Ok, I’m cheating a little bit. The following books aren’t nonfiction, but with Thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to share two favorite Thanksgiving-themed picture books.
1) “The Night Before Thanksgiving,” by Natasha Wing (Grosset & Dunlap, 2001). “‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving, and all through the nation families got ready for the big celebration.” This clever tale transforms Clement C. Moore’s familiar “Twas the Night Before Christmas” into a story of one family’s Thanksgiving fiesta. Will Uncle Norm, who is stuck in a snowstorm, make it in time? Will the bird make it safely to the table? Wing’s clever poetry encourages children to read on and find out.
2) “Thanksgiving Day,” by Anne Rockwell (HarperCollins, 2002). Mrs. Madoff’s class puts on a play about the first Thanksgiving. Each child has a role, from the Mayflower to Chief Massasoit. Preschoolers learn the historical story of the pilgrims and the Wampanoag people and why we celebrate Thanksgiving each year. They learn the symbolism of traditional thanksgiving foods from turkey to cornbread and cranberry sauce. Yum!
Do you have other favorite Thanksgiving tales? Let me know.
Kirsten W. Larson 