Listmania! Best Christmas Books for Kids
Christmas books aren’t only for Christmas, you know! But, they can help children understand a sometimes overwhelming time of year. And the best books of all teach them that there is more to the Christmas spirit than just presents under the tree.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Sweet Smell of Christmas (Scented Storybook)
The 12 Days of Christmas (Pop-Up Book)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Love the Grinch. Love. Him.
The Crippled Lamb?? Come on…is the subtitle “Book Margaret has never heard of but will make her bawl like a baby”???
Ihave never heard of that one. And I can’t click on the link. Just can’t.
Thank you for the book list; I will spend a happy day in the bookstore feasting my eyes and tweaking my Christmas list.
Our own family favorite is A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas; our preferred edition is illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
I can also recommend A Stable in Bethlehem: A Christmas Counting Book by Joy Hulme. (Disclaimer: I know the author well, but–well, sorry Joy, but if I didn’t really like your book, I wouldn’t bring it up.) The illustrations are charming, the rhymes are clear and simple–I’m going to get a lot of mileage out of this as a short bedtime story/story-time story for preschoolers.
Several years ago my kids got a Jan Brett treasury of Christmas stories, and it’s wonderful — big, colorful, and full of stories that the kids love.
I also have to plug The Littlest Angel, my favorite when I was a little girl (I won’t say how many decades ago…) which to this day leaves me all verklempt.
One of my favorite Christmas books is A Wish For Wings That work by Berkeley Breathed. It’s surprisingly sweet and endearing (surprising because it *is* Berkeley Breathed). Cannot recommend it enough.
I’ll add Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry. It’s really delightful. About all the people and animals that end up sharing one enormous Christmas Tree. And The Christmas Bear by Henrietta Stickland and Paul Stickland, about a little bear who accidently goes on a visit to Santa’s workshop. Beautiful detailed illustrations in this one. These have become old favorites at our house!
I certainly agree with “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” being on Glinda’s list!
I always liked the old English Christmas ghost stories and The Nutcracker, but then, I’m mental.
Margaret – - I clicked the link for you! From reading the Amazon comments which tell the plot, it seems to me that “The Crippled Lamb” (hard to believe the word ‘crippled’ is used in this day & age) is basically the same story as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. If Glinda thinks this comment gives too much away and to declines post it, I happily defer to her judgement.
OMG, I cannot believe I forgot to put my two cents in for The Father Christmas Letters.
Yea to “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” I remember my mom reading to me when I was in 4th grade…not that I couldn’t read it myself…well, I am from WV.
Anyway, my 5 year old son loves the Grinch as well as many other Dr. Seuss books. I think my favorite Christmas story is the simplest–reading Luke 2 on Christmas Eve by candlelight.
Merry Christmas everyone!