I love the Christmas book advent calendar Mrs. Paintbrush blogged about here and plan on doing the same thing with my kids this year, albeit with Kindle books since we don’t have a library or bookstore here. It takes a little bit of the fun out of it not unwrapping a book each night, so I also plan on doing an additional advent calendar. Since we live in a tropical climate now, my kids miss the snow they usually had every year in New York, so I’m trying to make this Christmas a little extra special.
I’ve omitted popular classics like The Polar Express and How the Grinch Stole Christmas that we certainly love, but most of you are already aware of them. So I’ve rounded up 40 great books you may not have heard of that I would love to read this holiday season. My kids are 5 and almost 7 so most of these books are targeted to the 4+ audience, with an eclectic mix of stories that are funny, heartwarming, uplifting, and perfect for the holiday season.
Snowmen at Christmas (3+) – We own Snowmen at Night (there are several books in this series), which my kids thoroughly enjoy with its rhyming verse, whimsical illustrations, and best of all hidden images throughout the book. I’m sure the Christmas version about what snowmen do at Christmas will be a hit as well.
The Snowman (3+) – I featured the movie version of this book in my holiday movie roundup. This wordless book first published in 1978 tells the tale of a snowman that comes to life, and my kids adore wordless books because we can switch up the story every time.
How to Catch Santa (4+) – A step by step on how to catch Santa and what questions you’d ask him when you catch him.
The Santa Trap (5+) – Barnaby is a horrible, spoiled kid who gets socks every year on Christmas despite his long wishlist. So he plots all year to get revenge and trap Santa. This book may not be appropriate for younger viewers, but I know that my kids would probably find it hilarious as they love darker fare.
Santa’s Stuck (4+) – A hilarious book about how Santa gets stuck in the chimney and how his animal friends get him free.
Samurai Santa (4+) – Yukio the ninja wants a snowball fight for Christmas but the other ninjas don’t want to participate in case they get on Santa’s naughty list. Snowball fights, ninjas, and graphic-novel style illustrations make this book right up my son’s alley!
How Santa Got His Job (4+) – Santa held many jobs before finally finding his dream job. Each of the jobs he held taught him an important skill that he later used as Santa! Educators love this book because it’s a great springboard to talking about jobs.
Peter Claus and the Naughty List (4+) – Santa’s son Peter finds himself on the naughty list for the second year in a row! Determined to convince his dad otherwise, Peter rounds up all the other kids on the naughty list to make his case!
Gingerbread Pirates (4+) – Captain Cookie the gingerbread pirate tries to rescue his cookie crew from the cannibal Santa! A fun adventure with great illustrations and a traditional Christmas story ending.
A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas (3+) – A pirate themed twist on the classic Night Before Christmas tale. There’s also a Pirate’s 12 Days of Christmas version by the same author. If knights are more your speed, The Knights Before Christmas is great!
A Bad Kitty Christmas (4+) – We own another book in the Bad Kitty series that my kids find hilarious. Bad Kitty is back and unhappy that she didn’t get enough gifts, but she soon comes to understand the true meaning of Christmas.
Merry Christmas Splat (3+) – We love sweet Splat and its gorgeous illustrations. Splat wonders if he’s been good enough to be on Santa’s good list and does extra good deeds to make sure. He ends up with the best present ever which is left up to your imagination!
Charlie and the Christmas Kitty (4+) – Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman pens this delightful story about her basset hound Charlie and his unexpected gift of a Christmas kitty.
Stick Man (3+) – We’re huge Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler fans so I’m sure we will love this book! Stick Man is carried far from his home by a dog that wants to play fetch. Follow his journey as he’s used as everything from a boomerang to snowman’s arm to almost being firewood before he finally returns home with the help of Santa.
There was an old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell (3+) – A twist on There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly, this is a funny Christmas edition. We own the Halloween version that the kids love because it’s a silly fun read aloud. There is also a snow version that’s appropriate for the holiday season.
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (3+) – A clever, silly, fun twist on the classic tale.
Christmas in America (4+) – Ellis the Elephant is an educational book series that explores American history. This edition shares how Christmas has been celebrated by going back in time to several historic events in American history.
Christmas with the Mousekins (3+) – A charming story about the Mousekin family who is busy with all the preparations in the 2 weeks leading up to Christmas.
The Littlest Christmas Tree (3+) – The Littlest Christmas Tree’s greatest wish is to be adopted by a family, decorated, and to sing its favorite song “Oh Christmas Tree.” As Christmas Eve passes he’s afraid his wish won’t come true, but of course it does!
An Otis Christmas (3+) – We love the sweet tale and beautiful illustrations of the original Otis, and this Christmas edition keeps in line with the same heartwarming spirit.
My Penguin Osbert (4+) – A little boy writes to Santa asking for a penguin named Osbert, and gets it! A beautifully illustrated book filled with many lessons.
The Animal’s Santa (3+) – Jan Brett’s (The Mitten) stories and illustrations are always a big hit with my kids and I’m sure this will be no different. Other Christmas themed books by Jan Brett include Gingerbread Christmas, Christmas Trolls, Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve, and The Wild Christmas Reindeer.
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree (4+) – This classic first published in 1963 is one of my favorite Christmas books to read each year. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree is too tall, so the top is chopped off and given away. This pattern continues until many people and animals can enjoy their very own perfectly sized Christmas tree.
The Little Christmas Elf (2+) -Nina the elf is working on a teddy bear but doesn’t finish it in time for it to make it onto Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. But a baby is born that night while Santa is delivering presents so he returns for Nina and the bear to deliver it to the newborn.
It’s a Small World (3+) – Growing up in Southern California I’ve always loved the It’s a Small World ride at Disneyland. This Disney book covers holiday traditions around the world including my birth country, South Korea!
The Little Match Girl (5+) – This classic tale is very sad as the little match girl dies so I wouldn’t recommend it for younger readers. However Charlie loves this book and it has provided a good springboard to talk about poverty and generosity.
Nutcracker (6+) – The classic ballet with beautiful illustrations by Maurice Sendak. At 120 pages it may be too long for younger readers.
An Orange for Frankie (6+) – A touching story about a family that doesn’t have much, but still shares what they have with others.
The Jolly Christmas Postman (4+) – The Jolly Postman features real letters and small gifts on each page that are addressed to classic fairytale characters like Little Red Riding Hood, Gingerbread Boy, Humpty Dumpty. We love interactive books like this!
The Smallest Gift of Christmas (3+) – We’re big fans of Peter Reynold’s books and simple illustrations. Roland is disappointed when he sees the smallest gift ever awaiting him on Christmas morning so he wishes for something much, much, bigger, only to realize that he already had the best gift all along – his family.
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas (3+) – We pretty much love every book in the Fancy Nancy series and have been reading this one for years.
A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree (4+) – An overgrown pine tree longs to be a Christmas tree but he is too big. So his friends decorate him while he is asleep and he sees how much he is loved. I’ve downloaded this as part of my Kindle Unlimited membership!
The Christmas Wish (3+) – This beautifully photographed Nordic story tells the tale of Anja who meets a variety of animals on her way to become one of Santa’s elves. A New York Times bestselling book that’s a little different than the illustrated picture books out there. The Reindeer Wish is a follow-up to this book.
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (6+) – In general I avoid books with religious undertones because we aren’t religious, and woodworker Jonathan Toomey carves a nativity scene in this book. But with such a rich story and beautiful illustrations, I’d love to add this modern day classic to our Christmas library.
Snowflakes Pop Up Book (3+) – What kid doesn’t love snowflakes and pop up books!
Jingle Bells: A Magical Cut-Paper Edition (4+) – The classic Christmas carol Jingle Bells is brought to life with the help of beautifully intricate cut paper. There is also a Night Before Christmas as well as Nutcracker version of this book as well.
The Night Before Christmas: A Brick Story – A Lego-themed twist on the ultimate Christmas Eve classic.
I kept discovering more and more books as I wrote this post that I couldn’t leave out.
- All I Want for Christmas is You (3+)
- When Santa was a Baby (3+)
- Santa’s Underwear (3+)
- Here Comes Santa Cat (3+)
- The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas (3+)
- Home Alone: The Classic Illustrated Storybook (4+)
- Christmas in the Big Woods (Little House on the Prairie (4+)
- Christmas Farm (4+)
- Auntie Claus (4+)
- Snow and Blizzard (4+)
- The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale About the Rockefeller Tree (5+)
- An Invisible Thread Christmas Story (5+)
- The Story of Holly and Ivy (5+)
- The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story (5+)
- Memoirs of an Elf (6+)
What are your favorite holiday picture books?
guest
Great list!!! Thank you so much for putting it together