Christmas Books For Kids (The Ultimate Guide)

Gift your child the magical world of reading with one of these amazing Christmas books for kids.

Frost clings to windows, small hands cling to cocoa, advent arrives.

And mama and babies snuggle down beneath quilts to delight in the tradition of reading Christmas stories. The warmth and magic of being together… and reading together the same tattered Christmas book pages is a delight that warms the soul like a candle flickering within.

As mothers and fathers, we get to create the beautiful tradition of reading together throughout the seasons. These are memories that will echo for generations to come.

Reading Christmas books together is part of slowing down and enjoying a simple Christmas together. Don’t miss it!

My young ones and I have traveled the world together through books. Of course, we have a special collection that we savor at Christmastime.

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Anyone can write for adults, but it takes someone truly special to create a book that a child will return to again and again.

Its almost as if a certain magic is required to write for children, and I’m sharing the best of the best with you here! I have put together this elaborate list in hopes you will find a book or two to share with your child this Christmas season.

Christmas Board Books For Babies and Toddlers

Christmas board books for babies and toddlers include any books that are made of firm cardboard and are not easily damaged.

Snowman at Christmas Snowman at Christmas is a delightful book full of frolicky, frosty snowmen who venture out at night to celebrate the birth of a wonderful King. Witty prose and stunning illustrations will lead you to read this one over and over with your kids! And yes, this is a board book, but kids of all ages will certainly enjoy it!

The ABC’s Of Christmas Colorful illustrations walk you through a delightful set of Christmas ABC’s that’s perfect for young learners.

The Story of Christmas This simple board book will guide the smallest hands through the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus Christ! We have loved this simple rendition of Jesus’ birth.

Gingerbread Baby Jan Brett’s books are a feast for the eyes and delightful to read. Gingerbread Baby is the story of a young boy eager to capture his wiley gingerbread baby! Read to the end for a delightful surprise trap. Other amazing Christmas board books by Jane: The Animals Santa, and Gingerbread Friends!

*The Gingerbread books do have pop outs that babies/toddlers can rip, so keep that in mind. But, they are so fun that they are worth the risk though. 😉

Board Books Continued

Bear Stays Up For Christmas Jane Chapman has delighted our family with her “Bear” series books. Bear’s friends keep him up all day with the festivities of Christmas. The next morning delight is found in all the wonderful creatures in this series.

Little Blue Truck’s Christmas Beautifully illustrated with simple prose perfect for little ears, Little Blue Truck’s Christmas is a favorite of ours. We love the gentle introduction of counting and fun blinking lights within.

Three other Christmas board books that celebrate the birth of Jesus you can consider sharing with your young ones: The Christmas Promise Board Book, Christmas at the Manger (which we love!), and The First Christmas Lift a Pop Board.

We can’t forget about everyone’s favorite Rottweiler who is routinely left to babysit the toddler. Carl’s Christmas is full of gorgeous, rich illustrations and is a special read for dog loving families.

Christmas Picture Books For Kids: Grade School (Ages 3ish-10 ish)

It’s truly so hard for me to put ages on books, because my kids love and enjoy them so much that nearly any book of quality will do!

If you are a book enthusiast, you may also experience this! Books are just plain enjoyable all round, despite the age differences. My 3-7 year olds currently love all of these Christmas reads.

These ten picture books have been a delight to my kids and I over the years.

We’ve especially enjoyed Stick Man for it’s lovely prose and vibrant imagery. Merry Christmas Crow is loved for its rich illustrations. And, my kiddos delight in the characters of Toot and Puddle and their Christmas delays (and delights!). God Gave Us Christmas is an excellent way to enjoy the Jesus story in a unique and creative way through the eyes of a polar bear family.

Christmas Classics: Read Out Louds

Here are five Classic Vintage Christmas chapter books for kids that you should consider reading out loud to your kids!

Letters From Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien- My children and I have delighted in the writings of Tolkien. Explore the North Pole with Father Christmas, assisted by the North Polar Bear (who is really more of a hindrance than a help)! This is a collection of letters Tolkien wrote to his children from 1920-1943. Letters from Father Christmas is touching and enjoyable, a true journey into Tolkien’s imagination and clever writing.

A Christmas Carol -by Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol is a classic tale of redemption, hope, appreciation, generosity, and hopefulness. It should sit on every home’s library shelf. And be read every year at Christmas time, a reminder of the hope and joys of the season that can accompany a grateful, kind heart.”

This classic tale is a joy to read out loud as a family every Christmas. And, you could launch into a whole homeschool study on Charles Dickens if you wanted to!

A Tree For Peter– We enjoy reading this hope-filled Christmas story out loud as part of our home school every year. A modern Christmas miracle makes for a good read all year round, but is especially enjoyable at Christmas!

The Nutcracker- There are so many wonderful versions of the Nutcracker. Last year my kids and I read this version by E.T. Hoffman over Christmas break. Consider introducing your kids to the composer Tchaikovsky using My First Tchaikovsky Album or this lovely cd featuring music from every scene within the Nutcracker. The Nutcracker can easily be a gentle unit study of music and literature.

Nancy and Plum- My daughter and I stumbled upon this classic by Betty MacDonald last winter. We are huge fans of MacDonald, who wrote the quirky Ms Piggle Wiggle series (obsessed!).

“Adventure, warmth, unforgettable characters, and unexpected kindness abound in this classic story by Betty MacDonald, which was originally published in 1952.”

*A few shorter Christmas Classics that will be loved: The Night Before Christmas (there are many lovely versions to choose from!) this classic version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Interactive Christmas Books- Age 6+

The Jolly Christmas Postman. My kids LOVE the Jolly Postman, and the Christmas edition is truly a delight. We have a dog eared version from my childhood, well loved throughout the decades. I recommend getting the original version, you can find it on ebay!

Letters From Father Christmas– With Real Pull Out Letters (1995, Tolkien) – Another carryover from my childhood, this is a fun version of Tolkien’s letters to his children. In this version, you can pull out the letters from built in envelopes within the story.

I recommend you find both of these on ebay. They are worth the search! (By the way, shout out to my Mom for filling my childhood with such enjoyable books!).