I own enough Christmas picture books to wrap up 24 and put them under our tree each year for an advent, and I’ve shared that list for several years. This year, I decided to create another list of our favorites so you have even more options to choose from. There are so many great books celebrating this holiday — and I always end up buying a few more after writing these. Here are 24 Christmas picture books to check out.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Brett Helquist. Apparently this one is out of print, so maybe check eBay for a copy? I bought this one immediately after we read it a few years ago because it beautifully tells Charles Dickens’ classic story — and the illustrator, Brett Helquist, is known for the Series of Unfortunate Events. I love his illustrations and the depth he brings to this book. Seriously, you need to find this one somewhere and add it to your Christmas books.
Dasher by Matt Tavares. I adore Matt Tavares’ art (buy Red and Lulu if you haven’t already) and knew we needed this book when it came out a few years ago. Dasher longs for a different life and sets out on her own to pursue adventure, eventually meeting Santa and being asked to pull his sleigh.
Lighthouse Christmas by Toni Buzzeo. Yes, this one is also out of print, but I have confidence you can find it on eBay (where I bought mine) or at a thrift store. Why do the prettiest books go out of print? In this one, a brother and sister live with their dad on an isolated island where they man a lighthouse. They are determined to make Christmas special even though they can’t be with the rest of their family, and then an unexpected visitor makes the holiday sweeter. I would love to live near a lighthouse and am basically obsessed with nautical stories, so I love this one.
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck and Mark Buehner. When I was a kid, we had a VHS with a short video produced by BYU called The Gift from the 1970s. I was surprised to discover that it was based on this Pearl Buck story about a boy who gets up early to do the chores for his dad Christmas morning so he can see everyone opening their gifts. This is a really awesome reminder about how service is the best gift you can give.
The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale About the Rockefeller Center Tree by David Rubel and Jim LaMarche. I scored this for $2 at Savers a couple months ago and was so excited to add this to our collection. We have several books about the Rockefeller Center tree, but this one centers on a boy who grew up during the Great Depression and wants to pay kindness forward when strangers build his family a new home on Christmas.
12 Days of Christmas by Lara Hawthorne. If you want to sing your way through a book (or even if you don’t), this is a beautifully illustrated version of the traditional 12 Days of Christmas carol. Lara Hawthorne’s Silent Night is also a favorite.
Merry Christmas, Anne by Kallie George and Genevieve Godbout. This book is a pairing made in heaven. A classic story from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and Genevieve Godbout’s dreamy illustrations? I need to buy this one for our collection because it makes me ridiculously happy.
Carla and the Christmas Cornbread by Carla Hall and Cherise Harris. We read this cute story last year about a little girl who worries she ruined Christmas by eating the sugar cookie left for Santa. Luckily, her grandma helps her make cornbread with cinnamon butter for Santa instead. There are not enough Christmas books out there with characters of color, and this is an excellent one!
How to Trick a Christmas Elf by Sue Fliess and Simona Sanfilippo. Sue Fliess is a MASTER at rhythm, and we own several of her holiday books because they’re fun to read aloud. This one instructs kids on tricking an elf into letting them see what’s on Santa’s list. By the way, I DESPISE tricks (April Fool’s is the worst), so know that this is more about crafting than it is teasing. All of Sue Fliess’ books also have instructions for creating your own craft in the back, too, which is so fun.
Christmas is Joy by Emma Dodd. Sometimes you want a really quick, beautifully illustrated Christmas story to read for bedtime. This sweet book featuring two reindeer in the snow fits the bill. I love the gold foil and the calming rhythm.
A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora and Magaly Morales. We all LOVED this Latino version of the 12 Days of Christmas! There are dancing donkeys, piñatas instead of partridges, and singing moons, among other items. I really like bilingual picture books, and this one has Spanish words sprinkled throughout and a full glossary. So fun!
Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola. Everyone in my family is a big Strega Nona fan, probably because we have listened to the audiobook of the first book at least 50 times. Strega Nona and Big Anthony are back in this story, but this time Strega Nona has a strict rule about not using magic at Christmastime. Luckily, Big Anthony is willing to help with the feast.
Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Renee Graef. I had this book when I was a child and rediscovered it a few years ago. If you grew up loving the Little House on the Prairie books, you’ll love this picture book version of Laura’s Christmas memories in their little cabin in Wisconsin.
Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood and Claudia Rueda. All of the Cat books are fantastic! In this one, Cat is worried he is on the naughty list and won’t get any gifts, so he tries to redeem himself by getting into the holiday spirit. These books are a delight because of the illustrations and the playful narrator that interacts with Cat. We love them.
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto and Ed Martinez. This is another book I remember loving as a child that still holds up. Maria gets to help make tamales for Christmas dinner and tries on her mother’s beautiful diamond ring when she leaves the room. Suddenly, Maria has misplaced the ring and is sure someone will choke on it when they eat the tamales. She and her cousins decide to eat their way through the tamales so no one gets hurt. I love the Mexican culture displayed in this book and the family that bands together.
Cookies for Santa by America’s Test Kitchen Kids and Johanna Tarkela. I am admittedly not a baker (or a cook), but I love this story about Santa losing his family’s Christmas cookie recipe. Every year, he bakes cookies for his elves and reindeer to show his appreciation, and he’s worried he won’t be able to without the recipe. Fortunately, families around the world band together to bake and make sure Santa can have a happy Christmas. Like other America’s Test Kitchen books, this one includes a recipe and is all about encouraging families to cook and bake together.
Santa Claus and the Christmas Surprise by Dorothea Lachner and Maja Duskov. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of two kids whose village is snowed in for Christmas. Though Anna and Michael worry that Santa won’t be able to get through the snow to deliver gifts, he makes it — and his gift requires everyone to dig through the snow and come together.
Ho Ho Homework by Mylisa Larsen and Taia Morley. If you need a book to read in a classroom, this is PERFECT. Jack and his classmates have a new substitute teacher, Mr. Clausen, and he has a long white beard. He also eats milk and cookies as a snack. Is he Santa Claus?
One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson and Jonathan Bean. I love this simple and gorgeous book about the night Jesus Christ was born. It focuses on the animals who are also comforting their babies during that starry night and would be perfect for bedtime.
Arthur’s Christmas by Marc Brown. Nineties kids, you’ll love this one! My brothers and sister and I were OBSESSED with Arthur growing up, and this book inspired the TV series. Arthur is looking for the perfect gift for Santa for Christmas, and his little sister D.W. ends up helping him (with some mishaps along the way). If you aren’t familiar with the Arthur books, D.W. is really the star of the show. Her wit is the best.
Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray and Barry Root. WOW. This book is stunning. I love this story of a woman who plants thousands of balsam seedlings in a garden and then nurtures them over the years with the help of her young neighbor, Parker. I had a real Christmas tree growing up and had never considered all the work that goes into growing these beautiful trees.
Maple & Willow’s Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols. I love the sweet relationship between sisters Maple and Willow in all of Lori Nichols’ books. In this one, Maple and Willow are in the woods about to get their first real Christmas tree. Unfortunately, Maple starts sneezing whenever she gets close to the trees, so it looks like they won’t be getting a real tree after all. Willow has plans to make the holiday magical for her sister anyway.
Olive, The Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold. This quirky book is based on the line in the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that says “All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.” When Olive the dog hears this line, she assumes she must really be a reindeer and heads to the North Pole to help Santa with Christmas.
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. My kids loved this book when they were in preschool, and it’s perfect for little kids and even older ones. Bear normally hibernates during the winter and sleeps through Christmas, but his friends are determined to keep him awake so he can enjoy the holiday.
Please share your favorite Christmas picture books with me! I always get great suggestions whenever I post these lists.
