It's more important than ever to instill in our children the value of gratitude; gratitude is the foundation for happiness, resilience, and empathy. It helps children appreciate the good things in their lives, even the small ones. When children are grateful, they are more likely to be content, compassionate, and helpful.
Books can be a powerful tool for teaching children about gratitude. They can help children understand the concept of gratitude, see examples of how to express gratitude, and feel inspired to be more grateful themselves. Here are a few of our favorite books to teach children about gratitude:
Infant & Toddler Options:
- My Heart Fills with Happiness written by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Julie Flett
- A Thank You Walk: A Story About Gratitude written by Nancy Loewen and illustrated by Hazel Michelle Quintanilla
- Llama Llama Gives Thanks written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney
- Thanks A Lot written by Raffi and illustrated by Jaime Kim
- 123s of Thankfulness written by Patricia Hegarty and illustrated by Summer Macon
- Five Little Thank-Yous written by Cindy Jin and illustrated by Dawn M. Cardona
- The Thankful Book written and illustrated by Todd Parr
Preschool & Pre-K Options:
- Thank you, Omu! written and illustrated by Oge Mora
- We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frane Lessac
- Thankful written by Elaine Vickers and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill
- Apple Cake: A Gratitude written by Dawn Casey and illustrated by Genevieve Godbout (2-5 years)
- Around the Table That Grandad Built written by Melanie Heuiser Hill and illustrated by Jaime Kim
- Thank You for the Little Things written by Caryl Hart and illustrated by Emily Hamilton (4-8 years)
- Gracias / Thanks written by Pat Mora and illustrated by John Parra (4-7 years)
