Thank You by Jarvis

THANK YOU

Written and illustrated by Jarvis

(Candlewick Press; $17.99, Ages 3-7)

It’s easy to recommend Thank You, the joyful new picture book by Jarvis for Thanksgiving and holiday season gift-giving to brighten children’s days.

If you like picture books about gratitude but with a child’s fresh perspective that never fails to delight, add this to your list. The main character with his red pom-pom beanie and the other children he interacts with sees many things to be thankful for in the most unexpected places. Jarvis brings touches of warmth, rhythm, and rhyme to this read-aloud that are complemented by digitally rendered drawings alongside cut-paper illustrations. When I read “I thank the sun for the day” I knew I was in for a treat with the next page turn.

Here’s a clever one: “I thank my boots for knowing the way.” The words are placed as a path and the child navigates their way along it until he discovers a splendid spot to sit under a tree which he thanks for the shade. Sentences with observations such as these sparked my adult imagination so they will no doubt do the same for a child. Jarvis adds whimsy with the torn paper art where patterns and letters can often be seen.

How great that this lovely book with its economy of words still manages to say so much through its excellent examples.Who else but Jarvis would include “I thank the itch for the scratch,” because we all know how thankful we feel when that scratch makes that itch on our back go away! Parents and teachers can take the opportunity to make a craft inspired by the creative spreads and they can also jumpstart conversations about things to be thankful for, big and small. Thank you, Jarvis, for this wonderful reenvisioning of gratitude that invites multiple reads.