Here at Cincinnati Moms Blog, we are passionate about literacy and children’s books! (Not only do we all read to our children, but we’ve got one contributor who’s a children’s book author, one contributor who’s a reading teacher, one contributor who’s a consultant for an independent children’s book company, and two who work at a children’s book store!) We pride ourselves on choosing high-quality books for our children that are engaging and contain themes and topics that children both enjoy and need. We use books to empower, encourage, and educate our children, and we are pleased to share our favorite children’s books with all of you!
Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving
“This book is a great way to introduce the traditional history of Thanksgiving to preschoolers and young school-agers because it uses one of today’s most beloved characters. Pete the Cat stars in the school’s Thanksgiving play and the book has lots of lift-the-flaps to reveal hidden surprises. This book is a fun way to sneak in some learning of history!”
Bear Says Thanks
“This a great book to display not only thankfulness, but friendship, and the importance of each friend being a support to one another. Bear initially feels discouraged because he has nothing to share with his friends, though later realizes that tangible gifts are not the only ones that matter. This book is appropriate for toddler to early school age children.” -Amy
Land of the Pilgrims Pride
“This is not specifically a Thanksgiving book, but I just love the Ellis the Elephant series. Each book uses clever poems to break down the pilgrims journey to America, the First Thanksgiving, the forming of the colonies, etc. The illustrations are fabulous and there’s a little eagle in every illustration that you can search for with your kiddos. The stories are simple and sweet, but have tons of historical references (plus lots of good reference info in the back of the book too), which makes them great for kids ages 2-10.” -Casey
The Ugly Pumpkin
“It’s sort of like The Ugly Duckling, but with gourds. A cute rhyming book that takes a pumpkin past Halloween to Thanksgiving.” -Kelli
The Thankful Book
“I am a fan of all of Todd Parr’s books because of their bright illustrations and his mix of sensitivity and playfulness in the words. They are simple books but can be thought-provoking and great conversation-starters with your kids. In The Thankful Book, Todd Parr focuses on all the little things that children can be thankful for, from their ears to family meals. This book is a great reminder to all of us to not take the little things for granted!” -Jesika
Turkey Trouble
“This is a fun story in which Turkey tries to disguise himself as other animals in order to prevent becoming the Thanksgiving Day main course. The illustrations are cute and the text is fun and enjoyable for the adult reader as well as the kiddos. It’s always nice to find a book where the story doesn’t grow old after a single reading.” -Sarah
Fried Feathers for Thanksgiving
“As a kid, I made it a point to borrow every James Stevenson I could get my hands on, often times I’d read the same ones over and over again. Stevenson’s clean, simple, but still a bit messy artwork and his silly stories are always entertaining. This story of Emma the good witch and her friends trying to celebrate Thanksgiving captures the spirit of the season, the two bad witches trying to ruin and steal everything just makes it a bit more fun and exciting than the average Thanksgiving day book.” -David
Thank You, God, For Blessing Me
“This is a great toddler book about thankfulness. Little Hermie is a sweet caterpillar who looks around at his home (the garden) and finds all the things to be thankful for, which sets the stage for a good conversation with your littles about the things they have to be thankful for as well. Hermie has lots of other great stories too, about important lessons like forgiveness, friendship, love, etc.” -Casey
The Great Thanksgiving Escape
“This Thanksgiving book is a just-for-fun read that your early school-agers are sure to enjoy. At another Thanksgiving at Grandma’s, two cousins try desperately to escape the pestering toddlers and over-affectionate aunts and make it to the back yard for some fun before the turkey is served! You’ll especially love it if you or your kids are growing up in a large extended family and can relate to the large family gathering!” -Jesika
