(Plus one bonus NEW Christmas book that is a must)
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to pull out our big bin of Christmas books and swap out our book baskets. I love cozying up with my kids and reading our favorite tales year after year- it is one thing that always puts me in the Christmas spirit.
We’ve acquired a pretty large collection over the years, and of course all of the staples are included, but we also have some lesser known titles that are favorites of my kids, and I thought I’d share them.
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Santa Claus the World’s Number One Toy Expert
Marla Frazee is one of my favorite author/illustrators. We have so many of her books on my shelf, and it was such a joy to find out that she had written a Christmas book. It’s wonderful. Funny and witty with charming illustrations, we actually gave it to Charlotte for her birthday last year in February. (Yes, February. Despite the fact that we have never made a big deal about him, kid LOVES Santa. If you follow me on Instagram, you know she was Santa for Halloween this year.)
A Small Miracle
This is my favorite, favorite Christmas book. But, be forewarned, it will absolutely make you cry (in a really good way). Even though it is wordless, this book is emotional and hopeful and beautiful. If you’re looking to teach your kids about the way to care for others, and also maybe have a conversation about the true meaning of the Christmas season, this one is for you. Seriously. If you buy one book off of this list- let this be the one you add to your collection.
Guess Who’s Coming to Santa’s For Dinner
I’m of the belief that no kids’ book list would be complete without at least one book by Tomie de Paola. He wrote so many beautiful Christmas books that it’s hard to choose just one, but this title is a favorite of all of my kids. It’s a silly one- the premise is that Santa is hosting a dinner party.
Christmas Farm
Another sweet story, this one about an intergenerational friendship between Wilma and her 5 year old neighbor Parker who decide to grow Christmas trees together. The book follows them year after year, and it’s just lovely.
The Action Bible Christmas
William and G both love The Action Bible with it’s graphic novel style illustrations, so when I saw they had a Christmas version, it quickly became part of our collection. It’s got 25 stories about the birth of Christ. Just note, that while the illustration style is the same, the format is different- a traditional 2 page spread per story. My kids still love it.
Letters from Father Christmas
It’s Tolkien for Christmas!
Did you know that every year J.R.R Tolkien wrote his kids letters from the North Pole? All of the letters, compiled with his own drawings, detail the doings of Father Christmas and his companions. They are every bit as delightful, imaginative, and detailed as you would expect.
A bonus Christmas book for your list:
This one might have been on your to-purchase list last year when it released, but The Night the Saints Saved Christmas sold out entirely before Advent even started. So this is your reminder to get the hottest Christmas book from one of my very favorite authors now, before it sells out again. You won’t be sorry.
You can check out my past Christmas book lists here and here.
Let me know if you’ve got any favorites that we’re missing ! Happy Reading!
These are all new to me, thanks for the recommendations.
I know you are a well read person, so I am not going to mention obvious recs here like Barbara Coomey’s illutrated Christmas books.
A childhood favorite with me is: The Good Little Christmas Tree by
Ursula Moray Williams, Gillian Tyler (Illustrator).
Beautiful classic illustrations and a sweet story of generosity in contrast to selfishness.