Chinese Thanksgiving and Native American History Month Books
November is here, and it’s time to celebrate Native American History Month and Thanksgiving in the United States. I’m excited to share our favorite English and Chinese children’s books about Thanksgiving and Native American history.
Representation is important, and this Thanksgiving book list recognizes Native American children’s book authors and illustrators.
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Thanksgiving children’s books in Chinese and English
Here are our favorite books for kids about the Thanksgiving Holiday in simplified Chinese (简体中文 / jiǎntǐ zhōngwén), traditional Chinese (繁体中文 / fántǐ zhōngwén), and/or English.
Although the Chinese Thanksgiving books give an overview of traditions, they do not delve into the history and perspective of the indigenous peoples. As such, I’ve included the best English Thanksgiving children’s books by Native American authors and hope they will be translated into Chinese.
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story
Most published Thanksgiving children’s books are told from the perspective of the pilgrims. In this Thanksgiving story, a Wampanoag grandmother tells her grandchildren a complete story written collaboratively by multiple Indigenous authors.
This book reveals that the Wampanoag people lived in the area we now call Plymouth, and they helped the newcomers survive their first winter with generosity, plus corn, beans, and squash.
Although the newcomers called this inflection point “Thanksgiving,” in hindsight, the Wampanoag called it a “day of mourning” as disease and war were soon to come.
Although this Thanksgiving book is not available in Chinese, bilingual and monolingual readers can appreciate the Wampanoag words featured throughout the book. This can also serve as a conversation starter about language and culture loss from colonization.
Gorgeous illustrations by Native American author Garry Meeches Sr make the book even more accessible to children. The back of the book features a glossary of Wampanoag translations, recipes, and interactive learning activities.
Magic School Bus First Thanksgiving 第一次感恩节
With the magical yellow school bus, teacher Ms. Frizzle takes her students back to the Mayflower, where they cross the Atlantic and adjust to life in America.
Native Americans, including Squanto, are shown as helping the pilgrims learn to plant and survive, and they feast together at the end of the story.
Note: This English and Chinese Thanksgiving book skimps on the Native American perspective. However, it can be a helpful conversation starter for kids to understand how history has been taught in the United States.
The First Thanksgiving book 第一次感恩节 is part of the Magic School Bus Bridge Books 桥梁版 series. Luka Reading Robot narrates the Chinese edition in Mandarin.
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Thanksgiving 感恩节
This Thanksgiving overview begins with a brief overview of harvest celebrations in other cultures, such as the Greeks, Jews, and Chinese. Then, the American Thanksgiving holiday is explained from the perspective of the pilgrims.
As with all Gail Gibbons books, Thanksgiving 感恩节 has detailed, realistic illustrations. The Chinese edition has a few Pinyin translations.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
As the name suggests, Thanksgiving is about gratitude for our blessings. In the Cherokee language, people say otsaliheliga to express thanks. In this story, children can learn how a Cherokee family appreciates big and small things through each day and season.
Written by Cherokee American author Tracee Sorell, her beautiful bilingual words are explained in a glossary at the back of the book.
Chinese and English children’s books about Native American history
These beautiful books about Native American people were published in English and translated into simplified Chinese (简体中文 / jiǎntǐ zhōngwén), traditional Chinese (繁体中文 / fántǐ zhōngwén), and/or English.
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Throughout November, including Thanksgiving, reading these books in Chinese and English is a wonderful way to honor the indigenous peoples.
We Are Water Protectors 水源守護者
Inspired by the true events of the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests, We Are Water Protectors is a creative story that helps children understand the importance of their connection to nature.
The story highlights a brave Ojibwe girl and the indigenous people of Standing Rock who fight against an oil pipeline that threatens their water supply and way of life.
This book was originally written in English by author Carole Lindstrom, who is Anishinaabe/Métis and a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. Her book has been translated into traditional Chinese (繁体中文 / fántǐ zhōngwén).
Related: Favorite Chinese Books About Autumn and Nature
Birdsong 聽見鳥兒在唱歌
Since Thanksgiving is a time for connecting with loved ones, this is a beautiful book to read in Chinese and English.
The gentle yet evocative story follows a young Indigenous girl named Katherena, who moves to a new home with her mother. Feelings of loneliness subside as she befriends her senior neighbor, who shares her love of art, birds, and nature. As her neighbor’s health declines, their connection grows deeper.
Gorgeous illustrations pair the moving words by Cree-Métis author and illustrator Julie Flett. The back of the book includes a glossary and pronunciation guide for the occasional Cree words featured in the story.
We All Play! Kimêtawânaw! 我們都是這樣玩！
Here’s another beautiful book by author-illustrator Julie Flett! “We All Play” translates to kimêtawânaw in Cree and 我們都是這樣玩 in Chinese, and it’s as joyous as it sounds.
The simple words and happy illustrations celebrate the natural connection between children, animals, and the Earth. The story concludes with children and animals falling asleep after a fun day of play.
This lighthearted book is a delight to read in Chinese or English for Thanksgiving and year-round. The back of the book includes a glossary and pronunciation guide for the Cree words in the text.
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses 野马之歌 / 野馬之歌
This beautiful Caldecott-winning story is about a young Native American Plains girl’s adventures with her beloved horses.
In this fable, the girl leaves home to roam with the horses and holds on tight (literally and figuratively) during a dangerous stampede. She eventually discovers that her true home is among the wild horses rather than her parents.
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses was originally written in English by Paul Goble, a British-American author who studied and wrote about Native American culture. Luka Reading Robot narrates the simplified Chinese edition in Mandarin.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
In Native American history, fry bread is bittersweet. For many Native Americans, it was adaptive sustenance that became comfort food. For others, it represents pain, as the New York Times reports.
Native American author Kevin Noble Maillard, a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, captures this conflict in his beautiful picture book with child-friendly verse.
For the author, fry bread is love, unity, family, history, and survival. The back matter provides a fry bread recipe with more historical details. This Thanksgiving book is currently available in English but not Chinese.
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Conversational prompts for Chinese Thanksgiving books
Reading is an excellent opportunity for parents and teachers to learn about different cultures. Here are some questions you can explore with your child or student:
- What are the similarities and differences between American Thanksgiving and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Korean Chuseok, and other harvest holidays?
- What challenges did Indigenous people face during Thanksgiving?
- Why is gratitude often linked with the Thanksgiving holiday?
- Why have some Thanksgiving books been translated into Chinese and other languages but not others?
- What do you notice in the illustrations of the English and Chinese Thanksgiving books?
What are your favorite English and Chinese books about Thanksgiving and Native American History?
What other books would you recommend to celebrate Native American History Month and Thanksgiving? Are they available in English or Chinese? Please share your review in the comments below. We’d love to learn from you.
