Recommended Read Alouds for Teaching Gratitude
Did you know that practicing gratitude has been scientifically linked to elevating a person’s level of happiness? Regularly expressing appreciation for others, one’s surroundings, and one’s experiences can decrease stress, reduce depression, increase self-esteem, and improve resilience among many other benefits.
Investing in teaching and helping students practice gratitude can have a multitude of wonderful ripple effects within your classroom! Want 16 ideas for teaching gratitude in the classroom? Read this blog post! Or, need done-for-you resources to teach your students about gratitude? Get my 15-day unit with detailed and editable lesson plans, student journal pages, bulletin board materials with gratitude vocabulary and related quotations, and Google Slides for the teacher and a digital student notebook here.
I’ve put together a list of some of the best picture books for teaching the concepts of gratitude. These picture books focus on what it means to be grateful for what you have, show characters who overcome challenges with finding gratitude in their lives, and support me as I hope to help my students develop their own ability to use gratitude as a tool to find inner peace and happiness. These books are perfect mentor texts to read aloud in order to spark engaging discussions and teach your students about gratitude.
PICTURE BOOKS TO TEACH ABOUT GRATITUDE
Continuing my goal of seeking out a diverse collection of books to use with my students and recommend to other teachers, this list of recommended read alouds gives voice to a variety of races, cultures, ethnicities, experiences, and backgrounds.
(Note: I’ve included Amazon affiliate links so that you can easily find these books! As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, I may earn advertising fees at no cost to you by linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here. )
WANTING MORE and LEARNING THAT WHAT WE HAVE IS ENOUGH
1) The Biggest House in the World by Leo Lionni
A young snail longs for the biggest house (shell) in the world and doesn’t understand why his family is happy with the shell they have. One day the snail’s father tells him a story of another snail that was also unsatisfied with his shell and devoted all his time trying to improve it to his satisfaction. However, he got so focused on making his shell bigger and better that his story ended in tragedy. The young snail decides that a simple, small shell might be perfect for him after all. This book is a great read aloud for teaching students about the repercussions of wanting more/bigger/better instead of focusing on being grateful for what you have.
2) The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
This story is about a woman who makes beautiful quilts to give them to the neediest people in her village. One day the King decides that despite owning virtually everything of value to him in his kingdom, he isn’t happy and wants more. When he hears about the beautiful quilts made by the woman and how much they make others happy, he demands to have one. However, the woman refuses to make him a quilt until he agrees to give away everything he owns to the villagers. Over time, the King begins to experience happiness as he gives his belongings away to those in need. In the end, the king learns the importance of being grateful for the things in life that are truly valuable and the joy that comes with expressing gratitude toward others.
3) The Table Where Rich People Sit by Bryd Baylor
A young girl is frustrated with the lack of money and material objects her family owns. She calls a family meeting to discuss the issue. However, her parents insist that she has miscalculated the family’s wealth. They encourage her to start a list of things that are important to them (such as the desert hills, blooming cacti, and the call of an eagle) and assign values to them. By the end of the family meeting, the girl realizes that she was underestimating what truly matters in life.
4) The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
This beautiful story about a boy and his grandmother takes place on a bus ride. The boy begins the ride feeling sorry for himself because he is jealous of his peers’ possessions and lifestyles. However, his grandmother shows the boy how to look past material possessions and appreciate the culture, beauty, and magic that is all around him. The Last Stop on Market Street teaches both gratitude and giving back to the community.
5) The Marvelous Mud House: A Story of Finding Fullness and Joy by April Graney
Although the Smith family lives an abundant life with lots of material possessions, they are always wanting more. One day they travel across the world to Kenya and meet another family that lives in a mud house. The Smith family quickly sees that being full of joy brings so much more happiness than having a house full of possessions. When they return home they vow to express their gratitude to the family in the marvelous mud house for teaching them such an important lesson.
SHOWING APPRECIATION
6) Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora
This story, told in both Spanish and English, is a simple, yet powerful read about being thankful for the smallest details of the day and finding beauty in one’s surroundings. Gracias/Thanks is perfect for reminding students to pay attention to the simple things when thinking about things they are grateful for.
7) No One But You by Douglas Wood
This beautifully illustrated picture book is about how each individual experiences the world differently. Douglas reminds the reader that the way they feel, taste, hear, smell, and see things is personal and specific to them. The writing is much like a poem and portrays several simple everyday moments, encouraging the reader to slow down and fully experience the moments they are in.
8) The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood
Douglas Wood invites intrigued readers to learn a secret, “one of the happiest ones of all.” The secret, he reveals, is the positive impact that the spiritual practice of gratitude has on a person. This book, with its beautiful illustrations of nature, portrays all of the many ways in which we can say thanks for the beauty around us that we often take for granted. The last two lines send a strong message to the reader: “We don’t give thanks because we are happy. We are happy because we give thanks.”
9) Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes
This book is a collection of sixteen poems, in various forms, in which different characters express thankfulness for ordinary, everyday things. The poems include great examples of the power of showing gratitude to others.
SELFLESSNESS, SERVING OTHERS, AND GRATITUDE
10) Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Omu, a grandmother-like character (“Omu” means “grandmother” and “queen” in Nigerian), has proudly made a large batch of yummy stew for herself. However, as the delicious smell wafts out her window and into the community, a continuous stream of community members, one by one, find their way to Omu’s door in search of the delicious smelling stew. Omu greets each person with kindness and selflessly continues to give away her stew until there is none left for herself. When Omu hears a knock at the door, she is happy to see all of the neighbors have returned to show their gratitude with their own dishes to share.
11) What is Given from the Heart by Patricia McKissack
In just a few months, James Otis has lost his father, his childhood home, and his dog. Despite their rough time, Mama assures him that as long as they have their health and strength, they are blessed. Then, one Sunday, the Reverend at church announced that a family in their congregation had lost everything in a fire and asked everyone to give what they could to help support the family. James struggles to grapple with the fact that his Mama wants to help out when “we aine got nothing ourselves”. This beautiful story about compassion and gratitude in the midst of hard times is a great read aloud for students.
12) Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Trisha experiences self-esteem issues, teasing, and alarming acts of bullying throughout her elementary school years because she struggles to read. When Trisha enters fifth grade her teacher, Mr. Falker takes notice of her and discovers that Trisha can’t yet read due to undiagnosed dyslexia. He takes her under his wing and works with her after school for months. He also discovers and puts a stop to the bully that has tormented her. Because of Mr. Falker, she learns to read, becomes a confident student, and eventually an accomplished children’s author. Readers will be unable to miss the profound sense of gratitude Trisha portrays for Mr. Falker at the end of the book. This story is a heartfelt example of how it is never too late to express gratitude to someone who has positively impacted one’s life.
13) Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Jeremy desperately wants a pair of shoes like the ones that many of his peers at school are wearing. However, his grandma only has enough money to buy Jeremy new boots for winter, something he needs but doesn’t want. One day Jeremy finds the shoes he wants at a thrift store, but they are too small. He buys them anyway and is faced with a conflict between altruism and selfishness when he discovers that a classmate desperately needs shoes and the thrift store pair is exactly his size. This read aloud is an excellent catalyst for discussions about jealousy, compassion for others, and being grateful for what you have.
GRATITUDE FOR THE UNEXPECTED SURPRISES IN LIFE
14) When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan
The story begins with a young girl making a list of items she wants for her birthday. She is disappointed when her grandma gives her a lemon tree instead of something she wanted. This very funny book will certainly capture readers’ attention and surprise them with how the story ends. This book shows readers the importance of expressing gratitude toward others even when you don’t want to and enjoying the unexpected/unwanted surprises in life.
15) When Grandpa Gives You A Toolbox by Jamie L.B. Deenihan
Disappointed with the gift his grandfather gave him for his birthday (a toolbox when he really wanted a dollhouse), a young boy learns how to graciously accept an unwanted gift and keep an open mind about its value. This cute story promotes gratitude for others, giving back to the community, and courageously being true to yourself.
If you want to surf the whole list of books I recommend for teaching about Gratitude, I've compiled them all here into a list on Amazon.
NEED MORE RESOURCES AND DONE-FOR YOU ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHING GRATITUDE?
You can manage to do each of these activities with a reflection journal and materials you have around the classroom, but if you want some of the work done for you, including Google Slides for remote learning situations, you can check out my Gratitude theme unit. I use this unit for a 2-3 week morning meeting unit. It includes student journal pages, detailed and editable lesson plans, bulletin board materials with gratitude vocabulary and related quotations, and Google Slides for the teacher and a digital student notebook. This theme unit is also included in the Morning Meeting MEGA Bundle that contains 17 social- emotional themes. If you’re looking to increase your social-emotional focus, you’ve come to the right place!
Did I miss any perfect Gratitude read alouds? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to our list!
