Thanksgiving 2017

I find Thanksgiving storytimes kind of difficult to do, just because there aren’t that many short Thanksgiving picture books available (at least where I am).

What we read:

The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz

• I looooooove this book. I love it so much. It starts off really sad, and the kids (and parents) are really concerned for the Ugly Pumpkin, but boy does it have a happy ending. I always include this in my Thanksgiving storytime. I wish I could read it more than once a year!

The Thankful Book by Todd Parr

• This was a short and simple book. Classic Todd Parr. Bonus points for mentioning libraries.

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen

• Another series I love and recommend to a lot of families. I read this one at my Thanksgiving storytime because, well, a lot of people will be eating a lot of food on Thanksgiving, so it doesn’t hurt to talk about table manners!

The Ugly Pumpkin

The Thankful Book

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?

Other book suggestions:

The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing

Thanksgiving Rules by Laurie B. Friedman

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

This Is the Turkey by Abby Levine

Thank You, Thanksgiving by David Milgrim

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Themed Song:

Pumpkin Chant

From Jbrary, who got it from Jane Willis Johnston.

This is a favorite at our library. We use it consistently during the fall.

Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin bread!
(Hold hands flat in front, palms up, on lying on top of the other)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin head!
(Put hands on head)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin pie!
(Hold hands in a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin eye!
(Curve hands around eyes)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin cake!
(Hold Hands flat, one palm up, one palm down five inches above the other)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin shake!
(Hold fists up close to years and shake hard)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin stew!
(Pretend to stir stew)
Pumpkin, pumpkin,
Pumpkin BOO!

Flannel Board:

Turkey Wore a Red Feather

Turkey wore a red feather, red feather, red feather,
Turkey wore a red feather all day long.
repeat with other colors until all of the feathers are on the turkey.
Turkey wore rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers.
Turkey wore rainbow feathers all night long.