Are you looking for ways to share with children the importance of family, community, and gratitude? Or trying to make sure talking to kids about Thanksgiving includes giving them an age appropriate introduction to history? The Library can help!
Keepunumuk Weeãachumun’s Thanksgiving Story
A wonderful book to share is Keepunumuk Weeãachumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer (Mashpee Wampanoag) and Tony Perry (Chickasaw), illustrated by Garry Meeches (Anishinaabe). Learn the story of Weeãachumun, who asked local Native Americans to show the newcomers how to grow food.
Watch this video to hear Alexis Bunten from the Bioneers Indigeneity Program. She shares learning activities about sharing, valuing nature, and animal behavior. Alexis reads the story aloud, and then leads a discussion about talking to kids about Thanksgiving. A very helpful resource guide is available with all kinds of fun ideas to try at home.
This Land
New for 2024 is This Land by Ashley Fairbanks (Anishinaabe), illustrated by Bridget George (Anishinaabe). This Land introduces kids the concept of land acknowledgements, a formal statement that recognizes Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of land. Ashley explains that the book teaches non-Native people primarily about the history of the land and how we can keep in mind the people who came before us on the land we’re on. Hear more from Ashley and learn about the book and its development in this NPR interview. In the Notes of the book you can learn about Native Lands Digital, a website you can visit to learn more about the land you live on. Enter any address to view a map that shows which nation originally owned the land, which languages were spoken there, and which treaty took the land from that nation.
If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving
You might also try If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving by Chris Newell (citizen of Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township), illustrated by Winona Nelson (Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa). It comes highly recommended by American Indians in Children’s Literature. This site provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children’s and young adult books. Read their detailed review to discover why the book is so highly regarded. For example, the analysis includes this passage from If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving: “The story of the Mayflower landing is different depending on whether the storyteller viewed the events from the boat or from the shore.”
Very young listeners might also enjoy Online Storytime: Thanksgiving to hear some of our favorite books to share in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Online Storytime will include experiences to talk, read, sing, write, and play. This makes fun stories and activities about Thanksgiving include important early learning skills!
Make a selection from one of these lists to enjoy a rich variety of stories to add to your annual Thanksgiving traditions.
Picture Books by Native Authors, Recommended by American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL)
Add to your Thanksgiving favorites with these great books recommended by American Indians in Children’s Literature.
Prayer Books for Kids – The Many Ways People Say “Thank You”
Here is a selection of prayers and stories for children to explore the prayer traditions in their own family or those of their friends and neighbors. After sharing one, talk about the ways the characters in the story prayed, or talked about the things they felt thankful for. How was it the same as how you talk about gratitude in your home? How was it different?
Books by Indigenous Authors for Young Children
Learning about other cultures helps young children develop a better sense of themselves and the world around them. The books in this list are written by Indigenous authors, providing a look inside the traditions and values of their communities.