"Child's Story Explains True Meaning of Thanksgiving"

The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the few times in the year when extended families come together. I can remember when I would join my parents and siblings to make our traditional journey to grandpa’s farm near Schuyler. We would meet with other relatives for a wonderful feast of turkey, corn, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy. Grandmother’s special stuffing and mother’s homemade pumpkin pies were special treats. Mother would make six, so there was plenty for everyone!

Most families have their own Thanksgiving traditions. Sometimes, the reason for celebrating Thanksgiving becomes lost with the passing of turkey and gravy. It is important for people, especially children, to understand why we celebrate this holiday. It is not so people can come together and feast. It’s to celebrate the coming together of two unique peoples, the pilgrims and the Indians, to share the bounty of the harvest.

“A Child’s Story of Thanksgiving” by Laura J. Rader is one of the many books about Thanksgiving available at the Columbus Public Library. The author does an excellent job explaining the true purpose for celebrating this holiday.

She tells about how the Puritans were unhappy living in England, so they moved to Holland. However, they found life in Holland unpleasant as well. The Pilgrims then decided to made the long and dangerous journey to America.

In America, the pilgrims arrived too late in the year to start growing crops. They knew very little about hunting and fishing, so their food supply was dwindling fast. Luckily, spring came quickly. The pilgrims then encountered the Indians. The Indians were a peaceful people who helped their new neighbors become better established in the new world. They showed them which crops would grow best and how to hunt and fish. That fall, to thank the Indians, the Pilgrims invited them to their harvest feast. This gathering became known as the first Thanksgiving. It is celebrated by millions of Americans every year.

“A Child’s Story of Thanksgiving” is a wonderful book for parents to use to help their children understand why Thanksgiving is celebrated. The storyline is very simple and children will find it easy to follow along. The vocabulary is not too complicated, so children will understand what is being read. The themes of sharing and helping others are easily noted throughout the storyline.

After reading this book, children will understand that sharing and helping others is not just something they are required to do, but it was something the pilgrims and Indians did in order to survive in the new world.

If you would like to know more about “A Child’s Story of Thanksgiving” or any other holiday books the Columbus Public Library has to offer, please feel free to contact me at 564-7116.