the giving tree shel silverstein

When we think about Thanksgiving, we think about the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes and pie. We think about our families and loved ones. We might think about the origins of Thanksgiving, the story of American settlers setting the table after a long, hard arrival to the new world. Benjamin Franklin originally wanted the national bird to be a turkey — he reconsidered when he realized how stupid it was.

And of course, we think about the things we’re grateful for, big and small, momentary and everlasting. We think about the luck we’ve had to be where we are, the people we know, and the little things (fresh bread, sunday papers) that ease each day forward.

Children’s books are often about gratitude, and not only for Thanksgiving. There are books like Where the Wild Things Are and The Wizard of Oz, which remind us that home can often be the most exciting place to be in the whole world. There are books like Stone Soup, which teach us that luxury can be made out of any circumstance, if you have the right attitude. And there is Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, which shows us just how precious any gift can be, no matter what you have to give.

Here are some things the TOON offices are grateful for:

Francoise: “I am so grateful to have both of my kids in the same place for Thanksgiving.”
Emmy, intern/student at Parsons: “For the break.”
Amy: “For every good book out there that I haven’t read and will eventually get to read.”