving crafts for kids or a round of Thanksgiving games.
Parent Tip: Keep one quiet book in your bag for Thanksgiving Day. It is a lifesaver when little ones need a break from a busy house.
Takeaway
The best Thanksgiving books for kids give families a reason to slow down during a busy week. Toddlers can lift flaps with Curious George, preschoolers can laugh along with Turkey Trouble and big kids can travel back to 1621 with Jack and Annie.
Pick a few from each age group, place your library holds early and make a cozy reading spot for the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at FUN WITH KIDS IN LA®.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Thanksgiving books for toddlers?
Llama Llama Gives Thanks, Feast for 10, Otis Gives Thanks and The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Peekaboo Thanksgiving are great picks for toddlers. They are short, sturdy board books with rhymes, counting or flaps that keep little hands busy and make it easy to talk about being thankful.
What is a good Thanksgiving book that teaches the history of the holiday?
Thank You, Sarah tells how Sarah Hale campaigned to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, and Balloons Over Broadway covers the start of the Macy's parade. For older kids, 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving uses photos to show what really happened at the 1621 harvest celebration.
What Thanksgiving books share the Wampanoag perspective?
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story is written by Native authors and tells the Wampanoag side of the 1621 story. For older kids, 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving also includes the Wampanoag perspective, and We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga shares Cherokee traditions of gratitude.
What Thanksgiving chapter books are good for 7- to 9-year-olds?
Thanksgiving on Thursday from the Magic Tree House series, Judy Moody & Stink: The Wishbone Wish, Junie B. Jones: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten and Ron Roy's Mayflower Treasure Hunt are all fun, holiday-themed chapter books for kids ages 7 to 9.
Where can I borrow Thanksgiving books for free in Los Angeles?
Both the Los Angeles Public Library and the LA County Library let you place holds online and pick up books at your local branch. Many titles are also available as free e-books through the Libby app. Place holds early, since holiday books are popular in November.
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