November is a time for being grateful, as well as celebrating family and friendships. In my classroom, I like to focus on what we are thankful for, as well as traditions, the history of Thanksgiving, and family. Today, I am going to share my top Thanksgiving books for Kindergarten.
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Thanksgiving Books About Turkeys
Turkey Trouble by Wendy Silvano
This is hands-down my favorite Thanksgiving book for Kindergarten! Turkey Trouble is a hilarious story about a turkey who dons different disguises to try and get out of being the main dish at Thanksgiving dinner! There is also a GREAT craft that goes with it here, where students design their own disguise for a turkey.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey by Lucille Colandro
I think I may have to have one of these books in ALL of my read aloud lists! They are great for teaching rhyming and each one is based on a different holiday or season. Read along to hear how this old lady swallowed a turkey, and then a bunch more Thanksgiving items!
T is for Turkey by Tanya Lee Stone
This story is an alphabet book that talks about different things starting with each letter of the alphabet. Alphabet books help build your student's vocabulary and this one is perfect for Thanksgiving time.
Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
Who doesn't love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?!? I always have a few students who have never seen it before, so we read this story and then watch clips on YouTube. After Thanksgiving, they always come back raving about the parade that they finally watched!
The Very Stuffed Turkey by Katharine Kenah
Let's get on our turkey pants! Even if you're not Joey from Friends, you know you are going to need bigger pants after Thanksgiving dinner. Travel along with a turkey who has to make his way to FIVE different Thanksgiving meals! This one is a great story that emphasizes the importance of friendships!
Thanksgiving Books About Family and Traditions
Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing
Written just like the book with almost the same title (Twas the Night Before Christmas), this poem/story tells how one family prepares for their big Thanksgiving feast. This would be a great read-aloud to read and then discuss different Thanksgiving traditions with family.
The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings by Jan and Mike Berenstain
Everyone's favorite Bear family comes together to give thanks in this story that emphasizes the importance of being thankful. This is another story that you could tie in when discussing family and traditions.
Thank You, Thanksgiving by David Milgrim
The story starts out with a little girl going on an errand for her mother, but as she walks along she finds many things to be thankful for. We always go on a walk around our school and think of 5 things that we are thankful for too!
Over the River and Through the Wood by Emma Randall
Now, I always thought this was a Christmas song, but in fact, it is about traveling for Thanksgiving! We like to discuss where we are going for Thanksgiving after we read this one.
Thanksgiving Rules by Laurie Friedman
This story, told in rhyme, is about Percy as he tells his ten rules for Thanksgiving. My favorite is “Smile and say pie!” It's such a fun and laughable read aloud!
Books About Being Thankful
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Marks
This read aloud is great for not only Thanksgiving time! It focuses on the simpler things that we should be thankful for.
Thankful by Eileen Spinelli
This story is my go-to for Thanksgiving time! I think I've read it every year because my students always love it. We always make our Thankful Turkeys after reading this one.
Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson
Find out what Bear and his friends are thankful for! The “Bear” series is one of my favorites for different holidays and seasons.
Splat the Cat Says Thank You by Rob Scotton
Who doesn't love Splat the Cat?!? This one is another story that could be read year-round. It emphasizes the importance of saying “Thank you” by writing thank you cards.
The Littlest Pilgrim by Brandi Dougherty
This one isn't about being thankful, but it has a very important lesson! This little pilgrim feels like she cannot help with anything in preparation for Thanksgiving, but it teaches her the lesson that no matter what size, everyone is important.
Books About the History of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is by Gail Gibbons
This story goes over everything Thanksgiving, from the pilgrims to the family traditions. Definitely a Thanksgiving classic!
The Very First Thanksgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Greene
This is a great read aloud to introduce Thanksgiving to your little ones! It is perfect to do a KWL chart about the history of Thanksgiving and fill in what we've learned from reading this book. My students learn so much from just this story!
The Pilgrim's Thanksgiving from A to Z by Laura Crawford
Another alphabet book, but this one focuses on the history behind Thanksgiving. Great for introducing words like A for the Atlantic Ocean and W for Wampanoag Tribe. We like to use some of these words in our Thanksgiving writing projects.
The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh
This is a historical fiction story about a couple of pilgrims and their journey to America, the hardships they faced along the way, and how the first Thanksgiving happened. It is an older book, first published in 1954, but students today still enjoy the illustrations and heartwarming story.
Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac
This book tells the story of Squanto and his perspective on the first Thanksgiving. It is a great read to pair withΒ The Very First ThanksgivingΒ and discuss the similarities and differences between the Native Americans and Pilgrims.
Enjoy these Thanksgiving Books for Kindergarten!
IΒ hope you got some new Thanksgiving books for Kindergarten to read this November. You can find the full list on Amazon here. Are there any books you would add to the list?
Be sure to check out my other read aloud suggestions!
