Thanksgiving Day by Anne Rockwell Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: Mrs. Madoff's preschool class learns about Thanksgiving and puts on a play about the origins of the holiday.

Song

Little Pilgrim
(Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

Little Pilgrim clothed in gray
On that first Thanksgiving Day,
Little Indian clothed in brown
Come to visit Plymouthe Town,
Side by side they ate and prayed
On that first Thanksgiving Day.

	Thanksgiving Mice! by Bethany Roberts Age Level: Toddler and up
Synopsis: A group of mice have some problems when they put on a play to commemorate the first Thanksgiving, but everything works out all right in the end.

Flannel Board

Five Little Turkeys

5 little turkeys standing by door,
One waddled off, and then there were 4.
4 little turkeys under a tree,
One waddled off , and then there were 3.
3 little turkeys with nothing to do,
One waddled off, and then there were 2.
2 little turkeys in the noonday sun,
One waddled off, and then there was 1.
One little turkey better run away,
For soon will come Thanksgiving Day.

Five Fat Turkeys

Five fat turkeys are we.
We spent all night in a tree.
When the cook came around,
We were no where to be found
And that's why we're here you see!

	I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson Age Level: Toddler and up
Synopsis: Children will love this hilarious take-off on the popular cumulative poem "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly".

Song

If You're Thankful and You Know It
(Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you're thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.

If you're thankful and you know it,
Stomp your feet.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Stomp your feet.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Stomp your feet.

If you're thankful and you know it,
Shout "I am!"
If you're thankful and you know it,
Shout "I am!"
If you're thankful and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Shout "I am!"

If you're thankful and you know it,
Do all three.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Do all three.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you're thankful and you know it,
Do all three.

	Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: School children on a field trip to Mack Nugget's farm save the lives of eight turkeys in this poem based on "The Night Before Christmas."

Films

	Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins Age Level: PreK-2
Synopsis: In words and pictures, a girl describes the three humans and two cats that live in her house, and details some of the traits that they share. Note: A Thanksgiving film is not readily available so I'm including another film that might otherwise be neglected.

---

More Books to Read On Your Own

Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks
by Margaret Sutherland
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: A child lists all the things for which he is thankful, especially at Thanksgiving.

The Ugly Pumpkin
by Dave Horowitz
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: The Ugly Pumpkin has waited all through October for someone to take him home, but no one seems to want him. Sure, he’s kind of funny-looking, and doesn’t look like any of the other pumpkins, but why does everyone have to tease him so much? Even the trees make fun of him. So the poor, lonely Ugly Pumpkin leaves the patch in search of a place where he’ll fit in. And sure enough, by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, he discovers the truth about who he is and finds exactly where he belongs—but it’s not at all what he expected!

Thanksgiving With Me
by Margaret Willey
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: As a young girl waits for her six uncles to arrive for Thanksgiving, she asks her mother to describe life with these brothers on past Thanksgivings.

The Can-Do Thanksgiving
by Marion Hess Pomeranc
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: Dee experiences excitement and satisfaction when she helps prepare and serve food for the needy at a church on Thanksgiving.

Round the Turkey: A Grateful Thanksgiving
by Leslie Kimmelman
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: As they gather to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, members of an extended family take turns describing, in rhyme, the things that make them feel grateful.

Dinosaur Thanksgiving
by Liza Donnelly
Age Level: Toddler and up
Synopsis: The creator of Dinosaurs' Halloween and Dinosaur Valentine invites beginning readers to the Dinosaurs' Thanksgiving, a deliciously funny fantasy that will keep kids coming back for more.

---

More Songs for at Home

Over the River and Through the Wood

Over the river and thru the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way
To carry the sleigh,
Thru the white and drifted snow, oh!
Over the river and thru the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and thru the wood,
To have a first-rate play;
Oh, hear the bell ring,
"Ting-a-ling-ling!"
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day-ay!
Over the river and thru the wood,
Trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Father, We Thank Thee

Father, we thank Thee for the night,
And for the pleasant morning light,
For rest and food and loving care,
And all that makes the world so fair.

Help us to do the things we should,
To be to others kind and good,
In all we do, in all we say,
To grow more loving every day.

The Turkey

The turkey is a funny bird.
[Hook thumbs together and spread fingers to create turkey tail.]
Its head goes wobble, wobble.
[Wobble head back and forth.]
And all it knows is just one word:
[Hold up one finger.]
"Gobble, gobble, gobble."
[Make mouth shape with hand, opening and closing it while sounding like a turkey.]

Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest is all gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain.
So open wide the doorway-
Thanksgiving comes again!

I'm a Turkey
(Tune: "Yankee Doodle")

I'm a turkey, big and fat.
[Spread arms out.]
I spread my tail. I walk like that.
[Fan fingers like a turkey's tail; Waddle.]
Each day's corn I will not miss,
[Rub stomach.]
And when I talk, I sound like this:
[Point to lips; Cup hand next to ear.]
GOBBLE! GOBBLE! GOBBLE!
[Shout.]

Albuquerque is a Turkey
(Tune: "Clementine")

Albuquerque is a turkey,
And he's feathered and he's fine,
And he wobbles and he gobbles,
And he's absolutely mine.

He's the best pet that you can get,
Better than a dog or cat.
He's my Albuquerque turkey,
And I'm very proud of that.

He once told me, very frankly,
He preferred to be my pet--
Not the main course at my dinner,
And I told him not to fret.

Now my Albuquerque turkey
Is so happy in his bed,
'Cause for our Thanksgiving dinner,
We had egg foo yong instead.

Tommy, the Turkey Star
(Tune: "Over the River")

Tommy the Turkey had pumpkin pie
And oh, he loved it so.
He danced and he wobbled
Then chuckled and gobbled
And ordered a piece to go-oh!!

Tommy the Turkey had dressing, too
And gravy on the side.
The potatoes were whipped,
Sweet iced tea he sipped,
When finished Tommy sighed:

"This Thanksgiving dinner was pretty good
But it was not complete.
All veggies won't do it,
Let's face it, we blew it,
It needed a little white meat-so...

"It's time that we make the sacrifice
That gives us turkeys fame,
So cook us up nice
With sweet tasty spice.
We star in the Thanksgiving game."

(Repeat last two verses)

Let's be Thankful for this Day
(Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars")

Let's be thankful for this day,
For our friends and our play.
Let's be thankful, let's be glad,
For our food and the things we have.
Let's give thanks for you and me,
And our home and family.

Turkey Day
(Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star")

Turkey, turkey in the pen,
It's Thanksgiving time again.
Still you strut around with pride
When you should take off and hide.
Nice big bird we have a date.
I will see you on my plate.

On that day we'll give you praise,
Talk about your better days,
When you scared us with a gobble.
Giggling at your silly wobble.
Then we pass around white meat,
Thank you for your special treat.

Then a piece of pumpkin pie,
With the whipped cream extra high.
I dream of this throughout the year
Now Thanksgiving's almost here.
Turkey, turkey, I must say,
"You're the one who makes that day!"

To Gramma's House
(Tune: "Farmer in the Dell")

To Gramma's house we go,
Heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho!
We're on our way with horse and sleigh,
Through fluffy drifts of snow.

Oh, what a trip to take.
She'll have a chocolate cake.
There'll be some pies, of monstrous size,
And chestnuts we can bake

To Gramma's house we go,
Heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho!
What lovely things Thanksgiving brings;
The nicest things we know!

Turkey Trouble
(Tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

We cooked turkey, nice and hot,
Nice and hot, nice and hot.
We cooked turkey nice and hot
On Thanksgiving Day.

We eat turkey a whole lot,
A whole lot, a whole lot.
We eat turkey a whole lot.
It will not go away!

Sandwiches and soup are fine.
By the way, would you like mine?
Pot pie lasts a long, long time,
It's turkey every day!

If Turkeys Thought

If turkeys thought, they'd run away,
A week before Thanksgiving Day.
But turkeys can't anticipate,
And so there's turkey on my plate!

Turkey

Let's talk turkey!
What a walk it's got!
Strut about, strut about,
Do the turkey trot!

Let's talk turkey,
What a shaky wobble!
Strut about, strut about,
Gobble, gobble, gobble!

A Thanksgiving Dinner

Take a turkey, stuff it fat,
Some of this and some of that.
Get some turnips, peel them well.
Cook a big squash in its shell.

Now potatoes, big and white,
Mash till they are soft and light.
Cranberries, so tart and sweet,
With the turkey we must eat.

Pickles-yes-and then, oh my!
For a dessert a pumpkin pie,
Golden brown and spicy sweet.
What a fine Thanksgiving treat!

When Daddy Carves the Turkey

When Daddy carves the turkey,
It is really quite a sight,
I know he tries his hardest,
But he never does it right.

He makes a fancy show of it,
Before he starts to carve,
And stabs in all directions,
While we're certain that we'll starve.

He seems to take forever,
As we sit and shake our heads,
By the time he's finished slicing,
He's reduced the birds to shreds.

He yells as loud as thunder,
Just before he's finally through
For when Daddy carves the turkey,
Daddy carves his finger too!

Turkey Dinner
(Tune: "Frère Jacques")

Turkey Dinner, turkey dinner,
Gather round, gather round,
Who will get the drumstick?
Yummy, yummy drumstick,
All sit down, all sit down.

Cornbread muffins, chestnut stuffing,
Puddin' pie, one foot high,
All of us were thinner
Until we came to dinner;
Me oh my! Me oh my!