20+ Terrific Thankfulness and Gratitude Picture Books

Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Scott Magoon — A long-time favorite of mine since my classroom days, Spoon is a delightful reminder to be grateful for who you are and what opportunities you have. Jealous of the adventures Spoon believes his friends fork, knife, and chopsticks all get to have, Spoon doesn’t realizes his friends feel the exact same way about him! A wise reminder from his mom sets him straight and grounds him in gratitude. Ages 2-6.

The Thank You Book by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin — Stephanie Graegin has shown up a lot in my recommendations (see Super Manny Stands Up and The Heartwood Hotel), and her illustrations here are just as delightful as Ray’s reminders of all we have to say “thank you” for. You’ll love snuggling with your little (or not so little) ones and thinking of all you can be thankful for, too! Ages 2-8.

My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett — Opening with “My heart fills with happiness when…”, readers are reminded that sometimes the most simple things in life are teh ones that fill our hearts with happiness. Beautifully illustrated and gently written, Smith and Flett have done an amazing job helping children find their commonalities with other children from different cultures, as their descriptions of what makes the child’s heart full with happiness are pretty universal. Ages 3-5.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Peña, illustrated Christian Robinson — When a book wins not one, not two, but three awards, you know it’s going to be something special… And Last Stop on Market Street is indeed incredibly special. Winner of a Newbery Medal (highly unusual for a picture book), a Caldecott Honor Medal, and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, this story reminds us directly, but not didactically, to be “a better witness for what’s beautiful.” CJ and his Nana are making a trek across town, and all along he expresses his jealousy for what everyone else around him seems to have. And every single time, Nana reminds him that he’s already got perfect versions of these things of his own. So powerful and incredibly well done! Ages 3-5, but perfect older, too.

Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Genevieve Godbout — This super simple narrative comes to life through Godbout’s warm illustrations. The main character, we learn, is gathering ingredients to make cake, but along the way she stops to say “thank you” to everyone and everything that helps these ingredients to be. Yes, saying thank you to apple cake ingredients may not be a part of your gratitude practice, but maybe you can find a way to instill this practice into your family’s life, being sure to say thank you for all of the food you’re able to eat every day. And, Casey includes a recipe for apple cake at the end, so if you’re looking to diversify your Thanksgiving desserts, be sure to check that out! Ages 3-5.

It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach — A Yiddish folktake retold and illustrated by Zemach, this one will have you laughing through it, but pausing thoughtfully at the end as the Rabbi’s message sinks in. A “poor unfortunate man” lives in a one-room hut in a small village, with his mother, his wife, and his 6(!) children! Life is hard, and the hut is crowded, noisy, and full of fighting. When he can’t take it any more, the man runs to the local Rabbi for help… And to his bewilderment, the Rabbi has him bring his animals in the hut also, one by one… Until one day, the Rabbi’s advice changes, and the man is able to see the true pleasures in his life. Ages 3-6.

You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Danielle Daniel — This book stands out from the others on this list in that “thank you” or “thankful” or “thanks” aren’t mentioned anywhere in the story. However, I think this is a powerful reminder of being grateful for all that our loved ones, whether friends or family, do for us. Ages 3-7.

The THANKFUL Book by Todd Parr — Using his traditional brightly-colored illustrations, Parr depicts a diverse group of children each thankful for something different. This book gives children wonderful reminders for different things people can be thankful for! (Be aware– my girls’ favorite pages is the one that talks about being thankful for underwear because you can wear it on your head…!). Ages 4-6.

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Archie Preston — Spinelli walks children through a day of creativity and play, reminding the reader what many real people (doctors, artists, clowns, queens…) can be thankful for… And ends with a very sweet parent-child moment! Ages 4-7, but a perfect board book for the youngest listeners to share with their parents.

Give Thank You a Try by James Patterson and friends — We love the first in this series, Give Please a Chance, and felt like it really did remind our children of the power and positive impact of the word “please.” So, I was thrilled to check out Give Thank You a Try for this list, and we loved it just as much! Designed as a series of tiny vignettes depicting children saying “thank you” for gifts, quality time, acts of kindness, love, and more, each tiny story has the ability to start deep conversations around the experiences we have and the gratitude we can show for them. Ages 4-7.

Gracias * Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra — Written fully in both Spanish and English, Gracias Thanks shows a young book giving thanks, in an appropriately child-like manner, to so much around him that it’s hard not to catch his attitude of gratitude. I mean, when it comes down to it, we should ALL thank the bees that don’t sting us! Ages 4-8.

Where Happiness Lives by Barry Timms, illustrated by Greg Abbott — Timms and Abbott give us a beautiful reminder to look inside our homes to see exactly what makes them so amazing, a reminder many of us might need over these next few weeks. “Whatever your home, it is happy indeed… If you love what you have… and you have what you need.” Written in easy rhythm and rhyme and including engaging cutouts to peek through and flaps to lift, Where Happiness Lives just begs to be read snuggled up with your little ones. And, while it’s definitely a book they’ll enjoy, Where Happiness Lives is a book that will touch your heart and remind you of what’s truly important —  being surrounded by those that you love and having just what you need. You can read my full review here. Ages 4-8.

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora — Another multiple-medal winner, this is a wonderful story of sharing and community (and the collage illustrations are stunning!). Omu (pronounced AH-moo) makes a delicious-smelling stew and shares little by little with grateful neighbors until it’s all gone. You’ll have to read and see how the gratitude her friends and neighbors felt from her generosity comes back to her! Ages 4-8.

The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood, illustrated by Greg Shed — One thing I think many of us have realized during this crazy COVID year is how grateful we are for the natural world around us. During a long stretch of time when we couldn’t come together in community with others, if we left our houses, we went to nature. Wood offers a beautiful homage to the natural world, giving thanks for many of the wonders that, prior to COVID, many of us may have taken advantage of. From sunrises to the flight of a bird to sharing a meal with the people we love, I’m not sure Wood and Shed had any idea how powerful these reminders would be when they created this beauty in 2005. Ages 4-8.

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman — We absolutely love Karma Wilson’s Bear series. In Bear Says Thanks, the friends do gather together for a feast and express their gratitude for each other and the gifts they’ve received. My parents gave it to the girls for Thanksgiving in 2016, and it’ll remain a favorite for years to come. Ages 4-8, but terrific younger, too.

Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera — This collection of poetry in a variety of forms reminds the reader how good it can feel to say thanks, to be told thank you, and to feel thankful for something. Cabrera’s bright, bold illustrations tug at our hears while we read heartfelt words and acts of appreciation and gratitude for a wide variety of things, from the math tutor who helps a child not hate math quite as much, to the dad who makes time to shoot baskets with his son, to the trees that remind us to put our arms up in praise, and everything in between. Ages 4-8.

The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera — This one was new to me when I made this list, and I think it quickly became one of my favorites here. In the beginning of the story, we meet Grace, a young girl vigorously making her birthday wishlist. After her (delightfully diverse) birthday party, she eagerly gets to work writing her thank you notes to express her appreciation for all she received. But she doesn’t stop there! Writing thank you notes to her pets, her neighbors, her community members, and even a tree, soon people (and pets and plants) all over town are brimming with Grace’s appreciation. I won’t give away the ending, but all of that thankfulness, appreciation, and love comes back about a hundred-fold! Ages 4-8.

Ten Thank-You Letters by Daniel Kirk — I’m a big believer in hand-written thank-you notes. No, I don’t personally expect to receive them from people, but I do believe that a hand-written note of appreciation makes that thank-you extra special, much more special thank a verbal thanks or a text of gratitude. So, I had to make sure to include a book about writing thank-you letters on my list! Kirk’s Ten Thank-You Letters is a perfect addition, as his characters’ thank-yous remind readers that thank-you letters can be written for anything and everything, and that they can often garner more connection than simply saying “thank you.” Ages 5-8.

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp, illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. — A beautiful message of thanks to Mother Earth traditionally said by Iroquois children each morning, wonderful reminders of all that we have to be thankful for in nature every day. According to the Author’s Note, this book is based on the Thanksgiving Address, “an ancient message of peace and appreciation of Mother Earth and all her inhabitants.” The children of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, tribes are taught to begin their days by saying than you to all living things, embracing all of nature around them like they are one big family. Ages 5-11.

The Thank You Book by Mo Willems — The last book in Mo Willems’s Elephant & Piggie series, The Thank You Book is a perfect reminder to always remember all of the good, positive people in our lives. Really, you can’t go wrong with Elephant and Piggie any time, but this one is an especially touching tale, while Piggie tries hard to thank “everyone who is important” to her! Ages 6-8, but absolutely perfect for younger audiences! (In fact, I’m not really sure why that’s the suggested age range here, because I think I’d maybe aim for ages 2-6…).

Giving Thanks: More Than 100 Ways to Say Thank You by Ellen Surrey — Ooh, I adore this one! I think this one is going to inspire many of our family activities around gratitude and thankfulness throughout November, and hopefully for years to come. Surrey opens by introducing us to a boy named Andy, who has been challenged to think of people he wants to thank. As he works his way through the process of thinking of these people and creating a plan to thank them, he includes his readers on his journey. Surrey wraps the book up with instructions on how to create a gratitude jar and how to create thoughtful, unique thank-you cards for all of your friends and family! Ages 6-9.