10 Books about Gratitude | Kids Yoga Stories

The beauty of a gratitude practice is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You can write in gratitude journals, read books about gratitude, meditate on gratitude, send thank-you letters, or simply pause to appreciate the little joys in life. There are zillions of ways to practice gratitude.

The one thing that we know is that the science is clear. According to Harvard Health, gratitude “has positive health effects, including greater emotional and social well-being, better sleep quality, lower depression risks, and favorable markers of cardiovascular health.” (Harvard Health)

So how do we decide which gratitude practice works best for us? Well, we use a little trial and error, and a little contemplation. Tune in to yourself to explore what feels right. Add a dash of curiosity.

My latest gratitude practice has been showing up alongside those in-between mindful moments, like when I’m taking a shower, waiting in a car line, or making my morning shake. I find myself just being grateful for the simple pleasures in life, as well as the life, home, and work that we have created together as a family.

Picture books are another great way to easily integrate gratitude into our curriculum as educators and caregivers. (You all know I’m obsessed with picture books!)

Today I’d love to share with you some of my favorite picture books about gratitude. Through storytelling, we find wonderful ways to share the practice of gratitude with children—to inspire children to appreciate life’s simple and extraordinary blessings.

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GRATITUDE BOOKS IN ACTION

These three books offer practical ways to practice gratitude by writing thank-you letters and making a gratitude chain:

Write Thank You Letters

1- Sincerely, Emerson by Emerson Weber, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett
A true story written by an eleven-year-old about what happened after she sent a thank-you letter to her postal carrier. She shows how one act of kindness had a ripple effect across the country. After the postal carrier told his colleagues about Emerson’s letter, the word spread to mail carriers across the country, who then sent her thank-you letters. This story shows readers that being kind matters, and it doesn’t take much to bring joy into other people’s lives.

2- The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera
This is a wonderful book for young children about a girl who writes thank-you letters for all of her birthday gifts after her party. Then she’s inspired to write letters to people all about town. This is a great reminder of the gift of both giving and receiving gratitude.

Create a Gratitude Chain

3- Thankful by Elaine Vickers and Samantha Cotterill
A girl writes down what she is thankful for on slips of paper and links them together to create a gratitude chain. The diorama illustrations are bright and engaging, and help remind us of how many people and things we have in our lives to be grateful for.

DAILY MOMENTS OF GRATITUDE

These simple “thank you” books show readers that we can be grateful for the simplest things all the way to the largest things:

Gratitude for the Simple Things in our Lives

4- The Thankful Book by Todd Parr
This bright, colorful classic from Todd Parr is a great way to help preschoolers notice the simple things that they are grateful for in their lives.

Gratitude at Bedtime

5- Thank You by Jarvis
This beautifully illustrated book follows a boy who is thanking all kinds of things from the moon to his cat as he gets ready for bed.

Gratitude for People in our Community

6- Thankful by Eileen Spinelli & illustrated by Archie Preston
This sweet, whimsical story encourages readers to be grateful to people in our communities and beyond.

Gratitude for the World

7- Thank You, World by Alice B. McGinty & illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
This is a lovely story that encourages readers to be thankful for our beautiful natural surroundings around the world.

GRATITUDE STORIES

These are wonderful books about gratitude that lend themselves beautifully to talking about gratitude through engaging stories:

8-Finding Grateful by Dianne White & illustrated by Faith Pray
This gorgeous picture book shows readers what grateful looks like – to pay attention to the simple things in life: “Gratitude means noticing this thing, that thing, anything, really.” This is a perfect book to share how mindfulness boosts our gratitude practice.

9-Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell
This sweet story by this talented author-illustrator was one of our very favorite bedtime stories when my daughter was a toddler. The adorable illustrations and funny story follow three animal friends who do their gratitude practice before their sleepover.

GRATITUDE IN MOTION

This is a great book for preschoolers to bring gratitude alive through movement:

10-The Grateful Giraffe by Giselle Shardlow
This yoga book for young children has readers visiting countries around the world, learning about various animals, and talking about their feelings—all through yoga moves.