Children of all ages will delight in this ultimate collection of Christmas books. Cinnamon and evergreen spices waif through the house and little ones are snuggled up next to the tree reading books of Christmas.
Disclosure: Affiliate links are included to Amazon in this post.
Selecting the best Christmas book for your child.
I know they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but I challenge you to do just that. Think about the stories you want to share with your child. Do you want a tale from another land? Are you looking for an outdoor, natural Christmas tale? or Are you drawn to the fun whimsical drawings?
Try to choose a variety of artistic styles. I lean towards the natural feel, but my son loves the whimsical illustrations.
Even the youngest babies will enjoy snuggling on a loved one’s lap this holiday season. Select a sturdy board book they can gnaw and hold without worrying about damaging the pages.
Toddlers will love the lift-the-flap books and interactive stories as well.
Storing Christmas Books:
We like to store our seasonal books with decorations. This, however, does not work with Christmas books as we have so many (3 large bags full). Instead, I have a designated space in one of our closets for our Christmas book bags. We like to bring them out the day after Thanksgiving. It is a wonderful treat as the children will sit and read these for hours.
You may also want to consider a Christmas book basket.
Using Christmas Books
Admittedly, the holiday season is busy. Between class and work parties, visits to Santa and trips to the store, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas.
Making time to slow down and read out loud to my children really helps us make meaningful connections every day in December. Children need these connections with family. It will help them better cope with the stresses of the season.
- Set time aside for reading every day with your child.
- Make it special with reading extras like hot cocoa and a roaring fire.
- Wrap and give a book for every day of December. Use this as a countdown to Christmas.
- Donate holiday books to a local school or charity in need.
You can use these books to go along with our Christmas Book Advent Calendar!
Christmas Books for Kids
Click on the image or the title for a longer description of the book.
- The Polar Express
- Merry Christmas, Mr. Mouse
- The Littlest Elf
- The Littlest Christmas Tree
- Tree of Cranes
- A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas
- ‘Twas Nochebuena
- Snowmen at Christmas
- How Santa Got His Job
- Mooseltoe
- Olive, the Other Reindeer
- N Is for Navidad
- The Night Before Christmas hardcover: The Classic Edition, The New York Times bestseller
- Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons
- The Miracle of the First Poinsettia: A Mexican Christmas Story
- Gingerbread Mouse
- Grace at Christmas
- Pocket’s Christmas Wish
- A Magical Christmas
- Charlie and the Christmas Kitty (Charlie the Ranch Dog)
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Pablo’s Christmas
- A Night in Santa’s Great Big Bag
- Yoon and the Christmas Mitten
- The Nutcracker’s Night Before Christmas
- The Animals’ Santa
- Santa Claus and the Three Bears
- Goodnight Santa: The Perfect Bedtime Book (Goodnight Series)
- Five Busy Elves
- A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas
- A Very Merry Christmas
- Christmas Mice! (Green Light Readers Level 1)
- The Littlest Christmas Star
- Everett Anderson’s Christmas Coming
- The Christmas Quiet Book
- Just Right for Christmas
- Twas the Night Before Christmas: Edited by Santa Claus for the Benefit of Children of the 21st Century
- The Wild Christmas Reindeer
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Classic Seuss)
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- The Christmas Owl: Based on the True Story of a Little Owl Named Rockefeller
- How to Catch an Elf
- The Tree That’s Meant to Be
- All the Colors of Christmas
- Under the Christmas Tree
- 12 Days of Christmas (The Christmas Choir)
- The Jolly Christmas Postman
- The Nutcracker
- Jan Brett’s The Nutcracker
- How to Catch Santa
- How Winston Delivered Christmas
- Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
Woodland / Natural Christmas Books
53. Donkey’s Christmas Song
54. The Christmas Wish
55. The Reindeer Wish
56. Christmas Day in the Morning
57. The Message of the Birds
58. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
59. The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree
60. Pick a Pine Tree
61. Christmas Farm
62. A Simple Christmas on the Farm
63. Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever
64. Little Red Sleigh
Christmas Books with Your Favorite Characters
65. Merry Christmas, Mouse! (If You Give…)
66. Llama Llama Jingle Bells
67. The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever
68. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) (Little Golden Book)
69. Frosty the Snowman (Frosty the Snowman) (Little Golden Book)
70. Merry Christmas Mom and Dad (A Golden Look-Look Book)
71. Tractor Mac Saves Christmas
72. An Otis Christma
73. Little Blue Truck’s Christmas
74. Clifford’s Christmas
75. Biscuit’s Pet & Play Christmas
76. Bear Stays Up for Christmas (The Bear Books)
77. Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho!
78. Frozen Olaf’s Night Before Christmas Book & CD
79. Disney Christmas Storybook Collection
80. The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish (A Pout-Pout Fish Adventure)
81. Doc McStuffins A Very McStuffins Christmas
82. The Very Snowy Christmas
83 It’s Christmas, David
84. Here Comes Santa’s Cat
85. The Crayons Christmas
86. Construction Site on Christmas Night
Religious Christmas Books
87. The Christmas Story
88. The Animals’ Christmas Eve (Little Golden Book)
89. God Gave Us Christmas
90. Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale
91. God Bless Our Christmas
92. A Christmas Prayer
93. The Parable Series: The Pine Tree Parable
94. This Is the Stable
95. Who Is Coming to Our House? (Board Book)
96. The Animals Speak: A Christmas Eve Legend
97. Silent Night (The Christmas Choir)
98. Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
99. The Story of Christmas
100. Christmas in the Manger
We made it to 100 Christmas Books every child should read before they turn 10!
Christmas Board Books for Babies and Toddlers
- Is It Christmas Yet?
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Christmas 123
- Dream Snow
- The Itsy Bitsy Snowman
- Grandma’s Christmas Wish
- The Christmas Baby (Classic Board Books)
- Lift-the-Flap Tab: Santa’s Workshop (Lift-the-Flap Tab Books)
- J Is for Jesus: The Sweetest Story Ever Told
- Splat the Cat: Christmas Countdown
- Bright Baby Touch & Feel Merry Christmas (Bright Baby Touch and Feel)
- Merry Christmas, Little One! (Padded Cloth Covers with Lift-the-Flaps)
- Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present?: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Books)
- My First Christmas Board Book (My 1st Board Books)
- Pop-Up Peekaboo: Christmas!
- Baby Touch and Feel: Christmas (Baby Touch & Feel)
- Duck & Goose, It’s Time for Christmas! (Oversized Board Book)
- Fisher-Price Little People: The Story of Christmas (Boardbooks – Board Book)
- The Nativity Story (Candle Bible for Kids)
- The Story of Christmas
- Olivia Helps with Christmas (Classic Board Books)
- Merry Christmas, Curious George
- Llama Llama Holiday Drama
Our Readers Favorite Christmas Books for Kids
Edited – Our online friends have chimed in that some of their favorites were missing! If we left out yours feel free to comment on the post below to let us know what YOUR favorite Christmas books are!!!!
- Night Tree
- The Classic Edition, The New York Times Bestseller The Night Before Christmas
- (Illustrate by Gennady Spirin) The Night Before Christmas
- The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Richard Johnson
- Santa’s Book of Names
- A Kenyan Christmas: 2nd Edition (Akinyi and Friends)
- That’s Not Santa! (Hello Reader (Level 1)
- The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson
- Secret Santas And The Twelve Days of Christmas Giving by Courtney Petruzzelli
- Mr. Boddington’s Studio: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
- 12 Days of Christmas (The Christmas Choir) by Lara Hawthorne
Downloadable Christmas Book List
If you’d like, you can print out this Christmas book list and keep it handy on your visit to the library or perhaps as a gift guide as you’re buying gifts this Christmas. Books make the best gifts that last for years and years reading together.
Christmas Book Activity Extension Ideas
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Love your book list! I was just laughing with my daughter. She is 12 and I told her it would be great idea to grab the books she hasn’t read yet and read to little cousins. That way it’s a 2 for 1! Thank you for sharing.
Another wonderful book to add is A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea. It is such a sweet and tender story.
Also Holly Hobbie’s Toot and Puddle series has two holiday books including I’ll Be Home For Christmas and Let it Snow.
Beautiful illustrations and endearing characters.
Love this list!!! I am a special education teacher, who recently self-published a book, “The Night The Elves Took Back Christmas”, which teaches children the lesson of accountability, when Santa sends in “the Repo Elves” to take back gifts from Children who misbehaved. It’s been well received, and I think your audience might appreciate it!
Can you recommend a site where I can copy and paste a list of Christmas books for small children? I’m buying for Toys for Tots and your site doesn’t provide that.
What type of list are you looking for Karen? Is this to take to the store with you? What are the specific ages you’re shopping for? I’d love to create one for you if you provide me with more details. Happy Holidays!
Twas the Evening of Christmas by Glenys Nellist is quite good for your religious section.