These Christmas picture books range from sweet to funny to interactive to religious. I tried picking current titles, but some are a little older (published in 2010). I've listed them for you in order from newest to oldest. Enjoy!
This Little Piggy’s Night Before Christmas by Joe Rhatigan (published October 5, 2021)
If your kids love the nursery rhyme “This Little Piggy,” then they’ll love this book that features that same refrain, except it’s a Christmas edition! It also features lines from the famous poem “’The Night Before Christmas.” The piggies are getting ready for bed, but one little piggy can’t sleep because Santa is on his way! Soon, all the piggies are up and hiding, and they actually meet Santa! This fun Christmas story will have your kids anxiously anticipating the night before Christmas.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in California (published October 1, 2021)
If you’re a California resident, or spending the holidays in California, this is a fun book to read to your kids. It covers many of the major cities and landmarks in California such as favorite theme parks, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, and a well-known national park. It’s a great way to expose kids to some geography while also celebrating Christmas!
A Simple Christmas on the Farm by Phyllis Alsdurf (published September 28, 2021)
From the same author who wrote Thanksgiving in the Woods, here is Phyllis Alsdurf’s newest book, which is about Christmas! I loved how the author focused on quality time with family and the inexpensive ways to celebrate the holiday. From baking cookies, to homemade ornaments, to singing in a nursing home, to attending church, there are so many exciting things about Christmas that you can do on a small budget. The back of the book even includes recipes for some of the activities mentioned in the book. Get your blanket and your slippers on and cuddle up with your loved ones when you read this homey book about Christmas.
5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas by Jimmy Fallon (published October 27, 2020)
It’s hard to fall asleep at night when all you can think about are how many days ‘til Christmas! As this cute character counts down the days, he gets everything ready for the best day of the year: doing good deeds to make it onto the nice list, trimming the tree, setting out the cookies and milk, etc. But it’s still so hard to fall asleep at night! Kids will surely relate to this excited character who tries everything he can to pass the time.
Is It Christmas Yet? by Frederick Glasser (published October 20, 2020)
The best way to read a Christmas book is to be a part of the whole experience and lift the flaps! My kids LOVE lift-the-flap books, so I absolutely had to buy this one when I saw it. I loved how it rhymed and had special surprises behind every flap. If your kids love finding out what’s behind each door, then they’ll love reading this book and opening all the flaps!
Here Comes Santacorn by Danielle McLean (published September 15, 2020)
Here’s a new rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Santa doesn’t have anyone to pull his sleigh this Christmas, but guess who comes to the rescue? Santacorn! It’s a Christmas unicorn who saves the holiday this time around! A very adorable story (and a quick read!) for any parents and kids who love unicorns.
Christmas Is Coming! An Advent Book by Chronicle Books (published October 15, 2019)
What’s better than an advent calendar? An advent BOOK calendar! I love this book so much because it gets my kids excited about Christmas AND reading! If you look closely, you’ll see that the cover is full of flaps that lift up. Behind each flap is a special picture that gives you and your kids a preview of what you’ll read about that day. Whether it’s a story, a recipe, or a fun activity, this book will have you and your kids excited and counting down the whole month of December. I highly recommend this one!
Christmas Llama by IglooBooks (published October 1, 2019)
Lucy the llama dreams of snowy winters and pulling Santa’s sleigh, but she lives in warm weather far away from the North Pole. Her llama friends even tell her there’s no way she’ll ever pull Santa’s sleigh. But Lucy has some holiday luck when Santa’s reindeer come down with Christmas Pox and need a warm place to recover. Santa enlists Lucy to help him this Christmas, and she get to experience a dream come true! This story is perfect for little ones who have big dreams and love the snowy magic of Christmas. Parents will love the bouncy, rhyming text that keeps this story upbeat and exciting.
Santa Bruce by Ryan Higgins (published September 4, 2018)
If you need a good laugh this Christmas, here’s the book for you. Bruce the bear just wants to sleep all winter. He doesn’t like fun or cheer or happiness. He just likes sleep. But of course, his forest friends don’t let that happen. When one of them spots him outside wearing a red winter outfit, Bruce is mistaken for Santa Claus! Soon enough, every woodland creature comes to his house telling him what they want for Christmas, and now Bruce is forced into delivering Christmas gifts to everyone! This hilarious book will have your kids laughing when they see the disparity between Bruce’s grumpiness and the forest animals’ happiness. My kids absolutely love this one, and they ask for it again and again!
Don’t Push the Button! A Christmas Adventure by Bill Cotter (published October 3, 2017)
If you want a fun, interactive Christmas story, this is the perfect book for you. The narrator urges the reader to push the button even though you’re not supposed to push it. Suddenly, the main character turns a different color! Then, he urges the reader to push the button twice. Uh oh, now he’s all Christmas-y! The narrator asks kids to push the button, shake the book, and clap their hands all before Santa comes back! It’s a lighthearted story and fun for kids to participate. My boys love this one!
The Christmas Fox by Anik McGrory (published October 18, 2016)
Here’s a sweet story highlighting Jesus’s birth but told through the animals’ perspective. They are trying to get everything ready for the baby: a warm bed of hay, gifts made of wool, songs to sing, and light to shine. But the little fox doesn’t think he has anything to offer the baby. It isn’t until the donkey tells him to “Just come” that the little fox realizes the best gift to offer is one from within. A sweet story to share with little ones and remind them that gifts aren’t always wrapped in boxes and pretty bows. Sometimes the best present is one’s very own presence.
Llama Llama Jingle Bells by Anna Dewdney (published October 21, 2014)
A short, rhyming book that features everyone’s favorite llama. This book is a quick read and includes a lot of fun and festive holiday activities like singing, gift-giving, and cookie decorating. I definitely recommend this one if you are short on time and attention with little ones.
Little Blue Truck’s Christmas by Alice Schertle (published September 23, 2014)
One of my absolute favorite series, here is the Christmas edition of Little Blue Truck! I love how lighthearted this book is, counting up to five and back down all while delivering Christmas trees to friends. The ending has a special light-up surprise that will bring you and your kids all the Christmas joy this holiday season. The sweet rhyming text and the adorable illustrations will have you and your littles reading this book again and again.
Mickey’s Rockin’ Christmas by Phoenix International Publications, Inc. (published July 18, 2012)
If you want to sing Christmas songs while reading to your kids, this book is an absolute must-have! My boys love that it comes with a guitar, and of course, they fight over who can press the buttons haha! But they love this book because they not only get to sing songs, but they get to feel like they’re reading with me as I sing and point to the words. It’s a very festive book that also gives kids the confidence to read. (It features the songs: “Deck the Halls,” “O Christmas Tree,” “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas,” “Here We Come A-Caroling,” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”)
The Story of Christmas by Patricia Pingry (published August 25, 2010)
If you want a quick story to help your kids understand the true meaning of Christmas, this one does a wonderful job explaining Jesus’s birth to little ones with short attention spans. I love it and recommend it!
So, there you have it! Fifteen Christmas books for kids. If you enjoyed this blog post, and you’d like to receive an email any time I post about other picture books, be sure to subscribe to my email list if you haven’t already done so. (Scroll down to enter your info)
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