Pete the Cat The First Thanksgiving

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]Hello friends. This book is Pete the Cat, The First Thanksgiving by Kimberly and James Dean.

[00:00:10]Pete was nervous about being a pilgrim in his class's Thanksgiving play, the first Thanksgiving.

[00:00:17]Just do your best, his friend Callie said.

[00:00:21]Pete said he would try. He was ready.

[00:00:24]His mom had even made him a pilgrim hat, which was really cool.

[00:00:41]Pete took his place at the front of the giant ship that his class had made out of cardboard. Pete was a pilgrim on the Mayflower.

[00:00:53]In 1620, a group of pilgrims decided to leave England for the new world to build a new life. It was a long, long trip on a big big ship. All the pilgrims sang.

[00:01:08]The sea was rough and very dangerous.

[00:01:12]Many pilgrims got very sick.

[00:01:20]The dream of a new start in a new world made the hard trip all worth it. For more than two months, the pilgrims sailed.

[00:01:30]They wondered if they would ever get there.

[00:01:35]After 65 days on the ship, the new world finally came into view.

[00:01:42]Land ho! Pete cried. All the pilgrims did a happy dance.

[00:01:51]The pilgrims arrived in the new world at Plymouth Rock in what is now Massachusetts.

[00:01:57]Everyone had many chores to do like growing food, finding water, and building shelters.

[00:02:09]The first winter in the new world was long and hard.

[00:02:16]In the spring, the pilgrims had to decide whether to give up and go back to England or keep trying.

[00:02:29]The pilgrims had heard about the Native Americans, and many worried that they would not be friendly. Pete had never met a cat he didn't like, so he thought they would be kind.

[00:02:45]Pete was right. He made a new friend in Squanto. Squanto and the other Native Americans showed the pilgrims how to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash.

[00:02:57]By summer, the pilgrims had learned how to farm the new land.

[00:03:08]By fall harvest, the pilgrims had plenty of food. To thank Squanto and the other Native Americans, the pilgrims invited them to share the harvest.

[00:03:18]This celebration became known as the first Thanksgiving.

[00:03:24]Pete was relieved when the play was over. He had remembered all his lines.

[00:03:30]Wow, I never thought about how hard it was back then, said Pete.

[00:03:36]You did great, Callie said.

[00:03:42]Later at Thanksgiving dinner with his family, Pete said, "Let's all go around the table and say something we are thankful for."

[00:03:52]"I'm thankful for my family," said Pete's mom.

[00:04:02]I'm thankful for my skateboard, said Bob.

[00:04:08]I'm thankful for the brave pilgrims that started this new free world, said Pete.

[00:04:15]What are you thankful for?

[00:04:20]What a fun book, friends. And I love that question that it ends on. What are the things that you can think of that you are thankful for? I'm thankful for friends and I'm thankful for books. If you like this story, please give the video a like. Bye-bye.