9 Picture Books to Be Thankful For

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?, by Dr. Seuss 
The brilliant rhyming simplicity of Dr. Seuss is on full display in this colorful book, which will have your young reader feeling grateful and lucky even when they’re feeling “sour and blue.” The rhymes may be silly (be grateful you’re not riding a wamel on a camel held on by a faddle) but the lesson of appreciating what you have is anything but.

All The World, by Liz Garton Scanlon, Marla Frazee (Illustrator)
“All the world is you and me, everything you hear, smell, see…” This lovely book shows how intertwined and connected we all are. A story that delivers a gentle message of peace, love, and hope seems like a perfect read for these current times.

Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks, by John Bucchino, Anna Lisa Hakkarainen
The gorgeously illustrated picture book would make for a beautiful bedtime lullaby as well. What better time to reflect on all of the things to be grateful for then before you drift off to sleep. “I’ve got a roof over my head. I’ve got a warm place to sleep…” Sweet dreams!

Thanks a Million, by Nikki Grimes 
This beautiful book is a great way to introduce your young reader to poetry. Filled with sixteen poems that center around the theme of giving thanks, there’s a poem for everyone to be thankful for from haikus to riddles.

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein 
I have never been able to make it through this whole story without crying no matter how many times I read this classic book. The tale of a tree who gives everything it can to a boy (apples, branches, shade) until it’s no more than a stump seems to take on new meanings and significance as you read it at different points in your life. A story about unconditional love and generosity that is sure to stay with you for a lifetime.

There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me, by Alice Walker, Stefano Vitale (Illustrator) 
Did you know that Alice Walker, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of one of the greatest novels of our time, The Color Purple, also wrote a beautiful picture book? This poetic story about our relationship with the natural world contains lines like “There is a sky at the end of my eye seeing me” which will have you looking at the world in a new way and stick with you long after you put down this colorfully illustrated story.

Gracias/Thanks, by Pat Mora, John Parra 
If you could learn one word in every language I’d say “thanks” is a good place to start. This bilingual book details a whole array of simple yet profound things for our young protagonist to say thanks for: family, the sun, bees that don’t sting.  Gracias/thanks.

Why The Sky is Far Away: A Nigerian Folktale, by Mary-Joan Gerson, Carla Golembe (Illustrator) 
After reading this Nigerian folktale your young reader may look up at the sky with even more wonder than before. This book tells about how at one time the sky was very close to the earth. People could just reach out and eat the sky and it tasted like meat stew and pineapple. But then people got greedy and took more than they could eat and created big garbage heaps, and the sky got “distant and blue.” A timely and timeless story about how we need to protect our earth before it’s too late.

Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña, Christian Robinson (Illustrator) 
As someone who grew up with a very close relationship with my grandmother, this book has a special place in my bookshelf. This is the sweet story of a boy named CJ and his wise nana who is able to see wonder and beauty in an ordinary bus ride down Market Street after church on Sunday. They end up going to the last stop, a soup kitchen, where CJ is able to see and appreciate his own experience in a whole new way.