Cold Turkey
Brrr!!! Temperatures dropped overnight and turkey woke up shivering. Fortunately, he has plenty of warm clothing to stay comfortable in the frigid weather. When turkey sees that his barnyard friends are suffering in the cold, he sheds each article of clothing and passes it along to the other animals. But now turkey is left freezing in his birthday suit. Will his friends- Cow, Sheep, and Chicken- find a solution to warm him up? A cute, rhyming story about caring and kindness for friends who are in need.
Best Kids' Books about Turkeys
Turkeys are pretty interesting birds that show up in stories usually involving some sort of escape plan. While other birds spend their lives flying carefree through the beautiful blue skies, turkeys' ill-fated future usually lands them in a hot oven. So it's no wonder that these smart feathered friends have to hatch plans to avert their untimely demise. These funny children's books about turkeys show all the hoops they jump through to avoid landing on the dining room table.
More fun book lists for Thanksgiving-
Funny Thanksgiving Books for Toddlers
Best Children's Thanksgiving Books
Thanksgiving Chapter Books for Tweens
Turkey Books for Preschoolers and Toddlers
This feathered friend gets an awful lot of attention every November. Unfortunately for this bird, the ending is not so happy. These turkey stories for preschoolers may make you think twice about Thanksgiving Day's main attraction. Little tots will learn to count, problem solve, and root for the plucky, animated characters who do everything possible to escape the hot oven.
10 Fat Turkeys
Kids will love learning to count backwards in this picture book about an energetic group of turkeys. One by one, the turkeys dwindle from 10 down to none. One swings away on a vine, and another struts away on the back of a boar! There is so much silly fun in this turkey book just right for preschoolers.
This Little Turkey
A chunky board book about a group of turkeys getting ready for dinner. This fun spin on "This Little Piggy" follows a family as they clean, shop, and prepare the table for their feast.
Run, Turkey, Run!
It's very hard to hide when you're a turkey. One particularly plump gobbler is desperately trying to escape his demise at the hands of a hungry farmer. This turkey first tries to blend in with the pigs, but that doesn't work. Next he moves to the ducks, and then to the horses! Will he find the perfect hiding spot before the farmer catches him? Children will love following along this exciting chase to see how it finally ends.
Five Silly Turkeys
Toddlers will love the crinkly gold feathers on the tail of this colorful turkey. This fun-shaped board book sheds a whole new light on the life of five silly birds. Toddlers will practice counting as they watch turkeys doing some pretty unconventional things, like basking in the sun and dancing the day away.
Where is Baby's Turkey?
The bold and charming pictures will keep preschoolers engaged in this lift-the-flap book. This baby is on a mission to find a stuffed toy turkey. Behind each flap is a special surprise, but will the baby ever find the turkey? Lots of fun things to explore this cute turkey book for little readers.
The Great Turkey Race
A zippy, shaped board book about a turkey with some speed! Keep toddlers busy reading this Thanksgiving with this colorful book about one cool turkey. There is even a fun sound button to make the motorcycle roar to life!
Gobble Wobble: Dance Like a Turkey
A plush turkey finger puppet is built into a sturdy board book just right for little ones. The star of the show dances, spins, and wobbles around, showing off his colorful feather for all to enjoy. Fosters hand-eye coordination in babies who will love to touch and feel soft bird with each turn of the page.
Fun Books About Turkeys for Kindergarten and Up
Story time around Thanksgiving would not be the same without turkeys in the starring role. Their personalities are brought to life in these colorful tales about friendship, adventure, farm life, and escape plans. To make things more interesting for your young audience, read some non-fiction titles. They give insight into all the interesting aspects of this bird beyond being a delicious food on the Thanksgiving dinner table.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey
You already know about the old lady who swallowed a fly. Well, she's continued her strange habit of ingesting the most strange objects. Along with swallowing a turkey (well, she's always been quirky!), this lady gobbles down a ball, a hat, a balloon, and even a boat. On this last page of this humorous turkey book, readers will find out exactly why.
A Plump and Perky Turkey
The folks who live in Squawk Valley have to work harder than most to enjoy a delicious turkey dinners. The turkeys who live in this town are smart birds and have zero interest in being the main course. So, the people decide to hold an arts-and-crafts fair with a turkey theme. This may sound a little suspicious to most, but Peter the Turkey is intrigued. A vain bird who is proud of his plum physique, Peter volunteers as an artist's model. Will this turkey trap work or will the people once again be outsmarted by a feathered gobbler? A classic turkey book that delivers lots of laughs!
Wild Turkeys
This non-fiction book is all about wild turkeys, unlike the domesticated turkeys that live on farms. Readers will enjoy learning all about the food they eat, how they stay safe from predators, and the hierarchy that exists within flocks. Lots of other interesting details are covered as well. Beautiful photographs showcase the intricate pattern of feathers and distinct coloring on these very interesting birds.
Turkey Trouble
Turkey has enjoyed a pleasant life on the farm, but it's November and he knows what that means. Determined to avoid becoming the main dish, he tries out all kinds of disguises in an effort to avoid this fate. Bold, humorous pictures capture the poor turkey's anxious state of mind. Fortunately, the ending has a satisfying twist that will relieve readers who are rooting for Turkey.
Not This Turkey!
Mel moved to America with his family several years ago. And while they always celebrate their Jewish holidays, his family has never participated in Thanksgiving. All of that changes when Mel's father wins a live turkey and plans to cook it for the big celebration. Their extended family joins them in their Brooklyn home, but things don't go according to plan when Mel decides this turkey doesn't deserve to be eaten. A great turkey book for children to read about an immigrant family adapting to American customs
Turkey Goes to School
Everyone deserves the right to go to school! Turkey and his animal friends board the school bus, but they are not allowed to enter the building. This clever bird is determined to show the teachers, principal and classmates that he and his friends belong in the classroom. It takes some creative thinking along with some funny disguises to get what they want. A funny book that shows readers the intelligent side of turkeys.
The Great Turkey Walk
A unique historical fiction book about a 15 year old boy with an abundance of grit and determination. The year is 1860 and Simon Green just finished fourth grade for the fifth time. He may not be book-smart, but that does not deter Simon from dreaming big. He hatches a plan to make a lot of money by herding a flock of turkeys from Missouri to Denver, where they will fetch a nice price. Children will love this crazy adventure about a boy who has some pretty amazing problem solving skills.
There Was a Turkey on the Farm
What a antsy turkey to do when she gets a little bored on the farm? None of the other animals has any time or interest in being her friend. The rooster is busy crowing and the hen is distracted by her chicks. So turkey explores beyond the safety of her farm and meets up with a (hungry) fox who is very friendly. Will turkey's farm companions save her from her sly new friend? This picture book about a turkey, full of humor and suspense, highlights the importance of friends who show up when they are really needed.
Clever Turkey managed to survive Thanksgiving and thought he could relax at least for a year. All of that changes when he finds out that turkey is the on the menu for Christmas dinner. There is one person who he knows can save him- Santa Claus. But it's no easy feat getting Santa's help during his busiest time of year. Kids will love this funny book about a turkey in disguise just doing his best to survive.
Turkeys
An informative, non-fiction book about turkeys for kids interested in learning what makes them so unique. Large photographs of all kinds of turkeys fill the pages. Easy to understand facts and trivia about turkeys serve as a great introduction for young readers.
All About Turkeys
A very thorough examination of the wild turkey, including a very detailed lesson on their anatomy. Kids will learn that wild turkeys can fly as fast as 50 miles per hour, and that they are hearty birds that do not migrate south in the winter. This non-fiction turkey book is perfect for older children interested in a more in-depth look at these interesting creatures.
How to Catch a Turkey
Another action packed book from the best-selling "How to Catch" series about a feathery friend on the loose. A big school play is about to be ruined when a great turkey escape creates a chaos. Readers will love following this bird's adventures through the hallways in this fun read aloud perfect for Thanksgiving.
The Very Stuffed Turkey
This adorable turkey has a very good problem to solve! He simply has too many invitations for Thanksgiving dinner. Horse, Pig, Mouse, Cow, Goat and many others have extended offers for him to join them for their feasts. For any child who has to muster up the energy and appetite for multiple dinners, this little turkey will show them how it's done.
How to Hide a Turkey
If Thanksgiving is all about being kind, showing gratitude, and helping those in need, why do we not apply these same values when it comes to these birds? Well, the kids in this story find a place in their hearts for a turkey who gets separated from his flock. And they have a feeling they know what his future holds. So instead of accepting his fate, the compassionate children gather their craft supplies and fashion a disguise. This surely will buy them some time to reunite the stray turkey with the rest of his family. Lots of feathered fun in this story for the holidays.
Nate the Great Talks Turkey
Nate the Great, super sleuth extraordinaire, is on a mission to solve the case of a missing turkey. With the help of his team- Olivia, Claude, and Sludge- this smart kid is searching for clues on the whereabouts of a giant bird gone rogue. A short, action-packed story is part of the ever popular "Nate the Great" series for readers transitioning from picture to chapter books. An added bonus page of fun activities to pursue during Thanksgiving break is in the back.
Turk and Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy
Under normal circumstances, the offspring who has won the gene lottery experiences a lot of inherent benefits in life. But not if you're a turkey! Turk is the most athletic, graceful, plump, and talented turkey on the farm. He's the apple of his parents' eye. There is only one smart bird, who happens to be the younger brother, sees the very obvious problem with Turk's noticable physical advantages. No matter how often Runt, the aptly named little sibling, tries to alert everyone about the imminent danger, they dismiss him. Fearful of his big brother's outlook, Runt has to get creative. Cue the curtain!
I Love Lemonade
Warning: If you steer clear of potty talk in your house, this is not the book for your children. However, if your family gets a kick out of gross jokes, then this story about revenge is sure to garner a few laughs. Small-brained Quirky Turkey has had enough with Little Baa Baa's practical jokes. Kids will giggle when they see all the ways his plan backfires on him. Let's just say that a glass of lemonade and a dark brown cookie are not as they seem!
Ten Hungry Turkeys
When ten turkey friends receive a lunch invitation from Mr. & Mrs. Bryd, their first reaction is one of excitement. Who doesn't love to join others at the table for an evening of delicious grub and comaraderie? Besices, declining a dinner invitation would certainly be rude! So the lively flock put on their best duds and begin their procession to the host's home. As they get closer and closer, turkeys begin to fall out of line as doubts about the intentions of this feast invade their plucky minds. This original counting story peppered with puns is a fun one!
Timmy Turkey's Thanksgiving Trouble
Timmy Turkey learns a lesson about karma in this story about greed. When the farmer appears to feed all of the animals, Timmy pushes to the front and gobbles down all the food. This happens time and time again. After awhile, Timmy's waistline grows bigger while the rest of the turkeys slim down. None of this seems to matter much to the food bully until Thanksgiving Day arrives. Now Timmy must come up with a plan before he ends up as the chosen one.
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Read Kids' Books about Turkeys All Year Long
It's about time to give turkeys a chance outside of the holiday in November. They are highly intelligent birds who deserve some attention in picture books the other eleven months of the year. We've pulled together all the best kids turkey books, both fiction and non-fiction, for kids who want to learn a little bit more about these animals other than how they taste!
Here are more book lists for kids who love animals:
Children's Books About Peacocks
Turkey Gifts for Kids on Thanksgiving
Pair a few children's turkey books with a fun themed gift for a festive gift this Thanksgiving. Here are some of our favorite toys, clothing, and plush turkeys that all feature this fascinating bird!
Turkey Plush With Sound
A soft and realistic plush turkey that just the right size for toddler hands. Little ones will love squeezing this toy bird to hear authentic turkey sounds.
Soft Turkey Onesie
Be sure to get some cute pictures this Thanksgiving of your baby in this darling onesie. Made from a cotton/polyester blend, this little outfit is available in sizes for newborn through 24 months.
Realistic Turkey Farm Toy
A small, realistic toy turkey that can be added to any farm play set. Detailed, lifelike and sturdy enough to withstand lots of imaginary play. You can add to a child's collection with other farm animal toys from the same collection. Head over to the Schleich Store to browse their huge collection of toy animals for hours of imaginary play.
Turkey Construction Stem Toy
This 70-piece toy set offers endless ways for children to build 3-D and flat mosaic turkeys. It comes in a handy tube for a light and easy on-the-go toy for young children. Can be mixed and matched with other sets in the Plus-Plus Stem Toy Collection.
Turkey Sticker Craft
Keep all the kids busy this Thanksgiving with this 24-piece, reusable turkey sticker set. Children can decorate placemats, make pictures, and brighten up the whole house with these safe, colorful turkey stickers that can be used over and over again.
Gund Thanksgiving Turkey
A soft, well-constructed turkey plush by Gund is the perfect Thanksgiving gift for babies and toddlers. This 8-inch gobbler promises hours of snuggle time all season long.
Fascinating Facts about Turkeys
Turkeys take center stage at Thanksgiving day feasts, where the conversation is usually about how the bird was prepared for the meal. If you want to teach you children more about what they are eating, here are some pretty interesting tidbits about what life is like for turkeys who avoid the oven.
- Wild turkeys spend the day on land, but fly up into the trees to sleep. This is the only way they can stay safe from predators at night.
- Turkeys' heads change colors based on their emotional state. They can turn red, blue or white depending on how calm or excited they feel.
- Only male turkeys gobble, which is their mating sound. Other turkey noises include yelps, kee-kees and purrs.
- Turkeys have remarkable vision. They can see three times better than humans and their eyesight spans 270 degrees.
- Approximately 50 million turkeys are consumed each year on Thanksgiving.