Last Updated on October 30, 2021 by Laura
Gather a pile of November picture books and be ready for anything this month! I don’t know about your school, but at mine the holiday craziness begins creeping in around mid-November! I absolutely love the holiday program rehearsals, assemblies and special events. But it means I need to be *FLEXIBLE* with my lesson plans and have some activities ready to “fill in” when time is short.
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It’s a good idea to have some fun read-alouds with extension activities on hand so that you’re always prepared. I’d like to share some favorites from my library, with some FREE printables that you can find over at TpT to go along with them! Let’s start with my absolute favorite…
Balloons Over Broadway
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet
One of my favorite childhood traditions was watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade in my p.j.s! I loved the giant balloons, the floats, and Santa at the end! I still tune into it every year. Many of your students probably watch the parade as part of their Thanksgiving traditions, so they will connect with this book! I love this book because we get a glimpse into the childhood of Tony Sarg and gain insight into how his interests as a young boy led to the invention of the giant balloon puppets that are still so iconic today. Melissa Sweet’s mixed media collage illustrations are delightful (Don’t overlook the endpapers!)! This November picture book is great for examining character traits and citing textual evidence. (Read more about how I like to use this book in this post!)
FREEBIE!: Pick up Balloons Over Broadway Literacy Activities in my TPT store!
November Picture Books: Disguise a Turkey
The next 3 titles are variations on the Turkey Disguise theme – what fun! Use this free resource with any of these three November picture books: FREEBIE: Lacey Ridley’s “Disguise a Turkey”
Beauty and the Beaks by Mary Jane and Herm Auch
This hilarious story centers around the chicken’s beauty parlor and what happens when Lance (a turkey) comes to town because he’s been invited to a “special feast.” As soon as the chicks realize he is to be the main course, they help him out with a complete makeover and save him from the disaster! The illustrations are photographs taken of chicken mannequins created by Mary Jane and sets created with found objects by Herm. This is another great book to reinforce character traits. Clever plays on words like eggsercise, eggsploring, eggsit, will keep listeners chuckling and the illustrations will have everyone looking twice!
Gus the Pilgrim Turkey by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Ellen Joy Sasaki
A turkey migrating to avoid being served for Thanksgiving dinner realizes he is a pilgrim once he gets to a safe place. Gus travels all the way to the South Pole where he quickly puts on a tuxedo to blend in with the penguins. When he teaches his new friends about the pilgrims and Thanksgiving, he has a revelation that he, too, has made a similar journey. This November picture book would be a great comparison to the traditional Thanksgiving story.
A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Jeff Shelly
This fun, brightly illustrated story is engaging because of the rhythm and rhyme of the text. The people of the town of Squawk Valley think they are being smart as they try to trick Pete the Perky Turkey into being part of their Thanksgiving dinner. However, Pete outsmarts the townspeople and escapes to vacation on the beach. The publisher has some fun activities at their website: http://winslowpress.com/perkyturkey/perkyturkey.cfm
The Night Before Thanksgiving
‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
Another rhythmic rhyming text with engaging illustrations, Dav Pilkey does not disappoint! This variation on ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is a great book for helping your students look at picture clues – they can notice that Farmer Mac Nugget is carrying an ax on the field trip, and that the kids suddenly look chubby with feathers sticking out of their clothes. The text is rich with vocabulary that is worth examining as well: aloft, terrains, cockerels, miniature, dread, clamored, abounding… This feel good story effectively brings home the theme of the season: thankfulness. That’s what we want from any good November picture book!
A Feast for a Mouse
One is a Feast for a Mouse by Judy Cox, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler
It’s the illustrations in this book that are sure to draw your kids in! They are great for discussing point of view since we get to see the action from all different angles. Plus the mouse is dressed just like some of them, with jeans and a sweater, and even glasses! This is a fun cumulative tale that builds suspense as it goes along. Besides the fun pictures, my next favorite thing about it is the theme: you guessed it – thankfulness!
FREEBIE!: Sequencing Activity from Attosa Balas
An Old Lady Who Swallowed a PIE!
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson, illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner
Are you exclaiming the same words I did when I first looked at the cover closely (after reading the book!)?? JUDY SCHACHNER?!?!?! Yes the illustrator of this story is indeed the creator of Skippyjon Jones!! No wonder I loved the pictures! Plus, who doesn’t love a nice round of “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”? This fun version has the old woman eating all of the elements of a Thanksgiving dinner and then some! Your students will chuckle at Schachner’s illustrations as the woman grows larger and larger. The facial expressions of the other characters are entertaining as they stare at her and marvel at her many uncomfortable positions. In the end the now-much-larger woman becomes a balloon in the Thanksgiving parade! Don’t overlook this fun November picture book!
FREEBIE!: Sequencing Activity from Chapel Hill Snippets
SOME OTHER BOOKS THAT ARE FUN EVEN WITHOUT FREEBIES…
Over the River: A Turkey’s Tale by Derek Anderson, based on the song by Lydia Maria Child
I grew up singing this song in elementary school (kind of funny, since I grew up in Los Angeles and didn’t have any background knowledge to connect to!), so when I came across this version, I was immediately drawn to it. The illustrations put a terrific, updated twist on an old classic. We follow a turkey family as they celebrate Thanksgiving with their barnyard friends. Bonus: The endpapers have the music and lyrics in a playable, sing-able version! No freebie needed! Sing the song with the kids!
A Thanksgiving DRAWING Feast by Jennifer M. Besel, illustrated by Lucy Makuc
I bought this as part of a set of holiday drawing books that includes Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day. I like them because they are simple and fun. The first few pages give some basic drawing tips and then there are 9 two page spreads with how-tos for drawing such holiday items as a turkey, the Mayflower, a pilgrim hat, and more! This November picture book doesn’t need a freebie! Do a directed drawing with the kids!
Thanksgiving Sweets and Treats by Ronne Randall
Again, this book is part of a set I purchased that includes lots of other holidays. I like it because it contains great background information on Thanksgiving and a terrific “Before You Begin” section with tips for cooking. The photographs of utensils are clearly labeled and very helpful. This cookbook contains seven recipes, from Apple-Honey Cranberry Sauce to Thick and Tasty Pumpkin Smoothies. Each recipe has clear step by step directions with photographs, along with background information on each type of food and some extra “Food Facts.” A short glossary, index, and link to website round out the cookbook. No freebie needed! Whip up a recipe with your kids!
I hope you enjoy some of these November picture books and activities with your students!
Click below to see a video demonstration of these books and freebies!:
I’d love to hear about your favorite November read alouds! Please share them in the comments!
Be the light!
Great post, I love all the ideas and hearing from your perspective as a teacher needing to be flexible with holiday programs & such… Of course you deal with it in a positive way! You are an amazing librarian & writer, good job Mom!
Thank you Em! You inspire me with your creativity too!!
My Favorite is the book “Thank you, Sarah” by Laurie Halse Anderson
That looks like a great one! I just put it on my order list – thanks for the recommendation!
Squanto’s Journey and Nickommoh! I also like to focus on the theme of gratitude. Thanks for sharing all your idea.
Yes! Great suggestions – thanks! I agree that a focus on gratitude is important!
Love your books and ideas! 28th year in education. My 12th year in library, and you give me new ideas to use!
Thanks for your kind words, Kim!
I would love to see some Indigenous People picture books highlighted during November since it is National Native American Heritage month. In South Dakota we are quite proud of our many Native American children’s authors and illustrators.
Hi Marilyn – I agree that Indigenous People picture books are important and I’ll try to do a future post with that focus. In Montana we celebrate our indigenous people in September. And we try to infuse our lessons with “Indian Education for All” essential understandings throughout the school year.