Books for Thanksgiving Readers . . .

Having a few good books on hand to read together offers an opportunity for everyone to relax together and make memories during the Thanksgiving celebration. If some of your guests are younger, consider these Thanksgiving books:

• For toddlers, try My First Thanksgiving, a board book by Tomie dePaola. His signature illustrations complement the simple text perfectly as he explains that we give thanks to God “for our being together.”

• For grade-schoolers in the crowd, try Turkey Riddles, by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg. You may groan but your young guests will be delighted, especially if you can't answer the riddles.

• Older children will enjoy two Scholastic books, “. . . If You Sailed On The Mayflower in 1620” by Ann McGovern, and “If You Were At The First Thanksgiving” by Anne Kamma. These two books describe what happened, why it happened, and how the children involved experienced it. Interesting details will keep children intrigued.

• N. C. Wyeth's Pilgrims, with text by Robert San Souci, is the kind of book the whole family can read together and enjoy. The illustrations by Wyeth are beautiful and evocative; the text gives enough details to interest readers without overwhelming them.

These books are available or can be ordered at a local bookstore or online, and while you're shopping, you may find others you would enjoy.

If you can't be there yourself, but want to share the holiday in some way, send one of these books to your grandchild. Tuck in a letter with some of your favorite Thanksgiving memories, or a list of things you are thankful for.

Grandchildren and books are sure to be at the top of the list!

More about books . . .

Board books make it easy to read to babies and toddlers.

They are almost always sized for little hands, and if a reader chews the pages it doesn't really hurt anything.

At our house, favorite board books include Margaret Wise Brown's Big Red Barn and Good Night Moon. We also enjoy a little set of four books from Baby Einstein: Babies, Dogs, Birds, and Cats. Each of these four books includes a picture of an appropriate baby, dog, bird, or cat drawn by a child, as well as a variety of descriptions with accompanying art: babies crying, or dogs chasing Frisbees.

A lot of the books older children enjoy have been adapted to a board book format. In some cases the text has been shortened but the illustrations are often the same. Look for stories like Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could.

Whether you have regular small visitors or just occasional ones, board books make a good addition to your home library.