Have you noticed yet that I have a deep love for illustrated children’s books? Whether we’re in a toy store, at the library, on Amazon or in a real bookstore, I am always drawn toward the picture book section. I love the sweet stories and am absolutely captured by the illustrations.
At Christmastime, we pull out our bins of ornaments and nutcrackers, wreaths and the nativity set and it always feels like a special surprise to rediscover our favorite Christmas books. I suppose we could keep them out all year, but it’s kind of fun to bring them out especially for this time of year.
If you are looking for a few new options to add to your Christmas book library, I’ve put together a list of my very favorite Christmas children’s books.
Some are classics, a few are brand new this year. Each one has a wintery feel and adorable illustrations (except one – The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – but it made the list because it is a read-aloud favorite!)
So in no particular order, here are 27 Favorite Christmas Picture Books:
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Toot & Puddle I’ll Be Home For Christmas
Learning To Ski With Mr. Magee
How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Do you have a favorite for Christmas that isn’t on my list? I’d love to hear!
P.S. For more picture book recommendations, here is my list of 48 must-have children’s books to add to your collection.
A Small Miracle by Peter Collington. A true “picture book” with no words only beautiful pictures that tell a story that you can make a new version any time you “read” it. One of my favorites.
Once There Was a Christmas Tree by Jerry Smath is our family favorite! It’s a sweet story with beautiful pictures. Love your list!!
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree (my eyes well up every time I finish that one!) by Gloria Houston and The Reindeer Christmas by Moe Price.
I agree with the librarian and add 2 more as well, Hey Mr. Angel by Christine Harder Tangvald, and
The True Gift by Patricia MacLachlan & Brian Floca (very touching short chapter book with pictures). Have a Merry Christmas !
Oh I almost forgot a beautiful one filled with photographs- The Little Book of Snowflakes by Kenneth Libbrecht. I have the 2004 book and see he has 2 others. I haven’t picked those up but the 2004 for I can vouch for and say it is simply a lovely book.
I just ordered three of these, thanks for the suggestions! I would highly recommend “Wake up Bear, it’s Christmas”… I promise you will not be disappointed. The watercolor illustrations are gorgeous.
Love the list! I also was reminded of old favorites and am eager to share them with my kids. Two additions I wholeheartedly recommend are The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown and The Crack of Dawn Walkers by Amy Hest.
My favorite Christmas book of all time is Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer. Humphrey is a camel, and the illustrations of him are not only beautiful but pack so much personality into this camel! It also has a beautiful story of the first ever Christmas. I just sent a copy to my sister’s family because I had to share this great book with someone 😊
The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell
The message of this book is so wonderful. It’s witty, engaging and fun. I leave it out on the coffee table as a reminder for all of us during the Christmas season. Good for mid to late elementary ages, teens and adults!
Thanks for such a terrific list and thanks for the suggestions from those who left comments. I love that you included The Nutcracker with Maurice Sendak’s illustrations! And I understand why it is close to your heart. It is close to mine as well as my aunt, Larae Hacall, has been the costume shop manager for PNB for the past 30 years. She gifted that gorgeous book to me many years ago and it is always prominently displayed during the season.
Thanks Emily! Every year I order a bunch of Christmas books from the library and we read one each day in December until Christmas. There were some new ones on here I added to our list. One of my favorites as a child was “The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher” by Robert Kraus. It’s one my children request often too. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Christmas in Exeter Street and Cranberry Christmas are two of our favourites.
My favorite was the nutracracker. this book list makes me feel nostalgic
Oh my goodness, the Jolly Christmas Postman is my favorite from childhood! I’d almost forgotten it until I saw it on your list. Definitely one I’ll purchase when we have kids.
Hands down, my favorite christmas story for YEARS has been “the christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey”- please if there is no other book you get this year- get this one and read it. it is such a wonderful story!
“The Story of Holly and Ivy” by Rumer Godden and “Auntie Claus” by Elise Primavera are our must-reads every holiday season!
What a great list. The book entitled Mice Skating caught my eye. It looks so cute! At work, my department is “adopting” a family of 7 who recently moved to the U.S. from Africa. They have five daughters ranging in age from 2 to 12. They have very little (one queen bed that most of them sleep in, plus two couches for two of the girls, very little winter clothing, etc.). I think I will buy the children some books, and will look for some of your recommendations to include. Thank you!
Why Christmas Trees Aren”t Perfect
I agree with Cindy B–those are both on my favorites list. Also, Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco is a very touching story.
Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray and Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble are also wonderful!
I’d better stack up my collection and compare my children’s Christmas books to yours! I say that they’re for my grandchildren, but I just love the books, too!
Love your list of Christmas books! One that is often hard to find is “Star Mother’s Youngest Child” by Louise Moeri, and beautifully illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Every Christmas Eve, my husband would sit the children down on the couch to read the story of the birth of the babe from the bible and a Christmas storybook before they went to bed. Star Mother was one that was loved well into adulthood by our children and as our grandchildren have gotten older, it’s now read to them as well.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree!
Hello there – As a mom & a second grade teacher I also love collecting holiday books. I have quite the collection of Jan Brett books – Christmas Trolls and the Christmas Reindeer are great books. I also love reading Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas tree every year to my class. I bet you would love it too! Merry Christmas !
Thank you for this! I have great grand nephews who need Christmas gifts from their aunt. I love to give books, especially for Christmas because books were always among my most favorite gifts. Some of these sound really perfect.
“One Wintry Night” written by Ruth Bell Graham, illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson – This is a story both children and adults love. It is a story about God’s redeeming love with a unique version of the Christmas story. The illustrations are beautiful!
Thanks for this, Emily! It’s a great help as I was just trying to come up with gifts for my little nieces and nephews.
I also love The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. My other favorite is the now apparently out of print Mousehole Cat. The Donkey’s Dream is (unlike me) more religious, but as a kid I adored the luminous illustrations by Barbara Helen Berger (Grandfather Twilight, Gwinna.)
Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree and The Night Tree.
As a librarian, I have two for your list. :)
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck: http://a.co/3H7iBrK
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski: http://a.co/0mSo5gy
Merry Christmas to y’all!
One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham
I purchased these two books for my daughters last year for Christmas.
“The Story of the Snowflake and Inkdrop” by Pierdomenico Baccalario it’s such an original story.
“Snow Bunny’s Christmas Gift” by Rebecca Harry the pages sparkle (I bet Audrey would love it) and it’s such a sweet story.
Thanks for sharing your favorites.
Merry Christmas!
Two more that I loved reading with my littles – Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear and Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree :)
A Christmas tradition I have with my children is getting them both a Christmas book each year for Christmas. They are young so I have so many new memories with them each year. So now what I do is before I pack up the Christmas books with the Christmas decorations, I sit down and write memories of them for that Christmas in the book I gave them (wherever I can find room to write!): It’s like a little journal of that child’s Christmas: What Santa brought them, their favorite Christmas song that year, their favorite Christmas gift, where we went to celebrate Christmas, etc. It’s been fun to read about the memories and enjoy our favorite Christmas books during the holiday season.
I try to do this for every holiday, but nobody’s perfect. I look forward to when they grow up passing on all their books with memories included!
“The Sweet Smell of Christmas” by Patricia M. Scarry… It has the added benefit of being a scratch and sniff. I remember reading it to my little brother and my three kids. Time to order another new one for the grandsons…as the “scratchers” are worn out!
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree has always been a favorite in our home!
Olivia helps with Christmas! So good!
Emily, you totally could write and illustrate a children’s book! Have you thought about that before? I’d buy it! This is a lovely selection. I have long collected children’s Christmas books too. Even though all my children are grown!
I think you will love “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey”. Also, especially considering your road trip and today’s socio-political climate, “The Christmas Menorahs” is so relevant!