Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving by Kimberly and James Dean

Pete is nervous about performing at his school’s Thanksgiving play. He musters the courage and joins his place. It begins in 1620 when a group of Pilgrims leaves England for the New World. They sail for 2 months before seeing land. The first winter is long and hard and in the spring they have to decide if they will stay or sail back to England. They meet Native Americans who show them how to farm. By fall, they have a plentiful harvest. Pete is happy that he remembered all of his lines and thankful for the pilgrims’ bravery.

I was searching for a children’s book that told the story of the Pilgrims and stumbled upon this. It wasn’t what I originally envisioned, but I was pleasantly surprised at how accessible this book made the story. Yes, it leaves out some major points- like the main reason the pilgrims left was for religious freedom- but for little ones, it’s an interactive (with flaps) and an engaging introduction to the story.

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1. Do you know why the Pilgrims left England to build a new life?
2. Did the Pilgrims have heat and grocery stores in the New World?
3. How did they learn how to get food?