Our Collection of Christmas Books
/We don’t have a huge collection of Christmas books, but I think they are a fun mix of Christ-centered and just for fun. I think they capture the magic of the Christmas season, and I delight in reading each of them with my children. Here’s what we have…
Our collection of Christmas books
The Christmas Promise
The Christmas Promise Storybook: A True Story from the Bible about God’s Forever King by Alison Mitchell is a great addition to any Christmas library. It is a retelling of the Christmas story from a very pointed perspective that Jesus is the promised King of the Bible. He is the new King, the rescuing King, the forever King. I like the illustrations, and I like that it is a simple but clear story about the importance of Jesus’ birth. It is aimed at children age 3–6.
Song of the Stars
I think the publisher’s description does a great job capturing the essence of this book—"Song of the Stars, written by bestselling author Sally Lloyd-Jones, takes children on the journey of Advent and the anticipation of Jesus’ arrival. All of creation comes together in this poetic and majestic telling of the Christmas story. Join every creature as they celebrate the arrival of Jesus!”
It is geared toward children age 4–7, and I think the poetic language does lend itself best to that age bracket. However, younger children can certainly engage with this book. I like that it takes a different perspective on the magic and anticipation we feel at Christmastime while still pointing to the reason we celebrate Christ’s birth.
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker, based on the New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is illustrated by Valeria Docampo. It is my very favorite version of The Nutcracker! I love, love, love the illustrations, and I think it does a great job of capturing and retelling the story. It is thorough but not too wordy. It pairs very well with The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker (next on the list), but if I could only have one, I would choose this one!
The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker
The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker by Katy Flint is a beautiful production of The Nutcracker, but what makes it unique is that as you read each page, you can press a button to hear an excerpt of an orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s score from the ballet. The illustrations are also very well done! I really like this one paired with the longer version I listed above; this is more abridged. I do like that this one is more interactive and introduces children to the music. If you can get your kids to go through it slowly, you can have a great conversation about how the music evokes different moods and feelings and actions going on in the story. It’s a fun addition to any Christmas collection, for sure.
Little Blue Truck’s Christmas
My daughter, Penelope, has always loved the Little Blue Truck books. We have many of them. Little Blue Truck’s Christmas is really cute for fans of the Little Blue Truck. It has the same lilting story, while counting and delivering Christmas trees. It’s cute and fun and has twinkly lights at the end! For littles, this is a fun Christmas book.
The 12 Days of Christmas
I’ve always loved the song about the 12 Days of Christmas, and this version by Jill Howarth is really cute. It’s in a board book format, so it’s great for toddlers and preschoolers. The illustrations are fun and festive and adorable!
The Colors of Christmas
Also by Jill Howarth, The Colors of Christmas is really cute for toddlers and preschoolers! It is simple, but the illustrations really shine. It captures the colorful, merry spirit of Christmas in a simple board book.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
I got ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (illustrated by Mr. Bodington’s Studio) last year to use as part of our Advent calendar on Christmas Eve. We actually don’t do Santa with our kids, but I think this book embodies the magic and excitement that kids feel on Christmas Eve. I really like that this one is done with a more modern style of colorful illustrations yet uses the traditional wording of the poem, “A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore. It’s a fun book to read during the season.
