Best Thanksgiving Books for Kids

Thanksgiving is an especially valuable holiday to pause and remember our history and to thank God for all He has done for us.

As we seek to redeem every holiday with our children by pointing them to God, one way of enjoying the holiday and teaching its meaning is through the many wonderful Thanksgiving books for kids.

History of the Thanksgiving holiday

The history of Thanksgiving is of a people who desired to venerate God in every aspect of their lives, so we can start by teaching our children the history of the Pilgrims, the journey on the Mayflower, and Plymouth Plantation.

The history of the holiday in America starts with the story of the Separatists (later called Pilgrims).  After leaving England to enjoy religious liberty in Holland, they decided to further separate themselves from worldliness by coming to a new country.

After reaching Massachusetts instead of the Virginia colony when storms blew them north, they decided to stay in Massachusetts and settled Plymouth. They suffered through a difficult first year, but with the help of Squanto, they were able to plant and harvest.

At the end of their first year, the Natives and Pilgrims celebrated together in what we now call the first Thanksgiving. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.

Dig deeper into the history and original documents with these Thanksgiving books!

Here are the best Thanksgiving books for kids:

For fall walks:

We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt

Leaf Man

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

What Tree is That?

Thanksgiving History Books

For younger children:

The Pilgrim’s First Thanksgiving

If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

If You Were at the First Thanksgiving

Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Story

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower

Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage/Plimouth Plantation

On the Mayflower: Voyage of the Ship’s Apprentice and a Passenger Girl

Sarah Morton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl

Samuel Eaton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy

Giving Thanks: the 1621 Harvest Feast

The Pilgrims at Plymouth

N.C. Wyeth’s Pilgrims

For older children:

The Mayflower Compact

The First Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims

For source documents:

Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford

The Mayflower Compact

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