Favorite Christmas Books For Children

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My children love holidays, especially Christmas.  They also love reading, so one of our favorite holiday pastimes to get us in the festive spirit is reading Christmas stories together.

Here is a list of some of our most cherished reads, picture books we read year after year.  (And in case you were wondering, most of these books can probably be found at your local library.)

1. “This Is The Stable” by Cynthia Cotten.  This sweet picture book is truly one of our all time favorites.  Through lyrical verses, this story retells the birth of the Savior.  The illustrations in this book are incredibly warm and inviting.

2.  “Who Is Coming To Our House” by Joseph Slate.  In this book, the animals in the stable where Jesus will be born are busy cleaning up in anticipation of His arrival.  Each animal helps in the best way he or she can. For example, the spider spins a new web and the hen lays an egg.  While reading this book we like to ask our kids what they are doing to prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

3. “I Believe In Santa Claus” by Diane G. Adamson.  As children get older, they naturally start to understand that Santa Claus, as in the jolly old fellow who delivers presents all over the world on Christmas Eve night, is not real.  However, the spirit of Santa Claus is definitely a real thing and this story beautifully illustrates how Santa is a symbol of Christmas, and in essence a symbol of Christ.

4. “Bethlehem” by Fiona French.  There really is no better way to celebrate Christmas than by reading the Christmas story found in Luke Chapter 2.  However, little children sometimes have a hard time sitting still while just listening to scripture.  The beauty of this book, though, is it takes the literal words from the King James Bible and it pairs it with glorious illustrations.  The illustrations are all inspired by cathedral windows found in England.

5. “Santa’s New Suit” by Laura Rader.  “Everyone recognizes Santa by his famous red suit.  But when Christmas Eve arrives and none of the red suits in his closet fit right, Santa decides to go with a new look.”  This is a funny Christmas tale and the illustrations are vibrant and bright.

6. “Who’ll Pull Santa’s Sleigh Tonight?” by Laura Rader.  Of course I love this book because hot cocoa saves the day .

This book is a hilarious follow-up to “Santa’s New Suit.”  In this story, Christmas is nearly here, but all of Santa’s reindeer are in bed with the flu.  Uh-oh, will all the gifts get delivered in time?

7. “Mortimer’s Christmas Manger” by Jane Chapman.  This book is a new discovery for us this year. Once again bright and beautiful illustrations fill this picture book as it tells the story of how Mortimer mouse finds a new house to live in.

What are some of your favorite Christmas books?  Please feel free to share because we are always on the look out for more timeless holiday reads.

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Filed under Books, Children, Christmas, Family Life, Motherhood, Reading