We try to be a minimalistic family, but not when it comes to books! And Christmas books are no exception. Each year I gather a few more stories to add to our little box of holiday books, and it’s a wonderful feeling to see that box come down with the Christmas decorations every year. My oldest is reading now and my youngest isn’t far behind, so what a perfect time to tell you all about our favorite Christmas books! Read on for our recommendations and please add your own favorites in the comments. Merry Christmas and happy reading!
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We have collected Christmas books for years, ever since our first child had his first Christmas five years ago. These are the ones we love to read year after year! And hey, do you see how many of these amazing books are written and/or illustrated by women? Woo hoo!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss has got to be on your list! When we were having trouble with our son going through some behavioral difficulties a few years ago, Santa made an extra stop to our house before Christmas and left a handwritten note in this book. It will always be so special to us!
I know it’s a bit goofy but I absolutely adore A Charlie Brown Christmas. The book is beautiful quality and is an excellent synopsis of the movie. This is my favorite holiday story from all of Charles M. Schulz’s cartoons!
Last year we added E. T. A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker to our Christmas book list, because our two year old daughter had a new obsession with the Tchaikovsky ballet. (She still does!) This version, illustrated by Valeria Docampo, is gorgeous and the right length for young to elementary aged children.
And if you’d like the free lesson plan I used to teach my kids about the whole Nutcracker ballet, find it here!
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is one of those classics which has to be on this list of Christmas books. This version is based on the 1964 television special, and is adapted by Rick Bunsen and Arkadia. True to the original, there are a few subtle messages that bother me, like the coach bullying Rudolph and the mom not getting a say in what happens with her only child, so if your kids start to notice those themes then make sure you speak to them about it.
Continuing the old traditional Christmas books is the Little Golden Book version of Frosty the Snowman by Diane Muldrow. My children have a strange fascination with Frosty and his choices! I think the illustrations, by Robbin Cuddy and Josie Lee, reflect the original movie very well.
The Poky Little Puppy’s First Christmas is a cute, quick read and another traditional story. This was a gift and my daughter, who is three, loves the adorable little doggie! Justine Korman is the author and it’s illustrated by Jean Chandler.
The Wild Christmas Reindeer is a jaw-droppingly gorgeous Christmas book for children who can follow a bit longer story. It’s about a child who works with Santa’s reindeer and needs to think of a new strategy to get the team to work together. Ian Brett writes and illustrates this original story.
Is It Christmas Yet? is a cute book with the Little Bear and Daddy Bear we love from Jane Chapman’s other books. I actually do a pretty great Little Bear voice, and it’s a lighthearted way to portray the little ones who just can’t wait for Christmas!
The Polar Express was the book gifted to my kids from my husband and I two years ago. This book is a hardcover of excellent quality and it’s nice to see the original story without all of the movie’s embellishments. Chris Van Allsburg is the original author and illustrator, and while I actually watched the movie (as a middle school band director) before I read the book, I think the book is far superior! Sorry, Tom Hanks. Bonus: this version of the book comes with a free audio download!
We got the Christmas ornament of the Polar Express jingle bell too, which has a button to play an audio clip of the movie. It’s the fiiiirst gift of Christmas!
Everyone who celebrates Christmas needs to have the text to The Night Before Christmas in their home! It’s like a rule. This bright version, illustrated by Henry Fisher, is great to keep children engaged. The text is intact as the original by Clement C. Moore, but it’s broken up to just a line or two on each page, which means lots more illustrations!
Here Comes Christmas! is another little board book which is great for young readers. Caroline Jayne Church has an adorable little rhyme about a child who is wondering what Santa will bring. The pictures include various touchable textures which help engage younger listeners.
We were lucky to receive The Christmas Story, another Little Golden Book, as a gift last year. I definitely want my children to understand the original meaning of Christmas and see the parallels between the birth of Christ and the things we celebrate today. (The North Star which guided the Three Kings becomes the star on our tree; we exchange gifts because the Three Kings brought gifts to offer the Baby Jesus; etc.) This book has great detailed drawings by Eloise Wilkin, and I like that it’s not too “babied down” by author Jane Werner Watson.
Are you familiar with the Little Blue Truck books, by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry? They’re so clever! We adore Little Blue Truck’s Christmas as Blue and Frog prepare for the holidays. As a bonus, the book comes with twinkle lights that integrate into the story!
New to our collection this year is The Donkey in the Living Room, which came out in 2014. I had heard so many great things about this book that I had to add it to our Christmas books. The concept is that each day, you learn about one character in the Nativity. Sarah Raymond Cunningham succeeds in teaching the true meaning of Christmas in a child-friendly way, and the bright pictures by Michael Foster are engaging without being too simplified. There is original content as well as Scripture, and a countdown lets you know when to begin.
There is the official matching nativity set which you can buy here, but we requested one for Christmas last year and love this fourteen-piece set by Little People. We leave it out where the kids can play with it, and it’s unbreakable! Just don’t lose Baby Jesus for three days under the couch like we did. Whoops.
Finally, your older kids will love listening to the original Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. I bought it for myself a few years ago since I adore the Muppet version, and I wanted to see how closely it mimicked the original text. Dickens is clever and entertaining, and you can read the whole thing easily in a week by doing just twenty minutes an evening. (Bonus, it’s only three bucks!) Expand your vocabulary and fall in love with this classic with your kids!
That’s it for our favorite Christmas books! Let me know in the comments what others you love to read with your kids, and merry reading!
And if you’d like to see all of our favorite family-friendly holiday movies, check out our recommendations here!
Click here for our favorite holiday music, in all genres!
And click here for a Santa-letter-writing guide, including a PDF!
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