The Most Thankful Thing [Hardcover]

Lisa McCourt (Author), Cyd Moore (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004 | Age Range: 3 - 5 years | Lexile Measure: 770L (What's this?)

This heartwarming picture book by the creators of I LOVE YOU, STINKY FACE reveals what every parent is most thankful for. A perfect bedtime story for every day -- and especially for Thanksgiving!

When a little girl asks her mom what her "most thankful thing ever" is, Mom turns the question into a fun trip down memory lane. Turning the pages of Mom's photo album, they discover many wonderful moments in Mom's life, from summer camp to winning a trophy in a soccer tournament, from singing onstage to her wedding day. But one event in Mom's whole life is the very best ever -- the birth of her precious little girl.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-After a mother tells her daughter that she's remembering everything she has to be thankful for, the child pulls out Mama's scrapbook and asks, "-what are you the very most thankful for?" The ensuing story follows the two as they page through the woman's memories. The girl expects each entry to be Mama's most thankful thing-a camp experience, winning a soccer trophy, her first job, getting married-and Mama's refrained response is that it wasn't her most thankful thing. Ultimately, Mama describes holding her child for the first time, saying, "-forevermore you would be my most thankful thing." The comical captions on the cartoon-style "photographs" appear in handwritten lettering to fit the scrapbook layout. The warm words and pastel illustrations are playful representations of a child, teen, and young woman's memories. This is a wonderful, reassuring read-aloud for storytime and for individual sharing.
Deborah Rothaug, Pasadena Elementary School, Plainview, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. The girl who narrates this breezy picture book tries to guess what her mother is most thankful for in her "whole long, long, long life." Leafing through a big scrapbook, she stops to consider the possibilities as Mama reminisces about the high points in her past. The pictures show her at summer camp, on a soccer team, on stage, at her prom, in a college musical, at her first job, and in her wedding. The child is heartened to discover her mother's "most thankful thing." What might have been a sticky-sweet ending is kept palatable and reassuring in a child-centered way thanks to the light touch used by McCourt and Moore, who previously collaborated on I Love You, Stinky Face (1997) and several other books. The use of a black background on the scrapbook pages is an effective device, setting the photos apart from the other scenes, nicely reinforcing the notion that mothers have lives before parenthood, sure to be a new idea for some children. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 5 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cartwheel (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439650836
• ISBN-13: 978-0439650830
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to give your daughter! December 23, 2004

By Jeri

Format:Hardcover

My kids and I fell in love with I LOVE YOU, STINKY FACE years ago, and we are thrilled that Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore have a new book. THE MOST THANKFUL THING is a charming book to share with your daughter. You can guess what mom's most thankful thing will be, but each turn of the page leads the little girl on a journey through her mom's past...days of summer camp, and high school, and dating, and James Taylor concerts! An adorable book, illustrated as mom's scrapbook, with a very sweet message. So fun!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching! October 16, 2005

By Sheryl Miller

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I fell in love with this book immediately. It is touching on a couple of levels: First, through her scrapbook, Mom shows the daughter how wonderful an "ordinary" life can be. Second, we see the permanent effect of motherhood on Mom: Forevermore, her child will be her "Most Thankful Thing." Get it for your daughter, but hang on to it for when she becomes a mom!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite book May 3, 2006

By A. Watson

Format:Hardcover

My daughter checked this book out from her school library and I started reading it to her without knowing I had something so special in my hands! By the last page I was in tears and so choked up it took me about half of a minute to regain my composure to finish the story. This is a heartwarming book that I am here on Amazon tonight to buy to keep for me and my daughter for now and for when she is all grown up, do not pass up this book, an instant classic! This is probably my new favorite children's book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Reminds my son of how special he is July 19, 2006

By Sushi

Format:Paperback

I borrowed this book from the library and my 3-1/2 year old son loved it, so I'm buying a copy now. It starts off with a daughter catching her mother sitting quietly one day. "What are you doing?" asked the daughter. "I'm giving thanks," said the mother. So the daughter went through her mom's picture book and tried to guess what it is that the mother is most thankful for. Is it the summer camp? Being the editor of her year book? Her first job? Her wedding? In the end she found that it is having her, the child, that her mother is most thankful for. It's heart-warming, and assures our little one that no matter what goes on in our daily lives, they are most special and most important to us. I think this is a great book for kids from 2-6 years old.

4.0 out of 5 stars A special book for your child January 18, 2013

By J. Taylor

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a touching book about a mothers love for her child. I love the colorful pages and the storyline. It will work for natural born children and adopted children.

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful book January 26, 2010

By Rae Mac

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is perfect for any mother to read to their child. I would venture to say that the first time you read it, you will have a tear in your eye. It is beautiful and every child should know, as they will from this book, that they are special and loved.

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids love this book! January 8, 2010

By Susan B

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My 3-year-old received this book for Christmas and can't get enough of it. I choked up a little the first time I read it to her. It kind of reminded me of "Love You Forever", except the mom is cool and stable rather than being a delusional stalker. Although the ending was predictable, it was so incredibly sweet that I fell in love with the book, as well. My six-year-old loves it, too. She asks me about the things I've done in my life. A great conversation starter.

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute story! October 28, 2009

By Nicole Heinlein

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is book is very sweet to share with your child about how special they are to you. I am a teacher and read it to my students around Thanksgiving when we are brainstorming things in our lives that we are thankful for. The hardcover book is good quality and will last a long time.