25 Great Christmas Books To Give or Share This Holiday Season

I love giving great books as gifts!!! I am often asked what children's books I would recommend and with Christmas on its way I thought I would share my favorite Christmas picks with you here on PreK+K Sharing. 

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Christmas Classics

"'The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore
   Who doesn't know and cherish this Christmas Classic? No Christmas would be complete without a reading from this beloved treasure!

"How The Grinch Stole Christmas"  by Dr. Seuss
   Another classic that is as much fun to read as it is to watch! 

 

 
"Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg
    The Polar Express is a beautiful book to share with a child. It simply captures the magic of Christmas.

 

 
"Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson
    I just love this book! It's a chapter book, so it's perfect to read over a few nights. The Herdmans are "THOSE" kids-- you know, the ones that everyone in town knows and does not want to associate with, or simply "the WORST kids in the world"! They take over the church Christmas pageant and hilarity ensues. A touching lesson about acceptance and the true spirit of Christmas.

 

 
Christmas Books About The Birth of Jesus

"Santa's Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas" by Hisako Aoki
   Has beautiful watercolor illustrations and a wonderful twist of Santa telling the animals of the forest the story of the first Christmas. 

 

 
"The Candymaker's Gift: The Inspirational Legend of The Candy Cane"  by David and Helen Haidle
   A candymaker invents the candy cane as a gift to his granddaughter to remind her of the birth of Christ. The scent, shape and colors all have special significance relating to the story of Jesus.

 

 
"Room For A Little One" by Martin Waddell
   With rhyming text, the Kind Ox invites animals one by one to shelter in his stable saying "there's always room for a little one" until he finally welcomes Tired Donkey, who is traveling with Mary and Joseph. Soon the animals in stable share the joy of the birth of the new baby Jesus.

 

"The Crippled Lamb" by Max Lucado
    This is probably my all-time favorite retelling of the birth of Christ. The story of a lame little lamb that is not strong enough to go out to the pasture and play with the other sheep. Although he is very sad, his little lamb friend tells him not to be sad, that "God has a special place for those who feel left out". Eventually, he is left behind when the shepherds take the flock to a new meadow, but special visitors arrive in the stable and he is able to help out when he is needed the most.

Favorite Book Characters at Christmas

"Snowmen At Christmas" by Carolyn Buehner
   The lovable "Snowmen At Night" are back to celebrate the Christmas season with snowman Kris Kringle.

 

 
"Bear Stays Up For Christmas" by Karma Wilson
   Bear is a beloved character in several of Karma Wilson's books. In this one, his animal friends wake him up from his winter's nap to share Christmas, but one by one they all fall asleep. Bear stays awake making surprises for his friends. A wonderful story of friendship and acts of kindness for others!

 

 
"Merry Christmas, Splat!" by Rob Scotton
  Lovable Splat the Cat is worried that he may not have been good enough to get a present for Santa and sets out to be helpful with hopes of redeeming himself. 

""Froggy's Best Christmas" by Jonathan London
   Froggy's friends wake him up to celebrate his first Christmas and teach him about Christmas traditions. He gets so excited (in true Froggy fashion) that he wakes up his family and gets to share his first Christmas with all those he loves the most.

 

 
"Christmas in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
   This beautiful picture book is adapted from Wilder's classic "Little House" series and is a great introduction to the series and is perfect for young readers. Laura and her family get the house ready for Christmas and appreciate the joy of the holiday in a simpler time.

Christmas With Jan Brett

"Wild Christmas Reindeer" by Jan Brett
    Teeka is in charge of getting Santa's reindeer ready for the big night, but her bossy attitude gets in the way. She has to learn patience and teach the reindeer in a softer, gentler way to get them to cooperate.

"Christmas Trolls" by Jan Brett
   Treva is getting ready for Christmas and makes a few new mischievous acquaintances who want her Christmas for themselves. She teaches them the meaning of Christmas and the spirit of giving.

 

 
"Who's That Knocking On Christmas Eve?" by Jan Brett
  The trolls that steal Kyri's Christmas feast each year are in for a little surprise when she has some special visitors that arrive just in time for the trolls to come calling!

"Home For Christmas" by Jan Brett
   This is the story of a naughty little troll that runs away because he doesn't want to do his chores. He learns kindness and responsibility and manages to make it home in time to spend Christmas with his family.

 

 
Special Books To Share

"Dream Snow" by Eric Carle
   The story of a farmer who falls asleep and dreams of snow covering himself and each of his animals one by one. He awakes to find his dream has become real. A special visual surprise awaits the reader on the pages and at the end of the story!

 

 
"The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy" by Jane Thayer
   Petey, the puppy, is looking for a boy to love. He sets out and asks several dogs if they would like to give him their boy, but he doesn't have any luck. As he travels on, he eventually does find a boy and a special home full of love. 

 

 
"You Are My Miracle" by Marianne Cusimano Love
   The love between a parent and child is told in rhyming verse. "I am your glass ball; you are my popcorn strings. I am your pageant; you are my angel's wings." This Christmas book will pull at your heartstrings and is the perfect book to share with your little one!

 

 
"The Christmas Bear" by Henrietta Stickland
  Curious Cub goes out exploring and stumbles down a hole right into Santa's workshop. Santa shows him all around the North Pole as though Cub were looking for a job before finally letting on the he knows Cub is lost and needs to find his way home. The pages are beautifully illustrated with intricately detailed panels. A favorite in our house for many years!

Laugh Out Loud Christmas Read Alouds

"There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bell" by Lucille Colandro
  The old lady is back and she is swallowing everything in sight: bells bows, gifts,a sack, a sleigh and some reindeer before needing a treat. The rhyming and repeating text makes for lots of fun and the illustrations (by Jared Lee) are hilarious, too!

"How Murray Saved Christmas" by Mike Reiss
  Murray the deli owner must save Christmas when Santa is knocked out by a jack-in-the box. A boy and a bossy elf help Murray get the job done. David Catrow's illustrations are the icing on the cake ---if you only watched the tv special that aired this year, then you are really missing out on this treat! The book is MUCH better than the cartoon!

 

 
"Mooseltoe" by Margie Palatini 
   Moose is so busy getting things ready for Christmas that he forgets to get a tree. What will he do? Use his "moostache" as a substitute, of course! Perfectly perfect! Children will love Moose as he tries really hard but bungles things up and still manages to save the day! 

 

 
"Pete The Cat Saves Christmas" by James Dean and Eric Litwin
   Pete the Cat steps in when Santa is ill and saves the day with his usual flair. " 'I can do it,' says Pete, 'and although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I'll give it my all.' " Pete is as groovy as ever in this Christmas adventure!

Happy Reading!!! Hope your days are merry and bright and filled with friends, family love, laughter and the joy of the season!

With love and laughter,

I'm thrilled to say I have been blogging here on PreK+K Sharing since the very beginning!  I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com where I share my PreK classroom adventures or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!