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Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks!
This sweet picture book about being thankful is a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving with the youngest readers!
Thanksgiving is about pilgrims and history--and turkey, of course!--but most importantly, it's a holiday all about everything that we are thankful for. Cheerful, colorful illustrations accompany the simple text in this celebration of family, friends, and the holiday that brings them all together. A great introduction to the concept of giving thanks and appreaciating every day things.
Thanksgiving is about pilgrims and history--and turkey, of course!--but most importantly, it's a holiday all about everything that we are thankful for. Cheerful, colorful illustrations accompany the simple text in this celebration of family, friends, and the holiday that brings them all together. A great introduction to the concept of giving thanks and appreaciating every day things.
24 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 18, 2018
I realized a few pages in that this book wasn’t about one character. It changed perspective throughout. As I flipped I kept thinking who’s perspective am I in? It wasn’t always clear, because at times there was more than one kid on the page.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that changed characters like that, and I didn’t really like it. I like staying with one character. It was sort of jarring. I was like wait a second, who is this? We were with one kid, and then another would say what they were thankful for.
The only good thing about it is that it showcased different genders and races, so instead of having one gender/race through the whole book that a kid might not identify with, it had something for everyone. So whoever picks this book up will find someone they identify with, so that was nice.
The book starts out saying Thanksgiving is the day of the year we eat turkey and pumpkin pie. It isn’t the only day, though. I also eat that stuff for Christmas. That food ins't exclusively eaten on Thanksgiving.
The book said more than that, it’s the day people give thanks for everything that makes them happy. I think that was a good lesson for kids, to realize that Thanksgiving isn’t just about food, it should be about being thankful. Kids can learn the meaning of Thanksgiving at an early age, and to be thankful for things in their lives.
One kid was thankful for his parents who loved him when he was good, and when he wasn’t so good, and it shows him with a broken vase, which I thought was humorous.
Another was thankful for everyone else in their family. Her grandma gave good hugs. This I found jarring because it sounded like it picked up from the first kid’s thoughts, yet was about another kid.
One was thankful for their teacher and how she made her feel special by putting her artwork on the wall.
One was thankful for their friends who make them laugh.
One was thankful for their room, because sometimes it’s nice being by themselves.
Another was thankful for hot chocolate on cold, rainy days.
The one that lost me was the one that said ‘I am thankful for all the dogs and cats that I know. It’s fun when they let me pet them.’ It would have made sense if you were thankful for your own pets, but thankful for random cats and dogs on the street? I don’t think so. That didn’t work for me.
One girl was thankful for her favorite books that her parents read to her at bedtime.
A boy was thankful for sunny days when he could play outside with his friends.
A girl was thankful for lollipops that turned her tongue different colors. Here again, this is just a random thing to be thankful for.
It ends with a girl being thankful for special days like Thanksgiving, where she can be with her whole family and they can be thankful together. It was good to end on the note of family and being thankful, because that's the meaning of Thanksgiving.
I wasn’t expecting much going into this. This was too simple for me. The writing was very juvenile, and the illustrations were cutesy and very young-looking too, so this would be good for really young kids.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that changed characters like that, and I didn’t really like it. I like staying with one character. It was sort of jarring. I was like wait a second, who is this? We were with one kid, and then another would say what they were thankful for.
The only good thing about it is that it showcased different genders and races, so instead of having one gender/race through the whole book that a kid might not identify with, it had something for everyone. So whoever picks this book up will find someone they identify with, so that was nice.
The book starts out saying Thanksgiving is the day of the year we eat turkey and pumpkin pie. It isn’t the only day, though. I also eat that stuff for Christmas. That food ins't exclusively eaten on Thanksgiving.
The book said more than that, it’s the day people give thanks for everything that makes them happy. I think that was a good lesson for kids, to realize that Thanksgiving isn’t just about food, it should be about being thankful. Kids can learn the meaning of Thanksgiving at an early age, and to be thankful for things in their lives.
One kid was thankful for his parents who loved him when he was good, and when he wasn’t so good, and it shows him with a broken vase, which I thought was humorous.
Another was thankful for everyone else in their family. Her grandma gave good hugs. This I found jarring because it sounded like it picked up from the first kid’s thoughts, yet was about another kid.
One was thankful for their teacher and how she made her feel special by putting her artwork on the wall.
One was thankful for their friends who make them laugh.
One was thankful for their room, because sometimes it’s nice being by themselves.
Another was thankful for hot chocolate on cold, rainy days.
The one that lost me was the one that said ‘I am thankful for all the dogs and cats that I know. It’s fun when they let me pet them.’ It would have made sense if you were thankful for your own pets, but thankful for random cats and dogs on the street? I don’t think so. That didn’t work for me.
One girl was thankful for her favorite books that her parents read to her at bedtime.
A boy was thankful for sunny days when he could play outside with his friends.
A girl was thankful for lollipops that turned her tongue different colors. Here again, this is just a random thing to be thankful for.
It ends with a girl being thankful for special days like Thanksgiving, where she can be with her whole family and they can be thankful together. It was good to end on the note of family and being thankful, because that's the meaning of Thanksgiving.
I wasn’t expecting much going into this. This was too simple for me. The writing was very juvenile, and the illustrations were cutesy and very young-looking too, so this would be good for really young kids.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2018
When I read the summary on the back of the book and it said the holiday is about being thankful for everything from parents and pets to sunshine and lollipops. I recently read another Thanksgiving book that thanked everything under the sun, probably even the sun, and it wasn't the Thanksgiving tale I was looking for.
This suffered from the same problem. It didn't capture the feel of the holiday for me because it branched off into too many random things, some things that were out of season and so probably not something that someone would mention in November.
It did make a nice point that even though Thanksgiving is the day that we eat turkey and pie, it's really about being thankful. The kid was thankful that his parents love him when he's good and not so good, and showed him breaking a vase with a ball. So that's a nice lesson for kids to appreciate their parents who love them through the good and bad.
The writing wasn't great and it's definitely geared towards younger kids with the way things are worded. Like giving thanks "for all the things that make us feel happy." That's definitely a simplified way to say that.
They were thankful for the rest of the family, that their grandma gives good hugs. And their teacher makes them feel special when she hangs their art on the wall. That was too specific for my tastes, as it would only apply to you if your grandma did give good hugs and if your teacher happens to hang art on the wall.
He was thankful for his room, because it's nice to be by himself. That was a bit odd, because a room is where you sleep and play, not just to go off to be alone.
One kid mentioned hot chocolate on a cold, rainy day, but that didn't really feel like November to me.
He was thankful for all the cats and dogs he knows and that was weird to be thankful for someone else's pets you just happen to meet on the street. It would have had more of an impact to be thankful for your own pets who are actually a part of your life.
As this is a book, it was a good thing to have them be thankful for books. That would encourage kids to read and value books.
I really didn't like that lollipops were included. It was so random and you don't really think of having lollipops at Thanksgiving. It was just too random and not the right season for it.
It ended with being thankful for times like Thanksgiving when family could come together and be thankful.
The boy who I thought was the main character isn't even on the cover. Those are his friends but he isn't even there! He's an Asian boy. The book didn't seem to know who to highlight and kept switching between characters. It was jarring to flip the page and have a line in first-person and be like who is that?? It was like a different character on each page. The 3 kids on the cover are only on 1 page of the entire book. It would have more of an impact to highlight just one kid instead of a whole slew.
A very simple, short kind of obscure tale that wants to be Thanksgiving but doesn't quite capture it. The illustrations are just ok, simple too.
This suffered from the same problem. It didn't capture the feel of the holiday for me because it branched off into too many random things, some things that were out of season and so probably not something that someone would mention in November.
It did make a nice point that even though Thanksgiving is the day that we eat turkey and pie, it's really about being thankful. The kid was thankful that his parents love him when he's good and not so good, and showed him breaking a vase with a ball. So that's a nice lesson for kids to appreciate their parents who love them through the good and bad.
The writing wasn't great and it's definitely geared towards younger kids with the way things are worded. Like giving thanks "for all the things that make us feel happy." That's definitely a simplified way to say that.
They were thankful for the rest of the family, that their grandma gives good hugs. And their teacher makes them feel special when she hangs their art on the wall. That was too specific for my tastes, as it would only apply to you if your grandma did give good hugs and if your teacher happens to hang art on the wall.
He was thankful for his room, because it's nice to be by himself. That was a bit odd, because a room is where you sleep and play, not just to go off to be alone.
One kid mentioned hot chocolate on a cold, rainy day, but that didn't really feel like November to me.
He was thankful for all the cats and dogs he knows and that was weird to be thankful for someone else's pets you just happen to meet on the street. It would have had more of an impact to be thankful for your own pets who are actually a part of your life.
As this is a book, it was a good thing to have them be thankful for books. That would encourage kids to read and value books.
I really didn't like that lollipops were included. It was so random and you don't really think of having lollipops at Thanksgiving. It was just too random and not the right season for it.
It ended with being thankful for times like Thanksgiving when family could come together and be thankful.
The boy who I thought was the main character isn't even on the cover. Those are his friends but he isn't even there! He's an Asian boy. The book didn't seem to know who to highlight and kept switching between characters. It was jarring to flip the page and have a line in first-person and be like who is that?? It was like a different character on each page. The 3 kids on the cover are only on 1 page of the entire book. It would have more of an impact to highlight just one kid instead of a whole slew.
A very simple, short kind of obscure tale that wants to be Thanksgiving but doesn't quite capture it. The illustrations are just ok, simple too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 30, 2013We learn about Thanksgiving and all the historical events that happened that led to this holiday, but we also learn about the meaning of what we should give thanks for.
Teaches children that Thanksgiving is not just about food but about family and friends and being thankful for what we have.
Children can write up or draw picture of what they are thankful for in their lives.
Teaches children that Thanksgiving is not just about food but about family and friends and being thankful for what we have.
Children can write up or draw picture of what they are thankful for in their lives.
November 14, 2012
In this book, the kids are thankful for...
mom and dad
everyone else in the family (shown with grandma and grandpa)
teacher
friends
room
hot chocolate
dogs and cats
books
bright sunny days
lollipops
special days like Thanksgiving
mom and dad
everyone else in the family (shown with grandma and grandpa)
teacher
friends
room
hot chocolate
dogs and cats
books
bright sunny days
lollipops
special days like Thanksgiving
November 27, 2018
A nice reminder of all the things we can be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day and everyday.
November 10, 2011
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I'm sure a lot of kids favorite holiday as well. There is no better time in the year to spend time with the people that you are most thankful for, and cherish in your life. This book has a very good meaning to it, and it is a perfect holiday story to share with friends and family. There is a good quote that I think could go along with this story and the quote is "Never take anything in life for Granted!" I think it fits this story perfectly, and the fact that kids should always be thankful for what they have and that others care about them, because it is definitely not easy for some people. I think a great activity would be to have every student write a letter to their family about what they are thankful for and share it with their families on Thanksgiving.
November 4, 2022
This was a cute story and goes through the many things we have to be thankful for.
Ages: 3 - 5
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
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Ages: 3 - 5
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
January 26, 2013
When I went to the library for a good Thanksgiving book for 2's, I meant to borrow Giving Thanks--which I couldn't find. This was perfect, though! It has simple language with pictures and people with whom Aurora May, Chloe and Mia were able to relate. Aurora May ended up wanting to read it over Thanksgiving Break a few times. Super cute, super fun... and most importantly, a book that goes beyond Thanksgiving and is about being appreciative everyday for everything you have.
November 7, 2013
I am beefing up my children's Thanksgiving book collection. This is a sweet addition. I have quite a few books that explain how we came to celebrate Thanksgiving. This is a nice book about the actual celebrating. One line says, "But most of all, it is the day when we give thanks for all the things that make us feel happy." All kinds of things are named that a child might be thankful for. Grandma's hugs, friends, teachers,etc. A nice book for introducing thankfulness to the younger child.
November 25, 2014
RC loves this beautifully illustrated, sweet narrative about everything children have to be thankful for. It is a useful reflection for the Thanksgiving holiday, reminding people the true meaning of the season. It is also a nice tool for showing children experiencing many different things. The illustrations are muted and the tone is gentle. It is a lovely tale that tells children there is so much in the world to be thankful for and there is no better time to do it than Thanksgiving.
November 19, 2016
I love this book. A little boy give thanks for all of the things he appreciates in his life. I especially love his comment about being thankful for parents who love him when he is good and when he is not so good. This book is perfect for helping kinds understand what it means to be thankful and for when they're trying to come up with their own list of "thankfuls".
Ages 4-8
http://www.momsradius.com/2016/11/8-g...
Ages 4-8
http://www.momsradius.com/2016/11/8-g...
Read
December 1, 2010While Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates what America is all about, it is also, perhaps more importantly, a holiday about appreciating and realizing the things we are thankful for in life. This book will remind all of its readers that there is so much to be thankful for, from the littlest of things, like lollipops and pie, to the most important things...family and friends!
Read
April 10, 2011Thanksgiving is a holiday that is rarely celebrated for the thanks part. I enjoyed this book because it names the simple things to be thankful for that so many teachers and students alike take for granted. Although I would not use this as a whole group read aloud because of the holiday theme, it would not be a bad book for children overall.
April 19, 2012
This book is a fun way to show younger grades, maybe 1st or 2nd grade, that people all over the world are thankful for different things! It would be fun to do this as a read aloud and then do a class activity where everyone says what they are thankful for and make a class picture book of everything the class is thankful for!
August 5, 2015
A simple concept book about what to be thankful for at Thanksgiving. It could be useful in getting writing started on what to be thankful for at holiday time. It's simple and easy to understand, a quick read that could lead to more discussion of that age old topic that every teacher goes through at some point in November, what you're thankful for at Thanksgiving.
December 5, 2015
This is a simple but full of lessons for little guys about things to be thankful for. From their parents and family, to their room, to neighbors, to clothes etc. You can be thankful for everything not just the 'traditional' things at Thanksgiving. This story has one or two sentences per page so would be an easier book for beginning readers to learn.
January 21, 2011
This is a great book to show how different families celebrate an American tradition. This could be used to talk about how traditions have changed since the first thanksgiving. This could be used for a text to person connection.
Read
December 1, 2013I like the book because it is about family traditions and to be thankful for all the good things that we have. Also, it is an easy book that my students enjoyed reading. It has beautiful pictures and of course it is about the pilgrims and history.
November 11, 2017
A wonderful book to read to younger grades around Thanksgiving. It talks about how Thanksgiving is more than just food, but giving thanks for everything you have. Perfect length for the younger readers. The message of gratitude is also described in an age appropriate manner.
November 11, 2008
A good general book about Thanksgiving and what a kid is thankful for.
November 3, 2009
This is a great book to read with younger grades and then do a fun activity where students write about what they are thankful for! You could even make a cute class book! :)
November 29, 2010
This is a GREAT book to talk about being grateful!
December 27, 2010
a simple book. Early reader. The message of gratitude is right on
Read
July 29, 2011Just right for the preschoolers. Not too long. Not dripping in history. It just is a great little book that tells why be thankful - family, friends, books.
Read
August 19, 2011AR
2.3 level
.5 pt
2.3 level
.5 pt
December 1, 2011
I liked that this was a little more than just a list of what you are thankful for. For each thing that they are thankful for, they also say why they are thankful for it.
November 27, 2012
this book is good to read around the thanksgiving season. this book simple explains about the thanksgiving day. we surely need to be more thankful for what we have!
March 15, 2013
Cute story about giving for the holidays
May 19, 2015
this is a fun little Thanksgiving book told in verse. A great way to remind children of the many things they have to be thankful for.
March 18, 2017
A good addition to a Thanksgiving collection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews