45 Books About Gratitude For Kids (To Teach Thankfulness)

Reading is a great way to explore how to cultivate a sense of gratitude. Whether you’re looking for a book list that will help you choose the best picture books for celebrating Thanksgiving, or you’re interested in finding some great books that highlight how to express gratitude every day of the year, this list of books about gratitude has you covered.

If you’re looking for some great ideas on how to keep your little library of children’s books tidy, check out this article on how to organise kids’ books!

mother reading a picture book with her 2 kids

Why Read Books About Gratitude?

Learning to give thanks for what you have instead of constantly wishing for ‘more’ is a life skill that takes practice.

It’s so normal for young children to be little green-eyed monsters full of envy for what other people have. Have you ever experienced this with your own children?

The toy isn’t interesting until someone else picks it up, and then your child wants it? Totally normal!

Gratitude takes time and energy to learn and kids get better at it the older they get.

Books can be a fantastic tool that helps children start to understand the concept of thankfulness.

If you incorporate reading into your daily routine, you could use several of these books over the course of a month to start learning about gratitude and talking about why it’s important in your own life.

Reading a beautiful story can help you start to nurture an attitude of gratitude in your little reader and give you a firm foundation of thankfulness to build upon together.

Find more themed books:

The Best Books About Gratitude For Kids

Discover the best books about gratitude for kids to help your child start to develop their focus on gratitude. These books are great for younger kids and will help older kids too, alongside a gratitude journal practice.

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Bear Says Thanks has a nice rhyme scheme that makes it easy to follow for young readers. When Bear wants to host a party, he’s upset he has no food to offer his guests.

They bring food to share and Bear learns his stories are something beautiful that he ‘brings to the table’.

Friendship and gratitude are the main themes of this wonderful book. Karma Wilson’s series of books featuring the beloved Bear are quickly becoming modern classics.

We Are Thankful by Margaret McNamara

This is an early reader book, perfect for children who are starting to read a sentence or two on their own and are looking for something that fits into the theme of gratitude and thanksgiving.

Join the main character, Reza, as he tries to decide what he wants to tell his class that he’s thankful for. He can’t say the same thing as another student, what if all the good ideas are taken?

The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude by Emma Walton Hamilton & Julie Andrews

It’s gratitude day, but things just keep going wrong! How can you stay positive and grateful when things aren’t going your way? This is a fantastic book to help young readers learn how to navigate a difficult time.

Thanku Poems of Gratitude by Miranda Paul

Parents and teachers can use this book of poems to help their children or students see the importance of thankful hearts and to introduce poetry to them. The poems are from a variety of authors and all of them are appropriate for a young audience.

The Power of Gratitude by Bobbie Kalman

This book takes a look at the power of gratitude as an attitude. There are lots of activities like gratitude journaling, volunteering, and mindfulness that this book suggests for young readers to help them express and experience gratitude.

Gratitude by Patricia Billings

This nice little board book is 24 pages long and perfect for young children ages 1-3 to start developing their vocabulary and their understanding of the meaning of gratitude.

Board books are the best books for little hands to turn pages easily. Let’s take a look at the small things and learn more about true happiness that comes from within.

The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

Piggie is in a rush to thank all of her friends for who they are and all they’ve done for her. In this tender story, Gerald the elephant is worried she might forget someone important along the way.

Saying thank you can be a good place to start for young readers looking to learn the importance of expressing gratitude.

I Am Thankful by Suzy Capozzi

This short story takes the reader on a journey through one boy’s Thanksgiving day. There are so many activities going on to be thankful for. It’s a nice short story perfect for kindergarten and grade 1 readers to try on their own.

The Thankful Book by Todd Parr

This bright, colourful book introduces the concepts of family, gratitude, friends and kindness as an underlying theme for Thanksgiving (instead of just turkeys and fall leaves). It has a good balance of warmth and humour.

Thank You, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

In this silly, charming book Mr. Panda gives all his friends gifts that aren’t quite right for them… But they’re thankful anyways. After all, it’s the thought that counts.

Duck and Hippo Give Thanks by Jonathan London

This is a sweet story about valuing friendship over tradition. Duck and Hippo find out that giving thanks for good food and friendship is always a good idea even if your thoughts of what ‘good food’ differ just a little bit from your friend’s idea of what good food is.

You’ll want to keep reading to see what everyone ends up eating for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Be Thankful, Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Nice rhymes and beautiful pictures… this book demonstrates strong life lessons about sharing with others and being grateful for the good things in life. It’s also quite funny to see a fish and all his friends eating turkey under the sea!

This might be one of your new quirky favourite books for celebrating Thanksgiving.

Llama Llama Thanks-for-Giving Day by Anna Dewdney

This popular character is going around town, giving thanks to those in the community who are helpers! There are so many different ways people help out in their communities; this is an awesome book of thanks that takes a look at how everyday things and small acts of kindness are important.

Thank You, Neighbor! by Ruth Chan

This book is about recognizing and being kind to those around us. From the people who fix streets to firefighters and even the animals they rescue, everyone deserves kindness.

Gratitude Is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego

How can you change your sad or mad feeling into one that’s glad? This book is full of practical tips on how to practice gratitude in simple ways, like finding a pretty stone to admire and hold, looking up at the sky or admiring the beauty of nature around you. The world is full of wonderful things.

Zen Pig: The Art of Gratitude by Mark Brown

Cute, calming watercolour illustrations show Zen Pig, as he helps others, practice mindfulness and gratitude. At the end of this short rhyming book, it encourages readers to identify sources of gratitude in their life.

My Attitude of Gratitude by Melissa Winn

This is a great story to encourage children to practice gratitude and help them understand how much they have to be thankful for. In this story, a young boy starts a gratitude jar and discovers all the things he has to be grateful for, including his family.

Grateful Ninja by Mary Nhin

This book has simple language and fun illustrations. Grateful Ninja helps children to find reasons to be grateful every day. The Ninja starts out getting frustrated and angry when things go wrong, but starts to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

The Grumbles: A Story about Gratitude by Tricia Goyer & Amy Parker

The members of the ‘Grumbles Family’ each have their own little problems and things that are not going their way. They learn to be patient and thankful even in circumstances outside of their control and to recognize blessings in their day.

Thanksgiving Day Thanks by Laura Elliott

Mrs. Wright challenges her class, including Sam, to come up with one special thing they are thankful for as Thanksgiving Day approaches. All of Sam’s classmates have lots of reasons, but Sam can’t think of any. This book touches on all of the American traditions and symbols of Thanksgiving.

May We Have Enough to Share by Richard Van Camp

This simple but profound book contains sayings about gratitude and includes beautiful photographs of people to go along with the pictures. The simple messages in the book remind us all to be thankful for what we have within us and to share our gifts with others. You’re bound to enjoy this heartwarming story of sharing.

Five Little Thank-yous by Cindy Jin

Children will love this ‘hand-turkey’ shaped book with rhyming text and colourful illustrations. Count on five little fingers what we are thankful for – family, food, friends, love and ‘being me’!

Apple Cake by Dawn Casey

This book has gorgeous illustrations; it’s a picture book written in rhyme about gratitude and all those who contribute to making an apple cake… from the bee to the rain and to the farmers. Simple things add up and when you put them all together you might even get something really sweet, like an apple cake.

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes

This sweet, poetic, descriptive book gives kids so many reasons for being thankful, such as school, music, playgrounds, pets, and of course, the Thanksgiving feast at the end of this book.

Thankful by Elaine Vickers

Elaine is putting paper strips on a chain for each thing she is grateful for. It’s a great little book to remind readers to be thankful for everything they have.

123s of Thankfulness by Patricia Hegarty

A peaceful cute little board book that will help the littlest readers learn to count to 10 and be thankful for all they have around them and their families.

The Thank You Book by Mary Lyn Ray

This is a good little book for preschool to first grade students around Thanksgiving time that explores the many ways you can be grateful throughout your day.

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli

A charming rhyming book with simple illustrations about a community of people who share with each other about all the little things they are thankful for, from a healthy garden to spotting a new type of bird.

Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell

Maggie is hosting a sleepover for the animals. They do yoga, play with balloons, eat together and share all the reasons they are grateful… until they finally go to bed, exhausted.

Peppa Gives Thanks by Meredith Rusu

In this book, Peppa Pig learns to be thankful for what she has. Mummy and Daddy Pig explain the concept of gratitude when she wants what others have, and to help her see all that she already has.

Thank You, Bees by Toni Yuly

Repetitive text and bright colours are perfect for babies and toddlers. This book helps introduce the concept of thankfulness and gratitude.

The Sun Is A Shine by Leslie A Davidson

A poetically beautiful board book about being grateful for nature, weather, and different cultures around the world. The book also includes phrases about how to say ‘thank you’ in different languages.

The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera

After a wonderful birthday party, a young girl discovers how fun it is to write thank you notes. Once she’s written notes for all her guests she just can’t stop and finds more reasons to write ‘thank yous’.

The World Is Awake: A Celebration of Everyday Blessings by Linsey Davis

The text describes all of the everyday blessings of the natural world, from the sunrise to the trees, and inspires us to thank God for all the blessings and everything in our lives.

We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell

Otsaliheliga is a word used by the Cherokee Nation to express thanks. This book explains how to give thanks and show gratitude while not ignoring the struggles you have gone through, too.

Batman Says Thank You by May Nakamura

Batman and Robin say thank you to each other and all their friends for helping each other out! It’s a short little book that’s lots of fun for kids who love superheroes, to see that they are grateful too.

Hello Kitty A Day of Thanks By Sanrio

This cute Hello Kitty book is a good option for children at grade one reading level to explore the theme of gratitude with a beloved character.

Giving Thanks by Jonathan London

While taking a hike with his son, a father says thank you to the earth, sun, moon and various plants and animals. It’s his way of expressing his gratitude for the bounty of nature, which is a gift.

Dear Bunny by Katie Cotton

This book is about a girl who has a special connection with her toy bunny. It reminds the reader to be grateful for what we have no matter how big or small those things may seem.

Franklin’s Thanksgiving by Paulette Bourgeois

Franklin is sad because his grandparents can’t make it to celebrate Thanksgiving, but secretly, each family member invites someone over to help cheer him up and surprise him. It’s a fun Thanksgiving book about food, friends, and family.

Look and Be Grateful by Tomie DePaola

This book is a gentle reminder that if we really do look, we will find so much to be grateful for. Use your eyes to look all around you and experience everything, big and small, that you have to be grateful for.

Thank You Day (Daniel Tiger) by Farrah McDoogle

In this early reader book, Daniel Tiger and his friends have a “Thank You” tree full of thank you cards. Learn to read with your favourite character Daniel and see who he will choose to thank with his card.

Give Thank You A Try by James Patterson

This book of gratitude has a different illustrator for each page, which gives it a fun unique look. It’s a great reminder that Thanksgiving should be every day as we are filled with gratitude. Learning good manners and gratitude is important for kids of all ages.

The Monster Who Wanted It All: A Children’s Book About Gratitude by Andi Green

This great little children’s book introduces the concepts of greed and envy and how we can overcome them by practising gratitude for what we already have. These are valuable concepts to start inspiring younger children with.

Thank You Thank You Thank You – A Beautiful Gratitude Book by Melissa Peck and Kendall Antosh

Everything from trees and joy, to our own imaginations, there is so much to be grateful for. This book reminds you that whether you have a little or a lot, you can always find something to be grateful for.

Printable Gratitude Cards

These printable gratitude cards can be used for gratitude journal prompts or as conversation starters with kids. Find them in my store.

Conclusion: Kids Books About Gratitude

I hope you’ve enjoyed this great big list of books about gratitude! There are so many great books that help foster a sense of thankfulness year-round and remind us that there is always so much to be thankful for.

If you’re interested in continuing the journey of developing gratitude with your kids or class, we’ve curated a list of the top journals for kids that will help your child develop a growth mindset and be grateful for all the good in their lives.

Do you have any ways you help teach your kids gratitude at home?

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