The Best Christmas Books for Kids to Celebrate Jesus

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Reading aloud is one of the most important ways to bring the whole family together and children of all ages benefit from read alouds. During Christmas — one of our favorite times to read aloud — we love gathering with our favorite Christmas storybooks and children’s Christmas books by the tree. So, I’ve put together a huge list of beautiful Christmas picture books for kids that make the perfect addition to your family’s holiday book traditions. You can check your local library before purchasing any books. However, the ones you can’t get at the library you can slowly start to purchase them to add to your home library! This list of books will especially bring joy to your family this holiday season and year after year, whether you’re reading on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, or all winter long.

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Whether you’re looking for classic stories that stand the test of time, new Christmas books for young readers, or a few of your favorite Christmas storybooks to revisit year after year, you’ll find something special below. So, I’ve categorized the best Christmas books for kids into three parts. For that reason, you can use the table of contents below to jump to any section you’re interested in. But I wouldn’t suggest skipping over any of them, they’re all so good!

Christ Centered

The following list includes beautiful picture books focused on Jesus in some way. These are some of our most beloved Christmas storybooks when we try to keep our hearts and minds focused on our Savior’s birth.

1. This Is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten
2. The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola
3. Room For A Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell
4. Hurry! Hurry! Have You Heard? by Laura Krauss Melmed
5. The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
6. The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
7. The Christmas Story by Jane Werner Watson
8. Father and Son: A Nativity Story by Geraldine McCaughrean
9. Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne
10. The Jesus Storybook Bible: A Christmas Collection by Sally Lloyd-Jones
11. A Baby Born in Bethlehem by Martha Whitmore Hickman
12. Voices of Christmas by Nikki Grimes
13. ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas by Glenys Nellist
14. Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
15. We Three Kings by Gennady Spirin
16. Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats
17. The Donkey’s Dream by Barbara Helen Berger
18. Little One, We Knew You’d Come by Sally Lloyd-Jones
19. We Were There: A Nativity Story by Eve Bunting
20. The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola
21. The Story of Christmas by Pamela Dalton
22. One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson
23. Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer
24. Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones
25. The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs
26. Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson
27. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren
28. What Star Is This by Joseph Slate
29. The Wise Men Who Found Christmas by Raymond Arroyo
30. The Spider Who Saved Christmas: A Legend by Raymond Arroyo

Christmas Spirit

These favorite Christmas stories remind us that small acts of kindness and generosity are the best gifts of all.

1. The Legend of St. Nicholas: A Story of Christmas Giving by Dandi Daley Mackall
2. The Baker’s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale by Aaron Shepard
3. Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard H. Schneider
4. Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco
5. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
6. Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo
7. An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco
8. Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
9. The Christmas Tree Ship by Chris Ellison
10. The Story of Holy & Ivy by Rumer Godden
11. The Christmas Boot by Lisa Wheeler
12. Pick A Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
13. The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola
14. Babushka: A Christmas Tale by Dawn Casey
15. The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown
16. Merry Christmas Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
17. Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola
18. The Biggest Most Beautiful Christmas Tree by Amye Rosenberg
19. The Story of St. Nicholas (Voice of Martyrs) by Cheryl Odden
20. The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman
21. Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant
22. Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren
23. Cobweb Christmas by Shirley Climo
24. Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble
25. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston
26. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
27. The Carpenter’s Gift by David Rubel
28. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola
29. Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares
30. The Christmas Cat by Efner Tudor Holmes
31. The Christmas Visitors by Karel Hayes
32. An Early American Christmas by Tomie dePaola
33. Country Angel Christmas by Tomie dePaola
34. The Legend of Old Befana: An Italian Christmas Story by Tomie dePaola
35. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
36. The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel

Winter Theme

These cozy holiday books and winter picture books are perfect for bedtime stories by the fire.

1. The Family Christmas Tree by Tomie dePaola
2. The Hat by Jan Brett
3. The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
4. Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
5. Night Tree by Eve Bunting
6. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
7. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
8. Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
9. Brave Irene by William Steig
10. Snow by Uri Shulevitz
11. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
12. Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett
13. Prairie Christmas by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk
14. Cranberry Christmas by Wende Devlin
15. The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers
16. The Little Christmas Tree by Loek Koopmans
17. Jingle Bells by Susan Jeffers
18. The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett
19. The Mitten by Jan Brett

Best Christmas Books for Kids With a Movie

Finally, one of our favorite things to do after finishing any read aloud is to see if there is a corresponding movie! Many of these favorite Christmas books have become great Christmas stories on screen too! So I wanted to be sure to share with you what I found! I always recommend reading the book first, but having a fun movie night with the family and comparing the differences is a lot of fun!

(I have not personally watched all of these, as always screen first for your family.)

1. The Legend of the Candy Cane (Free on Youtube)
2. The Crippled Lamb (Free on Youtube)
3. The Little Drummer Boy (Free on Youtube)
4. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (Free on Youtube)
5. The Gift of the Magi 2001 (Amazon Prime)
6. The Gift of the Magi 2010 (Amazon Prime)
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas 1966 (Amazon Prime)
8. The Polar Express (Amazon Prime)
9. The Nutcracker 1986 (Free on Youtube)

Print the Booklists

Just drop your email address below to get a downloadable version of all 3 Christmas booklists for young readers and older children that you can take to the library with you!

How to Use the Best Christmas Books for Kids

Despite already having Christmas books, I purchased several new books last year and also used some we already had to do an Advent countdown during the month of December. This has been so fun for all of us! During the season of Advent, every night we look forward to opening a new book! This is a simple and beautiful family Christmas tradition that makes reading favorite Christmas storybooks even more meaningful.

How to Do an Advent Book Countdown

1. Gather up however many books you need for Advent, for example you may need 28 books.
2. Generally, each book is wrapped. Although there’s lots of options for how to wrap them, keep it simple. In case you need some simple ideas, I’ve listed a few ways below.
   • Use plain kraft wrapping paper and number each one. For fun let the kids decorate the wrapping paper.
   • Another idea is to wrap in any wrapping paper and use stickers to label each one.
   • Lastly, you can purchase drawstring canvas bags to reuse every year. A friend of mine purchased something similar to these Cotton Produce Bags. It’s an investment to do this, but you’ll be able to use them year after year.
3. Every night through Advent open one book and read together as a family until you’ve read them all and it’s Christmas day!

Another option is to simply display the books on a bookshelf, place them in a basket in your living area, or child’s bedroom and just read them all winter long!

If you’re looking for more traditions to do with your family I have loved The ADVENTure of Christmas book! It has so many simple ideas to enjoy during Advent. Also, check out 12 Simple Christmas Traditions for Kids!

Where to Buy the Best Christmas Books for Kids

Many of these classic Christmas storybooks make the perfect gift to wrap and read on December 6th for St. Nicholas Day or under the tree on Christmas Eve.I try to buy most of our books from second hand stores like Goodwill and Once Upon A Child, but occasionally if I have trouble finding a book I’ll buy new from an online retailer. So, here’s some of my favorite places to buy Christmas books for kids!

• Thriftbooks Spend $30 and earn a FREE book credit!
• Christian Book
• Beautiful Feet Books
• Amazon
• Sophia Institute
• Second Sale

More On the Blog

While you’re cozying up with your favorite Christmas books in the living room, bake a batch of cookies and make reading together your new favorite holiday memory.