I keep reading about families who celebrate a fun December reading tradition where the parents wrap 24 children’s books about Christmas and have the children unwrap one and read it together each night until the evening of December 24th. So far, I have yet to undertake that project. However, I have made a point to check out plenty of Christmas themed books from the library and the whole family has been enjoying reading them.
This selection represents some of my favorites as a librarian and as a parent. Patrick, being only 2 years old is a bit too young for some of the titles towards the end of the list, but I wanted to include those for those of you who have older children. To be honest, my Christmas book taste in Children’s books run a little on the sentimental side, but I think, if you cannot be sentimental at Christmas, when can you be sentimental? I tried to balance this selection of books with some more humorous choices to round out the list.
**(This post contains affliate links to Amazon. If you click on the links to make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the transaction.)
1. Dream Snow by Eric Carle: An old farmer falls asleep in his easy chair nap on a winter day.
While sleeping he dreams that a blanket of white covers all his animals friends. When he wakes up he realizes that it has snowed while he was sleeping and he might be late! So he puts on his red coat, black boats, and takes his big sack to visit his animal friends. Lift-the-flap pictures and beautiful illustrations make this book fun even for the youngest reader. Available in board book size.
2. Night Tree by Eve Bunting and 
Illustrated by Ted Rand: A young boy and his family ride in their truck and take a trip out to the woods. Once there, they open their thermos of hot chocolate and begin decorating a tree in the woods with popcorn chains, oranges, apples, and sunflower seed balls for the animals in the woods for Christmas. A favorite of mine, this simple story shows how Christmas traditions are charming and special in the eyes of children.
3. Little Santa by Jon Agee: Santa Claus is a little boy who loves to live at 
the North Pole with his parents and six older brothers and sisters who don’t like the North Pole and plan to move to Florida. The night before they are supposed to move away a huge blizzard strands them in their house and only Little Santa can save the day. Thank goodness one of his favorite tricks is sliding up and down chimneys! A fun story for all ages. One of Patrick’s favorites.
4. Here Come Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood 
and Illustrated by Claudia Rueda: 
Cat does not think Santa will bring him any presents because he has not been good this year. With gusto he sets off on a mission to try to do something nice, but all his efforts fail spectacularly. Poor cat! Will Cat do something nice after all? Will Santa recognize Cat’s efforts? Find out in this fun book for children and adults.
5. An Otis Christmas by Loren Long: Otis is 
a tractor who lives happily with his ani
mal friends in a barn on the farm. On Christmas Eve, there is an emergency on the farm. Otis’s friend, the horse has gone into labor during a blizzard and is in trouble. After the farm hand and the old truck get stuck in the snow, who will leave the farm to go get the doctor? Can Otis save the day? A heartwarming story for all ages.
6. Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto: Maria was 
having the perfect snowy Christmas Eve. 
Her cousins came over and they were all going to help her mom make tamales for Christmas dinner. Then Maria decides to try on her mother’s glittery diamond ring and very soon it is lost. Could it be in the tamales they were helping to make? What will Maria and her cousins do to find the ring? Is it lost for good? Great illustrations and a memorable story for elementary readers.
7. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs: 
A boy rushes out of his house to build a snowman on a winter night. The snowman comes alive at night in his dreams and they have all sorts of adventures. The is a classic, a wordless story that will capture you imagination. Told with stunning illustrations and over 100 drawn panels. It was also made into a film with unforgettable symphonic music and narration by David Bowie. See link here for film.
8. Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant and Illustrated by Christopher Soentpiet: Based on real historical events. Every 
year a wealthy man repairs a debt of kindness by throwing presents wrapped in silver paper from a train to residents of an Appalachian coal mining town. One child to receive the presents is Frankie, a young boy who hopes every year to receive a toy doctor’s kit. Instead, he receives other toys and items he needs such as a new set of gloves and socks. As an adult, Frankie remembers the train and wonders what he can do to help. An unforgetable story that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
9. An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco: 
Frankie is the youngest boy in a family of nine in this depression era story. He is raised by his family to share with the less fortunate and gives away his Christmas sweater from last year to a homeless man early in the story. One of the family’s greatest Christmas pleasures is the orange each family member receives in their stocking on Christmas. Will Frankie fess up when he loses his orange and his family wants to see him in his Christmas sweater? A sentimental read about the true meaning of Christmas.
