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Giving Thanks

How Thanksgiving Became a National Holiday

Author Denise Kiernan
Illustrated by Jamey Christoph
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Philomel Books
On sale Sep 27, 2022 | 32 Pages | 9780593404416
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The beautifully illustrated true story of how Thanksgiving became a national holiday in America, of Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who made the holiday happen, and of the role of gratitude the world over. Marvelously brought to life by the New York Times bestselling author Denise Kiernan.

All across the world, among hundreds of cultures and across centuries, people have come together to give thanks. But Americans didn’t have an official Thanksgiving holiday until the 1800s. The holiday Americans know today exists because of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, a spirited letter-writing campaign, a sympathetic president, and a civil war.  
 
This beautifully illustrated picture book shares the true story of how Thanksgiving became a national American holiday and offers a look at the timeless and global power of gratitude.
© Lisa Dumont
Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist and producer who has worked as a writer for more than 20 years. Her last two books—The Last Castle and The Girls of Atomic City—were both instant New York Times bestsellers in both hardcover and paperback. The Last Castle was a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a finalist for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. The Girls of Atomic City was a Los Angeles Times and NPR bestseller, named one of Amazon’s “Top 100 Best Books of 2013,” and has been published in multiple languages. Kiernan has been a featured guest on many radio and television shows, including NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” PBS NewsHour, MSNBC’s Morning Joe and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. View titles by Denise Kiernan
JAMEY CHRISTOPH is the illustrator of several picture books, including Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution, Bones in the White House: Thomas Jefferson's Mammoth, and Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America. He has also created illustrations that have appeared in the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle and has received distinguished recognition from the Society of Illustrators. Jamey lives in Ohio with his partner and their dog. See more of his work at jameychristoph.com and follow him on Instagram at @jameychristoph. View titles by Jamey Christoph

About

The beautifully illustrated true story of how Thanksgiving became a national holiday in America, of Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who made the holiday happen, and of the role of gratitude the world over. Marvelously brought to life by the New York Times bestselling author Denise Kiernan.

All across the world, among hundreds of cultures and across centuries, people have come together to give thanks. But Americans didn’t have an official Thanksgiving holiday until the 1800s. The holiday Americans know today exists because of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, a spirited letter-writing campaign, a sympathetic president, and a civil war.  
 
This beautifully illustrated picture book shares the true story of how Thanksgiving became a national American holiday and offers a look at the timeless and global power of gratitude.

Author

© Lisa Dumont
Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist and producer who has worked as a writer for more than 20 years. Her last two books—The Last Castle and The Girls of Atomic City—were both instant New York Times bestsellers in both hardcover and paperback. The Last Castle was a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a finalist for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. The Girls of Atomic City was a Los Angeles Times and NPR bestseller, named one of Amazon’s “Top 100 Best Books of 2013,” and has been published in multiple languages. Kiernan has been a featured guest on many radio and television shows, including NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” PBS NewsHour, MSNBC’s Morning Joe and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. View titles by Denise Kiernan
JAMEY CHRISTOPH is the illustrator of several picture books, including Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution, Bones in the White House: Thomas Jefferson's Mammoth, and Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America. He has also created illustrations that have appeared in the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle and has received distinguished recognition from the Society of Illustrators. Jamey lives in Ohio with his partner and their dog. See more of his work at jameychristoph.com and follow him on Instagram at @jameychristoph. View titles by Jamey Christoph

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