50 Amazing Christmas Books for Kids

It’s the holiday season and there are so many fantastic Christmas books for kids! This list is full of board books, picture books, and stories for all ages to enjoy together.

Llama Llama Jingle Bells was written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. This adorable board book follows the beloved Llama character as he experiences the sights and sounds of Christmas with his mom. The rhyming text is paired with brightly colored illustrations in Dewdney’s signature style.

Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La was written by Sandra Boynton. This holiday spin on the popular book Moo, Baa, La La La joins the cast of animal characters as they sing and dance with to a merry holiday song.

Construction Site: Merry and Bright was written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by AG Ford. This lift the flap book follows the beloved construction crew as they prepare for a festive celebration together. Kids will love watching the cute trucks bring different items to their Christmas celebration.

Merry Christmas, Mouse! was written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. Join the cute little Mouse as he adds ornaments to his Christmas tree one at a time. This is a festive introduction to numbers for little ones.

Christmas in the Manger was written by Nola Buck and illustrated by Felicia Bond. This cute board book introduces readers to animals in the barn during the first Christmas. Each page introduces a different animal with a cute illustration and a rhyming poem.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? was written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague. Join a group of dinosaurs as they celebrate Christmas with their human families. The illustrations show a variety of dinosaur species decorating, singing, and taking part in other human holiday traditions.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas was written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. This holiday classic tells the story of the Grinch who tries to steal Christmas from the Whos in Who-ville. But he learns an important lesson that Christmas doesn’t just mean gifts and decorations.

Little Blue Truck’s Christmas was written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill McElmurry. Join the Little Blue Truck as he spreads joy to all of his animal friends by delivering Christmas trees. The simple text counts from 1 to 5 and back again, and the festive illustrations are full of holiday spirit.

Pinkalicious: Merry Pinkmas! was written by Victoria Kann. Pinkalicious can’t imagine a better way to celebrate Christmas than with a bright pink tree! At first her parents say no, but on Chrsitmas Eve they surprise her with a bright pink tree.

The Christmas Owl was written by Gideon Sterer and Ellen Kalish and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki. This heartwarming holiday book is based on a true story. When Little Owl’s tree is cut down in order to become a “Christmas tree”, Little Owl isn’t so sure about this Christmas holiday. But when she is taken in by a kind woman who cares for birds, she starts to think differently about Christmas.

 

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! was written and illustrated by Mo Willems. Kids will love talking to the beloved Pigeon character in this hilarious interactive story. The Pigeon wants to drive the sleigh, and begs the reader throughout the book to be able to drive it.

Construction Site on Christmas Night was written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by AG Ford. Join the group of construction vehicles as they each do a very important job on a big construction project on Christmas night.

The Berenstain Bears’ Night Before Christmas was written by Mike Berenstain. This retelling of the famous Christmas poem features the famous Bear family celebrating Christmas together.

Little Red Sleigh was written by Erin Guendelsberger and illustrated by Elizaveta Tretyakova. This sweet book follows a little red sleigh who wants to be Santa’s sleigh. On his journey to fulfill his dream, he meets new friends who teach him along the way.

Bear Stays Up for Christmas was written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman. Bear’s friends want him to stay up for Christmas instead of hibernating so they can celebrate with him. The peppy rhyming text is paired with cute animal illustrations that make this a fun one to read aloud.

Bluey: 12 Days of Christmas was written by Penguin Young Readers. This cute Bluey themed spin on the classic Christmas song counts up to 12 days with a variety of items from the show. Kids will love singing along with their favorite Heeler dogs.

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree was written by Robert Barry.When Mr. Willowby gets his Christmas tree, it is too big to fit into his house. So he cuts off the top of the tree and passes it along to someone else. The sweet story shows how one person’s discarded items can bring joy to lots of people.

Dasher was written by Matt Tavares. This sweet story follows Dasher, a young reindeer who wants a different life. When she escapes from the traveling circus her family performs in, she meets a friendly man in a red suit named Santa, and changes Christmas forever.

Pete the Cat’s Groovy 12 Days of Christmas was written by Kimberly and James Dean. Join Pete the Cat and his friends as they head to the beach and count down to Christmas. Kids will love singing along with the familiar lyrics and will enjoy the different gifts Pete and his friends give.

The Christmas Blessing was written by Erin Guendelsberger and illustrated by Gail Yerrill. This twist on the nativity story follows the animals in the stable as they prepare for the arrival of the new baby. The animals are all very different and don’t get along. Can they learn to accept each other’s differences and fix up the manger in time?

 

The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving was written by Jan and Mike Berenstain. Join the Bear family as they attend the Christmas Eve pageant and learn about the joy of giving. This is an important reminder for kids of all ages leading into the holiday season.

Biscuit’s Christmas Eve was written by Ayssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by Pat Schories. This cute lift-the-flap board book shows Biscuit the dog preparing for Christmas Eve. Kids will love opening the flaps and finding all the surprises hidden underneath.

5 More Sleeps ’til Christmas was written by Jimmy Fallon and illustrated by Rich Deas. This fun rhyming book celebrates the excitement of counting down to Christmas as a little boy and his dog count down together. Kids will love the funny illustrations and will understand the child’s excitement.

God Gave Us Christmas was written by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by David Hohn. When a young polar bear cub asks her mom who invented Christmas, her mom’s answer leads her to ask more questions, eventually seeing the beauty of God’s work all around them.

Franklin’s Christmas Gift was written by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark. Franklin is having trouble deciding which of his toys to give to his school’s Christmas toy drive. With a little help from his Great Aunt Harriet, he finds the perfect gift.

The Legend of the Candy Cane was written by Lori Walburg and illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. Teach kids about the legend of the candy cane in this story about a young girl who offers to help a new man in town. This is a great story about helping others, and the Christian symbolism behind candy canes.

Llama Llama Holiday Drama was written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. Llama Llama and his mom are getting ready for Christmas. But as they take part in all kinds of holiday traditions, Llama Llama becomes overwhelmed by everything. Lots of kids will recognize their own emotions in this relatable story.

Snowmen at Christmas was written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner. What happens to your snowman when you go to bed at night? This cute story imagines the town’s snowmen all gathering together to celebrate their own version of Christmas.

Pick a Pine Tree was written by Patricia Toht and illustrated by Jarvis. This beautiful book follows family members as they head out to pick a pine tree for their home and decorate it. The story and the illustrations celebrate lots of familiar Christmas traditions that kids may recognize.

Merry Christmas, Little Critter! was written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer. Join Little Critter and his family as they take part in all kinds of Christmas traditions together.

 

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on the Farm was written by Craig Manning and illustrated by Sumi Collina. This farm themed twist on the classic Christmas poem follows a little lamb who finds a special visitor outside the barn. The rhyming text is paired with adorable wintry farm illustrations.

Christmas Farm was written by Mary Lyn Ray and illustrated by Barry Root. When a young girl decides to bring new life to her garden, she plants a field of balsam seedlings. Over the years, she and her neighbor care for the little trees until they have their very own Christmas tree farm.

Santa’s Story was written by Will Hillenbrand. It’s Christmas night and Santa is ready to go, but the reindeer aren’t! They need their annual story from Santa before they can be on their way. Kids will love the descriptive text with lots of fun action words as the reindeer dance and prance around.

Turkey Claus was written by Wendi Silvano and illustrated by Lee Harper. The tricky turkey from Turkey Trouble is back and he is once again trying to avoid becoming dinner. With his clever disguises and cunning tricks, can he make his way to the North Pole in time to get Santa’s help?

Christmas in the Big Woods was written and illustrated by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Renee Graef. This Little House on the Prairie picture book joins Laura and her family as they celebrate Christmas in the Big Woods in Wisconsin. The illustrations celebrate the simple joys in their holiday traditions.

Humphrey’s First Christmas was written by Carol Heyer. This version of the story of the first Christmas follows Humphrey the camel as he travels with the three wise men to visit the baby Jesus. When they reach their destination, Humphrey is overcome with love and provides his own gift to the baby.

Clifford’s Christmas was written by Norman Bridwell. Join the beloved big red dog and his friend Emily Elizabeth as they count down to Christmas with all of their favorite traditions. But when Santa has an accident outside Clifford’s door on Christmas night, can he save the day?

Christmas is Here! was written by Charles M. Schulz and illustrated by Robert Pope. It’s Christmas time and Snoppy and Woodstock are having fun playing in the snow and getting ready for the holiday, But when people keep interrupting their fun, can Snoopy find a way to get in the holiday spirit?

The Legend of the Poinsettia was written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Learn the Mexican legend behind the beautiful Christmas flower in this tale of a young girl who wants to give the perfect gift to the Christ Child. The sweet story is paired with illustrations done in dePaola’s signature style.

The Night Before Christmas was written by Clement C. Moore and illustrated by Charles Santore. This illustrated version of the classic Christmas poem is perfect for reading aloud with loved ones. The rhyming text is paired with beautiful, lush illustrations that bring the story to life

 

The Friendly Animals was written by Gibbs-Smith. This retelling of the story of the first Christmas shares the perspective of the animals in the barn. The text comes from an old French folk song, and the cute animal illustrations bring the heartwarming story to life.

The Best Gift for Bear was written by Jennifer A. Bell. In this sweet story about finding the perfect gift for loved ones, Hedgehog has been making gifts for all of her friends, but she can’t figure out a gift that is great enough for Bear. In the end, the “perfect” gift may not be what she suspected.

Unicorn Christmas was written by Diana Murray and illustrated by Luke Flowers. Join a colorful group of unicorns getting ready for Christmas day! When Santa and his reindeer need help on Christmas Eve, can the unicorns save the holiday for everyone?

How to Catch a Reindeer was written by Alice Walstead and illustrated Andy Elkerton. This holiday addition to the How to Catch series of books follows a group of kids trying to catch an errant reindeer. Kids will love the fun rhyming text and the hilarious illustrations of the kids almost catching the reindeer.

Miss Mary’s Christmas Mittens was written by Trinka Hakes Noble and illustrated by Renee Andriani. When Miss Mary, a teacher, notices that her kids aren’t playing in the snow, she realizes they don’t have mittens. So she goes above and beyond to knit mittens for all of her students and give them a happy Christmas surprise.

Christmas with Auntie was written by Helen James Foster and illustrated by Petra Brown. Celebrate the special relationship between aunt and child in this sweet holiday book. The rhyming text and gentle illustrations highlight the special holiday moments and the love among family.

Just Be Claus was written by Barbara Joose and illustrated by Kim Barnes. This adorable story follows a young Santa Claus as he discovers the magic in being true to himself. When a snowstorm threatens to ruin Christmas, can he use his unique gifts to save the holiday?

The Shepherd’s Story was written by Jimmy Dunne and illustrated by Ivan Kravets. This take on the Christmas story shares the tale of a young shepherd who is searching for meaning. Through the birth of baby Jesus, he soon learns that one person has the ability to make a difference in the world.

Christmas is Joy was written by Emma Dodd. This celebration of the holiday season uses a heartwarming rhyming text and cute illustrations of two deer to highlight the joys of Christmas.

The Gifts of the Animals was written by Carole Gerber and illustrated by Yumi. This beautiful book shares the story of the first Christmas through the animals in the stable. Each animal offers something to the baby Jesus, making sure the manger is ready for his arrival.