Little Mole Gives Thanks by Glenys Nellist. Illustrated by Sally Garland

In this fourth book of author Glenys Nellist’s Little Mole series, Little Mole is preparing a fancy forest feast for some very important guests. With Mama’s help, Little Mole sets the table, places chairs with name tags around it, and prepares pinecone pie, acorn stew, and mushroom soup. When Little Lark, Little Squirrel and Little Mouse inquire about who the special seats are for, Little Mole responds, “Oh – you’ll soon see. Someone very important.”

When everything is ready, Little Mole waits in anticipation for his important guests to arrive. But when they do show up, each one makes an excuse not to attend the feast – Principal Porcupine has an event at the school, Firefighter Fox needs to clean his fire truck and Mayor Moose has a city council meeting. 

Little Mole is disappointed and wonders what to do with the feast. But he need not have worried! Little Lark, Little Squirrel and Little Mouse had witnessed the rejections and felt sad for him. As Little Mole looks at his caring friends, he knows what to do! 

“These special seats are for YOU! Now, run, invite all your friends! I want my table to be full!” he says. And it is! As the creatures of the forest gather around Little Mole’s table – “the fanciest forest feast ever!” – they offer thanks for family and friends. 

Illustrator Sally Garland’s winsome artwork and author Nellist’s charming story touch on themes of disappointment, friendship, belonging and welcoming. Little Mole’s desire for his table to be full echoes Jesus’ parable of the great banquet in which the master tells his servant, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full” (Luke 14:23). 

The book concludes with instructions for how children and their parents and caregivers can plan their own fancy forest feast. (Beaming Books)