HAPPY FRIENDSGIVING!

 Every day, in every way, I try to pause to be thankful. Sometimes it relates to a specific gratitude. Sometimes I simply note that opening line from e e cummings:

"Thank you god

for most this amazing day

for leaping greenly spirits of trees

for a blue true dream of a sky

for all that is natural

all that is infinite

all that is 

YES"

Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2025

With that in mind, HAPPY FRIENDSGIVING is a delightful book to share on Thanksgiving, in NewYork City, with a wide-ranging group of friends pouring into a joyful space from corners far and wide. Or anywhere! Written by Marcie  Colleen and illustrated by Laura Sandoval Herrera, this lovely depiction of a familiar event extends far beyond  formulaic. There are other countries that designate dates for official giving of thanks. Even so, here in the good old USofA, we seem to have staked a claim on what a THANKSGIVING DAY should look like. 

In fact, this artful and appealing approach blends  many iconic situations and images that you might expect. HAPPY FRIENDSGIVING lifts its story from that familiar platform to expand in specifics (diversity on many levels) as well as concepts (traveling, gathering, preparing, and more, but without labels of time, place, recipes) allowing folks in many locations and from many traditions to see themselves in this work and in such a joyous gathering. 

The illustrations are warmly colorful and convey genuine emotions without inserting features that clearly identify or label those involved. The range of activities, emotions, events, and experiences open the pages to every eye and hand. 

For some other recommended books on this topic, check posts HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. The most important idea I took from this (and some of the prior posts) is that the name of the holiday matters little, whether THANKSGIVING, FRIENDSGIVING, HARVEST DAY, or INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY, whether your gathering has a parade outside the window or a farm field or a dirt track, what matters is drawing together, sharing, caring, and extending ourselves to others with welcome and respect. 

Now that's a reason for gratitude. 

A Thanksgiving Picture Book Feast

I'm taking another piggyback-post shortcut here to share a veritable cornucopia

of fun picture books dealing with gratitude and thankfulness. These are not specifically Thanksgiving titles, rather the kinds of books that foster genuine awareness of  and deep gratitude for our blessings, relevant throughout the year. There's nothing syrupy or schmaltzy about them; they are simple and charming stories featuring diverse characters and situations. 

This post by Gi Hallmark on THE CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW deserves a careful read, a bookmark, and sharing. I'm grateful for the post, and you'll be grateful to have such a convenient list of titles to suggest not just during this season, but all year long.

I'll just add one personal disclaimer:

as much as I adore Shel Silverstein's work, THE GIVING TREE is on a very short list of picture book titles that I personally do not enjoy or recommend, for a variety of reasons. For insights into the curiously intense debate about the book, read this COMMON SENSE MEDIA post.

It's never a good idea to share a book without reading it yourself first, even more so with picture books. Children "read" themselves into books, seeing every nuance in the illustrations and impact of the overall story. So check these recommendations out and make your choices-- there are plenty to go around for someone you know!