November Favorite Picture & Board Books

November was full of some exciting firsts in my home. My baby started sitting up for the first time, and we went to our first storytime at the local library!

Reading is much more fun when sitting, though we would like to see how each book feels in our mouth. Regardless, we enjoyed some fun Thanksgiving and fall-themed reads this month.

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Pookie’s Thanksgiving, Sandra Boynton

You can’t go wrong with Sandra Boynton’s board books, especially not books about Pookie! Pookie’s Thanksgiving is no exception.

Pookie is helping their mom prepare for Thanksgiving dinner in this colorful board book. The story discusses Thanksgiving traditions such as baking as a family, playing ball before dinner, eating together, and sharing what everyone is thankful for.

Cold Turkey, Corey Rosen Schwartz, Kirsti Call, Chad Otis

It’s certainly cooled off, and Cold Turkey was a fun story to read about wintery weather. Turkey is bustling around the farm, sharing their winter gear with Chicken, Cow, Sheep, and other friends. Turkey feels great helping their friends but quickly realizes they’ve given out all their warm clothing.

Not only was this a fun book with alliteration and plenty of farm animals, but the illustrations were gorgeous. While not November-related, we enjoyed several other picture books written and illustrated by Chad Otis this month, including Oliver the Curious Owl and A Little Ferry Tale.

Duck and Hippo Give Thanks, Jonathan London, Andrew Joyner

This book was a fun introduction to the Duck and Hippo series. In Duck and Hippo Give Thanks, Duck and Hippo are preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner together. It’s going well, and they’ve invited all their friends.

Unfortunately, this pair has varying views on the ideal Thanksgiving dinner, leading to some animosity before the two see eye to eye and find gratitude for each other and their fantastic dinner.

We‘re excited to check out the rest of this fun series.

In November, Cynthia Rylant, Jill Kastner

In November is on the more serious side for picture books this month, but it was perfect for fall reading. With gorgeous illustrations paired with poetic verses, this book was a fantastic ode to the changing season, nature, and the critters preparing for winter.

One is a Feast for a Mouse, Judy Cox, Jeffrey Ebbeler

One is a Feast for a Mouse is a fun read with detailed illustrations. A house mouse cleans up after Thanksgiving dinner by enjoying the scraps left on the table.

While a single green pea would be a feast for a mouse, it’s hard to stop there, and soon the mouse has most of the dinner table balanced in his paw.

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, Kevin Noble Maillard, Juana Martinez-Neal

While my baby is too young to begin discussing the history of Thanksgiving, we found Fry Bread to be a fantastic story discussing Native American heritage and traditions.

This picture book explores how important fry bread is to Native American culture and the different aspects of culture it embodies. At the end, you’ll find a fry bread recipe to try for yourself.

December

For December, we’re enjoying a book advent and unwrapping a new holiday or winter-themed book each day. I’ll share those next!