Thanksgiving Books & Songs

I have a feeling many of the posts on my blog are going to begin just like this one here.  I have this teacher inside of me that doesn't sleep (and I haven't had my own classroom for six years now).  I didn't realize it at the time, but elementary education was the perfect profession for me- not only as a classroom teacher, but as a mom.  Every holiday I have to get out my whole stash of books, songs, poems, and activities.  

Here are some of my favorite children's books for Thanksgiving and a few fun songs to sing with your kids.  My twins are six and at times I wonder if they've out grown the songs or find them a bit silly, but just last night I was singing "Five Fat Turkeys" (without even realizing it- my husband just loves it when I do things like that).  I guess I stopped before the song was over because one of my boys said, "Mom!  Aren't you going to finish the song?"  He loves them and he can't help it! (:

I found all of these at barnesandnoble.com.  You can click on each book to find more information and pricing.  When I taught I would buy almost all of my books from  Scholastic Book Clubs.  They always have great prices and fun holiday books.

(I'm not quite sure what happened to the poor "Plump and Perky Turkey" book.  It's a bit tiny- sorry.  Tiny, but with a huge price!  The listing price at Barnes and Noble is only $349.89!  What a deal!)

Here are three of our favorite songs for Thanksgiving.

Five Fat Turkeys

Five fat turkeys are we

We slept all night in a tree

When the cook came around

We couldn't be found 

And that's why we're here you see!

(Click here to listen to the tune.  The video is a bit crazy, but at least you can hear how the song goes.)

Turkey Dinner

(Sung to the tune of ‘Frère Jacques)

Turkey dinner, turkey dinner

Gather round, gather round

Who will get the drumstick

Yummy, yummy yum-stick

All sit down, all sit down.

Cornbread muffins, chestnut stuffin'

Pumpkin pie, one foot high

All of us were thinner 

'Till we came to dinner

Me oh my, me oh my!

The Pilgrims and the Indians

The Pilgrims and the Indians
Had a pow-wow a long time ago.
The Pilgrims and the Indians
Felt like having a party and so,
The Pilgrims and the Indians
Cooked a turkey and Indian corn.
Sat down and ate together,
And that is how Thanksgiving was born!
(Amy at Sunlitpages has a link where you can listen to a bit of this song or purchase it on CD.  It is extremely catchy!)

I'd love to hear what your favorite Thanksgiving books and/or songs are.  Happy Thanksgiving reading & singing!