5 Thanksgiving Books for Kids by Classic Authors

Thanksgiving is a great time to share stories with your kids as part of a family tradition. Check out these titles by classic authors as you search out Thanksgiving books for kids.

It's Thanksgiving! by Jack Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky is one of my favorite children's poets, second only to Shel Silverstein. His whacky rhymes, and goofy illustrations, make kids love poetry, and teach them about rhyming! His book of twelve Thanksgiving poems are just as entertaining as his evergreen poems, covering many aspects of the family craziness during the holiday. This book is also at the third level of the I Can Read series, which makes it good for elementary independent reading.

This book is available from Harper Collins Publishers, ISBN 9780060537111.

My First Thanksgiving by Tomie dePaola

Tomie dePaola is best known for his Strega Nona books, but has also done many early readers about the holidays. In his tribute to Thanksgiving, dePaola uses few words and fewer words to bring the history to even the youngest readers. He also comments about modern celebrations. It's a great introduction to the holiday for children in an early childhood setting.

This book is available from Penguin Group, ISBN 9780448448572.

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott is best known for her Little Women series. She also penned some delightful short stories. This book tells the story of a family of six children celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, 200 years after the original feast, without their parents. The parents were called away to assist with a sick neighbor, so the children stay home on the farm to take on the preparations on their own. The story is accompanied by newer illustrations, and the dialogue has been made simpler and more modern. It makes for a great history lesson, in addition to a celebration of the holiday.

This book is available from Applewood Books, ISBN 9781557091352.

Silly Tilly's Thanksgiving by Lillian Hoban

Lillian Hoban is the the co-writer and illustrator for the classic book series about Frances. She also penned numerous favorite I Can Read books, such as the ones about the chimpanzee named Arthur. This book is one of her latest, about a mole named Silly Tilly. She thought she had planned out her Thanksgiving celebration, but everything keeps going wrong and getting confused!

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting

Eve Bunting has been writing children's books for years. In her Thanksgiving contribution, Mrs. Moose decides that she wants a turkey for Thanksgiving. She means that she wants one as a guest, but Mr. Turkey isn't so sure about that!`It's a cute story that I've been reading to my class for years.

This book is available from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ISBN9780395742129.

After reading these Thanksgiving books for kids by classic authors, expose your children to their other books to broaden their literary horizons.