Editor’s Note: Are the smells of sage and pumpkin spice already wafting through the house? In this post, Gladys Hunt finds wonderful smells in the pages of some outstanding picture books for Thanksgiving. The smells of Thanksgiving Originally published on the Tumblon website, November 19, 2009 Every November Cynthia Rylant’s wonderful book called In November (illustrated by Jill Kastner) sits on our coffee table within easy reach for anyone to pick up. It’s our annual reminder of how special November is. In November, the text reads, “the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures.” The book is full of color…

The King of Christmas reminds young children where to look for Jesus, just as the wise men looked for Him at that first Christmas. The King of Christmas: All God’s Children Search for Jesus by Todd R. Hains and illustrated by Natasha Kennedy. Lexham Press, 2022, 44 pages. Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8 Recommended for: Ages 4-8 Where is the King of Christmas? The wise men from the East are searching for Him, asking where they might find him. The King isn’t in the natural world (water, farms, etc.). He isn’t amongst the political and religious leaders. He’s not with the soldiers. No, He is in a manger. And…

The Door of No Return uses beautifully modulated verse to communicate the humanity of the Ashanti people and the horrors of the African slave trade. The Door of No Return by Kwami Alexander. Little, Brown, 2022, 398 pages Reading level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12-15 The Life Before Kofi Offin is not a champion wrestler like his brother Kwasi, but he can swim like a fish. As grandson of the village storyteller and son of its head gold digger, he holds some status in his Ashanti village. His cousin Kofi thinks nothing of that—only a week older, but bigger and stronger, he’s the bane of younger Kofi’s…

Google the difference between fairy tales and folk tales (or is it folktales?), and you’ll find some answers. For instance, folk tales are part of the oral tradition (“Little Red Riding Hood”) whereas fairy tales are ascribed to particular authors (such as Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”). Another difference is that, usually, folk tales feature ordinary folk and are for ordinary folk. Fairy tales often feature fairies (or other magical elements) and target a more literary or aristocratic audience. But it’s hard to determine a precise line, particularly if we start adding in myths, legends, and the like. So those answers you google may, or may not, agree with…

Do you have a favorite family Advent tradition? Perhaps your family does a Jesse Tree together. Or maybe you have an Advent wreath on your dining room table. Do you wait until the day after Thanksgiving before turning on Christmas music? We have a great lineup of recommended family Advent devotional guides for you, no matter what ages your kids are. If you’ve never read an Advent family devotional together before, this is a good year to start! If you have, perhaps you’ll find a new resource below that can expand on an existing tradition. If you are a classroom or Sunday school teacher, you can adapt several of these…