How to Say Thank You by Jean Reagan, Lee Wildish Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
How to Say Thank You is a very sweet and age-appropriate picture book about finding and expressing gratitude in everyday life. I appreciated that this book broke gratitude down into a sensory experience: What does gratitude look like, feel like, sound like, smell like, etc.? A lot of the time, I feel like children struggle to conceptualize gratitude or identify things they’re thankful for, even when they might feel that way. Regan does a great job giving us examples of things we might feel grateful for and ways to express that gratitude. I like that it wasn’t just “say thank you” or say you’re grateful, but instead the author included multiple ways of expressing gratitude: smiling, writing a note, signing, giving a hug, etc. This would be a wonderful title for Pre-K through 3rd graders and would be a great November/Thanksgiving read as well as for any other time of the year. This one is a five-star read for me because of how it broke down the content and the diversity the author included (especially ASL). Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner