25 Christmas Books for the Whole Family

The Christmas season is a wonderful time to snuggle close to loved ones and share a book together. There are so many wonderful Christmas children’s books with messages of love, laughter, and fun traditions, and this list is full of options for families to enjoy together!

Christmas Activities You’ll LOVE!

Christmas Books for the Whole Family

Board Books

Llama Llama Jingle Bells was written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. This festive board book entry into the Llama Llama series follows the little llama as he celebrates some of the traditions of the holiday with his loved ones. The very simple text is accompanied by colorful illustrations done in Dewdney’s signature style.

The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer was written by Jeffrey Burton and illustrated by Sanja Rescek. This festive spin on the classic Itsy Bitsy Spider rhyme is a peppy rhyme about a little reindeer working in Santa’s workshop. The bright illustrations will entertain young ones, while they enjoy the familiar rhyme.

Merry Christmas, Mouse! was written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. This festive board book stars the character from the popular story If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Kids can count along with Mouse as he adds different ornaments to his Christmas tree.

Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present? was written and illustrated by Karen Katz. This festive lift the flap book encourages kids to help Baby search for her Christmas present. As they lift the flaps on the colorful illustrations, they are introduced to other symbols of the Christmas season.

Christmas in the Manger was written by Nola Buck and illustrated by Felicia Bond. This colorful board book introduces the youngest readers to the Christmas story. Each page features a simple rhyming text from the viewpoint of one of the animals or people present at the birth of Jesus, with an accompanying illustration on the opposite page.

Christmas ABC was illustrated by Jannie Ho. This colorful board books is a simple introduction to the traditions and symbols of the Christmas season. Each page showcases a letter of the alphabet and pairing it with a Christmas themed symbol. The simple text shows the upper and lower case version of each letter, and the word pictured on the page, while the large and colorful illustrations are perfect for little readers.

Celebrating Christmas Around the World

A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa’s Tasty Trip Around the World was written by M.E. Furman and illustrated by Susan Gal. This fun and educational book takes kids on a trip around the world, learning about Christmas traditions in various countries. Each page shares an interesting fact about a country or two, including the various names of Santa or other “gift bringers”. The back of the book includes recipes for some of the cookies featured in the book, as well as a map showing where certain cookies came from.

Check out these fun cookie activities to pair with this book!

A Stork in a Baobab Tree: An African 12 Days of Christmas was written by Catherine House and illustrated by Polly Alakija. This twist on the classic Christmas carol “Twelve Days of Christmas” takes readers on a journey around Africa during the holiday season. While the main text follows the rhythm and pattern of the original song, there are small paragraphs of information about Christmas traditions around the continent placed throughout the book as well.

Lucia Morning in Sweden was written by Ewa Rydaker and illustrated by Carina Stahlberg. This story introduces readers to the traditions of St. Lucia Day through the eyes of a family in Sweden. The book is full of recipes and patterns to help families experience some of the baked goods and activities that are part of the traditional celebration.

The Legend of the Poinsettia was written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Lucida is a young girl in Mexico who wants to offer a special gift to the baby Jesus during her town’s Christmas procession. When her plans go awry, she gathers weeds from outside. As her simple gift transforms into beautiful red flowers, she learns the important lesson that the thought behind the gift is what makes it special. This beautiful tale is accompanied by bold and colorful illustrations done in dePaola’s signature style.

Babushka: A Christmas Tale was written by Dawn Casey and illustrated by Amanda Hall. When 3 Wise Men arrive at the home of Babushka and invite her to join them in their quest to find the newborn baby Jesus, she is too busy with chores around the house. The next day, she tries to find them, but instead comes across lots of small children in need, and shares gifts with each of them. This Russian tale reminds the reader of the importance of showing love for one another, especially during the holiday season.

Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel was written by Shirley Climo and illustrated by Jane Manning. This German folktale tells the story behind the tradition of tinsel on Christmas trees. Everyone wants to see the beautiful decorations on Tante’s Christmas tree each year. Even the spiders that she sweeps out of her house. When a late night visitor on Christmas Eve lets them in, they spin beautiful decorations all over. The sweet story is accompanied by warm and inviting illustrations.

Books about Santa

How Santa Got His Job was written by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by S.D. Schindler. This fun story follows a young Santa Claus as he tries out a variety of jobs, but struggles to find his path. Kids will find lots of humor in watching Santa try different careers, and will appreciate the message that we sometimes have to try lots of things before finding the right path.

How to Catch Santa was written by Jean Reagan and illustrated Lee Wildish. For curious kids, this hilarious guide to catching Santa is sure to be a hit. The text is full of tips and reminders for kids, including questions to ask Santa, and things to say to him. The colorful and creative illustrations are full of funny jokes and tidbits that both kids and parents will love.

Polar Express was written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. When a young boy starts to question his belief in Santa, a trip on a magical train to the North Pole may save his Christmas. The ending of the story provides a sense of wonder that is unique the Christmas holiday. The story is accompanied by beautiful illustrations that encompass the joy and excitement of the holiday season.

Try these fun activities to bring The Polar Express to life!

Santa’s Magic Key was written by Eric James and illustrated Simon Mendez. For children without a chimney in their home, there is often a concern about how Santa will bring them presents. This fun and creative story solves that dilemma with a sweet story about a young boy who just moved into a new house. When he realizes it’s too late to write to Santa, he finds a key that can solve his problem. The book includes a lovely key for you to use for your own Christmas celebrations.

Here Comes Santa Cat was written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Claudia Rueda. This hilarious story follows a conversation between the narrator and the trouble-making cat who speaks only through illustrated signs. Cat is worried that he isn’t on the nice list this year, so he goes on a mission to try to be like Santa. He discovers it is harder than he thought and learns some important lessons along the way. The illustrations are simple, but fantastic at showing Cat’s emotions and thoughts through his expressions.

Christmas Books about Elves

The Littlest Elf was written by Brandi Dougherty and illustrated by Kirsten Richards. This sweet story follows Oliver, the littlest elf at the North Pole. Oliver has trouble finding the right place for himself at the North Pole. After several failed attempts to help, he finds a friend in a little reindeer who is also lost, and together they find the perfect job for themselves. The adorable story reminds readers that everyone, big or small, can be helpful and find something they are good at.

The Little Christmas Elf was written by Nikki Shannon Smith and illustrated by Susan Mitchell. Nina is the smallest elf in Santa’s workshop, and she is determined to do a great job in the toy shop. She struggles to keep up, but Santa encourages her not to give up. The sweet ending offers an important lesson about perseverance, and the ability of everyone to make a difference.

Memoirs of an Elf was written by Devin Scillian and illustrated by Tim Bowers. Join three elves as they help Santa to get ready to deliver presents all over the world. When a dog finds it’s way back to the North Pole in Santa’s sleigh, it is up to them to save Christmas. The story and illustrations are full of creative ideas on how the elves help Santa, using lots of modern technology along the way.

Elf in the House was written by Ammi-Joan Paquette and illustrated by Adam Record. Join a little girl as she dances her way around the house on Christmas Eve, meeting new friends and discovering lots of surprises. The colorful illustrations complement the peppy rhythm of the text, making readers want to dance along with the characters.

Get kids moving with these fun activities paired with Elf in the House!

Faith-Based Christmas Books

Itsy Bitsy Christmas: You’re Never Too Little for His Love was written by Max Lucado and illustrated by Bruno Merz. This tale follows two small mice as they search for the King coming to Bethlehem. Despite other animals telling them that they are too small and unimportant for a King to see, they continue on their quest to find him. After lots of searching, they find Jesus in a manger and learn that he was sent for everyone, both big and small.

God Gave Us Christmas was written by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by David Hohn. When Little Cub asks his mother who invented Christmas, his mother explains how God gave us Christmas. Little Cub and his mother go on a quest to find God, and find signs of God all around them. The sweet story is accompanied by bright and colorful illustrations of the adorable bear family.

God Bless Our Christmas (A God Bless Book) was written by Hannah Hall and illustrated by Steve Whitlow. This adorable rhyming story follows animal families as they celebrate Christmas with a variety of fun activities. The text reminds little ones for all the blessings of the holiday season, and that Jesus is the reason for all of them. The vivid illustrations are inviting and engaging, showcasing the adorable animals and the love of family.

The Legend of the Candy Cane was written by Lori Walburg and illustrated by James Bernardin. When a stranger comes to a small town and begins to set up a storefront, everyone is curious. A small girl ventures over to help him and discovers that he is opening a candy shop. As she helps him set up, she discovers a box of candy canes and asks him about them. He shows her all the ways that the shape and color of the candy cane represent the story of Jesus, and together, they share this message with everyone in town.