12 Thanksgiving Books for Kids with Favorite Book Characters

Children love to read about their favorite characters. Celebrate the holidays with some of the beloved favorites of the young with these Thanksgiving books for kids.

Arthur's Thanksgiving by Marc Brown

Join Arthur and his pals as they get ready for the Thanksgiving play, with Arthur as the director. He has a problem, because no one wants to play the Thanksgiving turkey. Guess who gets the part in the end? Kids love Arthur, and they will like this book.

This book is available from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, ISBN 9780316112321.

Berenstain Bears Give Thanks by Michael, Stan & Jan Berenstain

You just can't have a holiday without these beloved bears named after their creators. In this special Thanksgiving story, the bears are putting on a Thanksgiving play, and learn how to give thanks to God for their many blessings.

This book is available from Zonderkidz, ISBN 9780310712510.

Biscuit is Thankful by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Children love Biscuit, the sweet little puppy. In this book for early childhood, he shares for what he is thankful. Follow up with young children by asking them to share the things for which they are most thankful. It can also be a springboard for discussion about how to properly care for your pet puppy.

This book is available from Harper Collins Publishers, ISBN 9780694015191.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving by Charles Schulz

You just cannot have a holiday without Snoopy and the Gang! This book is an adaptation of the beloved holiday special. Popcorn for everyone! Keep in mind, that this is the a miniature book that will easily fit into a pocket or be read individually, as opposed to a group read aloud. It's also good for collectors.

This book is available from Running Press Books, ISBN 9780762427536.

Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit by Norman Bridwell

Clifford loves Emily Elizabeth and her family, as they have been taking care of him since he was a puppy. But this Valentine's Day, he is going to visit his other family. Clifford travels to the city to visit his mom, while Emily Elizabeth goes to visit her family.

This book is available from Scholastic, ISBN 9780590469876.

Corduroy's Thanksgiving by Lisa McCue

Lisa McCue took over creating Corduroy books after original author Don Freeman created the series. The beloved bear is celebrating Thanksgiving with his friends. After watching the Thanksgiving Day parade, they must all share for what they are thankful, prior to consuming their tasty dinner.

This book is available from Penguin Group, ISBN9780670061082

Dora's Thanksgiving by Sara Willson

Kids love Dora! Join her as she shares what she's thankful for, both in English and in Spanish. She also asks questions, just like on the TV show, so that it appears that she is interacting with her readers. Use this to provoke discussion with young children.

This book is available from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, ISBN 9780689858420.

Franklin's Thanksgiving by Paulette Bourgeois

Franklin is a friendly turtle, and another favorite kid character. In this story, Franklin is disappointed when his grandparents cannot make it to the Thanksgiving feast. But, his friends are able to come as a surprise to his parents. His parents try to surprise him by inviting some of their friends. They find themselves thankful for their friends, as well as their family.

This book is available from Kids Can Press, ISBN 9781550747980.

Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit! by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Biscuit is the beloved puppy whose playful antics have been followed by children for years. In this book, children in preschool and younger will enjoy following him and the little girl as they celebrate the holiday. This version is a "lift-the-flap" book, which makes it more interactive, and intriguing to young readers.

This book is available from Harper Collins Publishers, ISBN9780694012213.

Happy Thanksgiving, Curious George by Cynthia Platt and Julie M. Bartynski

This book is not by original Curious George author H. A. Rey. However, it still stars the monkey who has been loved by children for many generations. Follow George as he explores favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Each tabbed page in this board book contains a short poem about the item on the tab. It is geared toward the infant through early childhood years.

This book is available from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN 9780547131061.

Maisy's Thanksgiving Sticker Book by Lucy Cousins

Kids love Maisy. In this book, she and her friends are getting ready for a Thanksgiving meal. Kids can interact with the text as they follow the directions to place stickers throughout the book.

This book is available from Candlewick Press, ISBN9780763630485.

Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne

This book is the 27th installment in the super popular Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. Favorite characters Jack and Annie wish themselves back in time and masquerade as Pilgrim children. They hang out with Squanto and Priscilla. Their cover is almost blown, as they are quite obviously not from the Pilgrim era. Yet they still attempt to contribute to the Thanksgiving meal, and learn a valuable lesson about accepting those who are different.

This book is great for reading aloud to even younger children, though it is written for independent readers in elementary years. It's an annual tradition to read this in my Montessori Extended Day class of 4's and 5's (K's).

This book is available from Random House Children's Books, ISBN 9780375806155.

After reading these stories with favorite book characters, ask children to create their own Thanksgiving books. Have them do a performance, using plush versions of the characters, or create puppets using coloring pages.