I'm grateful for a lot of things this time of year - including but not limited to the incredible #kidsbookstagram community I have found since I started this project 6 months ago. So to say thanks to all of you and with apologies to or gratitude for Eileen Spinelli, author of the picture book Thankful, I have written this …

Books are thankful for readers who read;

parents and kids for teachers who lead.

Teachers are grateful for students who grow

And students for each new thing that they know.

Librarians are grateful for circulation.

And book clubs for lots of good conversation.

Kids are grateful for stories each night. 

Readers are grateful for authors who write

And writers are grateful for artists who draw.

We’re all glad for visionaries who share what they saw.

We’re grateful for weekends that are “all booked,”

for big holiday meals that are lovingly cooked.

For each follow, bookstagrammers are glad

And are happy to show you the coffee they had.

Activists are grateful for movement and change

And for books that teach progress for every age range

New chapters are grateful for each page turn.

New ideas are grateful when we’re willing to learn.

We’re grateful for beautiful teeming bookshelves

And for the chance to learn about each other and ourselves.

For “Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors” 

and piles of books on our bedroom floors. 

Academics are glad for the work of each scholar;

literacy non-profits for each dollar.

Booksellers are grateful for each of their sales;

story time leaders for captivating tales.

Podcast fans for each episode that’s new.

And me? I’m ever so grateful for you.