6 books to help your kids learn to be grateful

Gratitude is one of the most important qualities we can teach our children. I believe it is the key to finding peace, happiness, and fulfillment in this life.

I rounded up six of my favorite books that can help you and your children cultivate gratitude. Most importantly, these books start your own discussions about what being grateful really means and how you can create more of it in your unique lives.

1. Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

This is a darling fall-ish book about a bear with empty cupboards. His friends start bringing over food to share, and soon it becomes a feast. Bear feels bad that he had nothing to contribute to the feast, but his loving friends remind him that he contributes something very important. This book teaches children that giving does not have to look a certain way, and it certainly doesn’t need to be tangible. Everyone has unique gifts to bring to the table.

2. Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson

Did you know that teaching children about where their food comes from and involving them in the process of creating food (through gardening or cooking) makes them more likely to eat and appreciate what’s on their plate? This is a beautifully written and illustrated story about where our food comes from and the people who grow it, from a small seed to your table.

3. Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

This is a sweet story about a boy and his grandmother and the pair of shoes he desperately wants because everyone else at school has them. His grandmother lovingly teaches him the difference between wanting and needing, and the boy learns that he already has what he needs most.

4. The Magic Fish by Freya Littledale

I love folktales for teaching important concepts. They’re never too cheesy or on the nose, and they have that feel of timeless wisdom. This is a simple folktale about a magic fish who can grant wishes. A fisherman catches the fish, but lets him go when the fish asks him to. But the fisherman’s greedy wife demands that he goes back and demands that he give the woman a beautiful house instead of the small hut he lives in. She goes on to ask for more and more until the fish realizes she will never stop asking for the next thing, and puts her back in the small hut and raggedy clothing she started in. I love that the fisherman always asks why the woman is demanding a bigger house, and the woman never has an answer. It made me think about the reasons why I want certain things, and how much they really matter.

5. The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

This is a lighthearted take on the importance of thanking the people who help us and add joy to our lives. I always love the dynamics between Elephant and Piggie. This book would make a great thank-you gift!

6. The Loom Journal by Kimberly Christenson, Tosha Seeholzer, and Kim Stoddard

I was so happy when Studio 5 asked me to include our journal in my lineup of books that cultivate gratitude. The Loom Journal begins with a story I wrote (with help and encouragement from my team) about a little boy and girl who are lost in the woods, and how they help each other find their way home. It sets up the analogy of a loom and how we are all connected to each other through our unique and colorful threads. The journal is a connective parent-child journal that includes prompts, activities, and free-writing and drawing spaces that help you cultivate gratitude for who you are, your unique gifts and talents, and your parent-child relationship.

If you have favorite books that teach gratitude, I would love to hear about them!