The Thankful Book

PreS-Gr 2–Parr explores the idea of gratitude in this picture book: “Every day I try to think about the things I am thankful for.” Those “things” include personal characteristics–”I am thankful for my hair because it makes me unique”; music– “because it makes me want to dance”; nature, and so on. Readers are sure to get a laugh out of the notion of being thankful for underwear–”because I like to wear it on my head.” Parr’s signature illustrations employ bold outlines and bright colors and feature an array of characters both human and animal. The theme is ripe for discussion and lends itself to extension activities in which readers create their own “I’m thankful for” pictures. Pair this book with Mercer Mayer’s Just So Thankful (HarperCollins, 2006) or Greg Foley’s Thank You Bear (Viking, 2007) for storytimes filled with gratitude.–Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City