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Katie Fitzgerald recommends two Thanksgiving books to help children direct their gratitude to God.


These days, it is easy to find a Thanksgiving picture book, but rarer to find one that acknowledges to whom we are giving thanks. This does not mean, however, that families of faith need to settle for secular holiday messages. Instead, what I do is find books that leave room for God, and then guide my children to find Him there. Here are two examples.

Thanks a Lot by Raffi is a board book version of the song that originally appeared on the singer’s 1980 album, Baby Beluga. The text lists a variety of things to be thankful for: the whispering wind, people everywhere, a sense of wonder, and so on. The book never suggests that the many repetitions of the phrase “thanks a lot” are directed to God, but whenever I read the book aloud, I make the suggestion to my young listeners. Once the book has been framed as a prayer, not just a random list of items, it takes on a new significance.

 

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In general, I don’t like to alter the words of an author, but singing this book makes it hard not to notice that “thanks a lot” can easily be changed to “thank you, God” without disrupting the rhythm at all. One way I might share the book would be to read it as written the first time through, and then read it a second time with the language of prayer added in to emphasize to the children who it is that deserves our gratitude.

A similar book directed at slightly older readers is Thankful by Elaine Vickers and Samantha Cotherill. In this story, a young girl and her family have a yearly tradition of writing the things they are thankful for on strips of paper and fastening them together into a paper chain. Again, the author doesn’t specify to whom the characters are expressing their thanks, but a quick comment before reading can easily frame the story to be understood through a religious lens. 

 

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To extend the reading experience beyond the book, a good activity might be to create a paper chain for your own family. Members of the family can write the things they are thankful for on the links, and during family prayer time, everyone can express their thanks to our Lord for all that He provides.

 

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Find books that leave room for God, and then guide your children to find Him there. #catholicmom

Last November, I read these books aloud to the story time group that sometimes meets at my house, and they were a blessing to us. I hope they will bless your family too!

 

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Copyright 2022 Katie Fitzgerald
Images: Canva