When I was young, I loved snuggling with my mom and reading Christmas books. The Grinch and Santa Mouse were my favorites and I had every word memorized.
As a young mother, I saw so many Christmas advents based around Christmas picture books. I wanted 25 cute Christmas books. And I wanted them right away!
I started collecting and being gifted Christmas books, but every year when Christmas came - I found myself cringing through every book I read to my kids. They were boring, repetitive, or even crass.
I decided on a slower approach to Christmas books. Instead of buying every book with Santa on the cover, I wanted to find books that were beautifully illustrated, well-written and a joy to read. And most of all, I wanted books that pointed to the Savior.
While this list of picture books does include books about Santa and other Christmas traditions, we wanted to create a resource for you with books that you will WANT to read to your children. These books are a delight, and feel like a special treat to get out each December.
Some of them are old or out of print, so be sure to check the library or used book stores if they're hard to find on Amazon.
In addition to favorite picture books, we included our favorite Christmas chapter books to read aloud with your whole family, and our favorite audiobooks. We'd love to hear your other recommendations! Please comment with your favorite Christmas books and stories.
Picture Books:
1. Night Tree by, Eve Bunting
2. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomy by, Susan Wojciechowski
3. The Little Fir Tree by, Margaret Wise Brown
4. The Tale of Three Trees retold by, Angela Elwell Hunt
5. We Believe in Christmas by, M. Weber Longoria
6. The Very First Christmas by, Paul Maier
7. The Crippled Lamb by, Max Lucado
8. An Orange for Frankie by, Patricia Polacco
9. The Gift of the Magi by, O. Henry
10. Silent Night- A Christmas Carol is Born by, Maureen Brett Hooper
11. The Trees of the Dancing Goats by, Patricia Polacco
12. Gingerbread Baby by, Jan Brett
13. The Legend of Old Befana by, Tomie dePaola
14. The Legend of the Poinsettia by, Tomie dePaola
15. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree : An Appalachian Christmas Story by, Gloria Houston
16. Hark: A Christmas Sampler by Jane Yolen
17. One Starry Night by, Lauren Thompson and Jonathan Bean
18. Nativity by, J Kirk Richard
19. Prairie Christmas by, Elizabeth Van Steenwyk
20. I Believe in Santa Claus by, Diane G. Adamson
21. The Christmas Train by, Thomas S. Monson
22. Christmas Day in the Morning by, Pearl S. Buck
23. Holly and Ivy by, Rumer Godden and Barbara Cooney
24. Great Joy by, Kate DiCamillo
25. The Money We’ll Save by, Brock Cole
Read-alouds:
The Trees Kneel at Christmas by, Maud Hart Lovelace
The Family Under the Bridge by, Natalie Savage Carlson
The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever by, Barbara Robinson
Letters From Father Christmas by, J.R.R. Tolkien
(Free) Christmas Poetry Family Guide by, Seek Learning Home
Audiobooks:
Christmas Hirelings Mary Elizabeth Braddon (Author), Richard Armitage (Narrator)
Christmas Carol and Other Favorites Jim Weiss (Narrator)
(Free) The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, by Amelia C. Houghton
Maestro Classics: The Nutcracker performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra, narrated by Jim Weiss