Favorite Picture Books for Christmas
It’s the “most wonderful time of the year,” and taking time out from the busyness of the season to read a few of these wonderful books with your family will make it extra special. Whether it’s the touching story of a special gift for a little girl, the antics of a silly pig named Olivia, a magical journey to the North Pole, or a life-changing moment for an ornery camel, you won’t want to miss a single book on this list.
And if you’re looking for an extra special way to incorporate read-aloud time into your holiday festivities this year, why not create your own Christmas Book Advent Calendar. It’s the perfect way to make reading a part of your Christmas traditions.
Favorite Picture Books for Christmas
Download our free library list to take with you on your next visit to the library.
Humphrey’s First Christmas
by Carol Heyer
Humphrey’s First Christmas is the story of a star, a newborn babe in a manger, and a life-changing moment for an ornery camel.
Let It Snow
by Holly Hobbie
In classic Toot & Puddle fashion, Let It Snow reminds children that showing your friend how much you care is the greatest gift of all.
An Orange for Frankie
by Patricia Polacco
Set during the Great Depression, An Orange for Frankie is a charming and true tale of gifts and giving, of generosity and love.
An Otis Christmas
by Lauren Long
Otis’s new horn is the best Christmas present ever … but he doesn’t realize just how special it is until his friends need a miracle on a stormy night.
Auntie Claus
by Elise Primavera
It all begins when young Sophie starts to wonder about her eccentric auntie. Her quest to discover the truth takes Sophie to places she’s only dreamed of.
A Christmas Tree for Pyn
by Olivier Dunrea
This is a story of love between a hard-hearted father and a tiny but determined girl who wants a Christmas tree more than anything in the world.
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
by Robert Barry
Mr. Willowby’s fabulous Christmas tree is too big for his parlor, so he cuts off the top and gives it away. But that’s just the beginning of this sweet story!
Olivia Helps with Christmas
by Ian Falconer
It’s the day before Christmas and all through the house … uh-oh, Olivia has been helping her mother with the Christmas preparations again!
Silent Night
by Susan Jeffers
In this exquisitely illustrated picture book, Susan Jeffers brings the well-known lyrics of one of the season’s best-loved carols to life.
The Spirit of Christmas
by Nancy Tillman
Is the best part of Christmas found in sparkles, tinsel, and bright, shining balls? You may find that The Spirit of Christmas is much, much more.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
by LeUyen Pham
Though you may have heard the song again and again, LeUyen Pham’s heartwarming illustrations breathe new life into this familiar holiday classic.
The Polar Express
by Chris Van Allsburg
Join a young boy on the journey of a lifetime across fields, through forests, and into a magical world found only in a child’s dreams of Christmas.
The Crippled Lamb
by Max Lucado
The Crippled Lamb offers a sweet reminder that sometimes the very best place to be isn’t the place you would choose to be.
One Starry Night
by Lauren Thompson
On a serenely starlit night, a manger creates the backdrop for a cast of animal characters—and a very special family.
Manger
compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Imagine what the animals in Bethlehem might tell us if they could share their thoughts about the night that Jesus was born.
Great Joy
by Kate DiCamillo
A little girl with a big heart shows what it really means to share Great Joy during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season.
A New Coat for Anna
by Harriet Ziefert
Set in the aftermath of WWII, A New Coat for Anna is the true story of a determined mother, a little girl, and a special gift for Christmas.
Silver Packages
by Cynthia Rylant
Frankie learns that a simple act of kindness, no matter how small it may seem, can become a blessing that lasts a lifetime.
Cranberry Christmas
by Wende Devlin
When old Cyrus Grape chases the children of Cranberryport away from the skating pond, Mr. Wiskers decides that something must be done.
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
by Karma Wilson
Mortimer the mouse is very happy in his new home. But this story gets even better when Mortimer decides to make room for a very special family.
The Christmas Wish
by Lori Evert
Stunning photography tells the tale of Anja, a little girl who sets out on a magical Nordic adventure to become one of Santa’s elves.
The Jolly Christmas Postman
by Allan Ahlberg
The Jolly Christmas Postman is much more than just a picture book; it’s “a present full of presents” to share with your loved ones this Christmas.
Under the Christmas Tree
by Nikki Grimes
It’s the perfect book for Under the Christmas Tree—a collection of poetry that celebrates the best that the holiday season has to offer.
Who Is Coming to Our House?
by Joseph Slate
The excitement and anticipation is contagious as the barnyard animals busily prepare their house for the arrival of a very special guest.
The Light of Christmas
by Richard Paul Evans
The Light of Christmas is a sweet reminder that the spirit of Christmas isn’t found in the greatness of the gift, but in the heart of the giver.
Christmas Day in the Morning
by Pearl S. Buck
A farm boy, barn chores, Christmas morning, and the love between father and son: this book has all the makings of a classic Christmas tale.
Snowmen at Christmas
by Caralyn and Mark Buehner
The fun-loving snowmen who frolicked on the pages of Snowmen at Night are back! But now they’re celebrating Christmas … snowman style!
The Christmas Miracle
of Jonathan Toomey
by Susan Wojciechowski
Can the gentle questions of a young boy soften a bitter man’s heart and remind him of the miracle of Christmas?
Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect
by Richard H. Schneider
Enjoy the beautifully illustrated story of a perfect pine tree that discovers that some things are more important than being perfect.
The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit
by Emma Thompson
When they discover the McGregors are having William the Turkey for Christmas dinner, Peter and Benjamin help their friend out of a big predicament.
The Legend of the Christmas Rose
by William H. Hooks
Dorothy longs to join her brothers when they visit the baby that the angel told them about. But can she find a gift to bring to the baby?
Apple Tree Christmas
by Trinka Hakes Noble
Katrina loves the old apple tree, but when an ice storm takes it down, it may take a special Christmas present from Papa to make her merry again!
Christmas in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Join Laura and the Ingalls family for an old-fashioned Christmas. Their celebrations may be simple, but the memories they make will last a lifetime.
Christmas Tapestry
by Patricia Polacco
Just when it seems like the Christmas service may be ruined, Jonathan witnesses the unfolding of an amazing Christmas miracle.
The Wild Christmas Reindeer
by Jan Brett
Santa has given Teeka a special job to do before Christmas, but first she has an important lesson to learn about gentleness and patience.
Angelina’s Christmas
by Katharine Holabird
Angelina feels sorry for poor Mr. Bell, a lonely mouse who lives all alone. Can she find a way to bring him some merriment for Christmas?
FREE Favorite Picture Books for Christmas Library List
Gather a selection of books from this list. Just click to download our list to take to your local library.
For some extra special reading fun, Create a Christmas Book Advent Calendar and make reading a daily part of your holiday traditions!
Favorite Picture Books for Christmas Recommended by Our Readers
- The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston (Recommended by Lindy via email)
- Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray (Recommended by Lindy via email)
- The Christmas Tree Ship by Carol Crane (Recommended by Lindy via email)
- The Little Drummer Boy Illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats (Recommended by Becky L. via blog comment)
- Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost/Susan Jeffers (Recommended by Becky L. via blog comment)
- Holly Pond Hill, A Child’s Book of Christmas with poems by Paul Kortepeter (Recommended by Becky L. via blog comment)
- A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill (Recommended by Catherine via email)
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (Recommended by Catherine via email)
- One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham (Recommended by Michelle via blog comment)
- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff (Recommended by Debbie N. via blog comment)
- Give Him My Heart by Debi Gliori (Recommended by Debbie N. via blog comment)
- The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson/Jerry Pinkney (Recommended by Nancy B. via blog comment)
- Christmas! The Whole Story of the God Who Loves by Natasha Metzler (Recommended by Gretchen via blog comment)
- The Christmas Day Kitten by James Herriot (Recommended by Robin W., AALP Customer Service)
- The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt (Recommended by April via blog comment)
- The Christmas Rose by Sepp Bauer (Recommended by Erica via blog comment)
- Christmas by Peter Spier (Recommended by Raye via blog comment)
- Josie’s Gift by Kathleen Bostrum (Recommended by Kendra B. via blog comment)
- Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt (Recommended by Mary L. via blog comment)
- Jesus’ Christmas Party by Nicholas Allan (Recommended by Val via blog comment)
- The Nativity by Julie Vivas (Recommended by Linda D., AALP staff)
- Pick a Pine Tree by Patrica Toht (Recommended by Renée L., AALP editor)
Katrina Peake
says:Oh what a neat advent idea! Have filed it for next year but might still check out some from the library and wrap them anyway =D
Ali
says:I look forward to reading these books to my kids. :)
Paige Bowman
says:Thank you for sharing! I’m always looking for good quality books for the kids :}
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Paige. Maybe you will find a new favorite in this list!
Misty
says:Thank you for this great list of great books!
Jeni
says:This is a great list to enjoy with the kids over the holidays!
Katy Ross
says:Christmas books are my favorite. We save them for after Thanksgiving every year, and pulling them out is my favorite day after Thanksgiving activity! We have or have read many on this list, but I am so excited to see if my library has the ones we’ve missed! Thank you for this resource!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Katy! I love pulling out our Christmas books too. And even though my kids are older, they still read them every year.
vania
says:awesome selection!!
Bill
says:Great recommendations! You all are doing a fantastic job! I love your products.
Shniece Madison
says:This is a great list for read aloud! These will be wonderful to read to the kiddos during Christmas break. Thanks for ideas and thanks in advance for the new memories!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAwww, you’re welcome, Shniece. I hope you make many wonderful and lovely new memories!
Kayla E.
says:I love the idea of adding a story time during family holiday get togethers. I believe it will show young reader that all age groups enjoy a good story, and reading.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKayla,
Yes! A great way to encourage your children to become readers is for them to see the adults in their life reading!
Adrienne N
says:THANK YOU! This is great!!
Michelle R
says:Thank you for the great list!
Chantelle
says:Awesome idea! Thank you
Marie Fletcher
says:Thank you <3
Brittany
says:I started wrapping all the books tonight!! I can’t wait to make the Christmas book Advent calendar a family tradition. And my husband is excited about starting this new tradition so this is definitely a win!!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope this new tradition helps your family to create many wonderful memories this Christmas, Brittany! 🙂
Erica Villarreal
says:I can’t wait to check some of these out from the library. thanks for the great suggestions!
Angie
says:Thank-You for providing a wonderful list of books and a great idea to incorporate into our family Christmas traditions!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Angie! Enjoy.
Jane
says:So many good stories, unfortunately we live in the Southern Hemisphere, so I try to avoid the real snowy ones :-)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI understand, Jane. My family lives in the American desert, so Christmas involves playing sports outside, usually barefoot and in short sleeves. However, there are plenty of Christmas books that aren’t necessarily set in “winter landscapes”.
Dontie Kidwell
says:I love picture books and what better way to count down the days to Christmas than this tradition? I am getting mine together right now and can’t wait to snuggle and read our way through advent!
Carrie Penwitt
says:All about Reading has given me the confidence as a newbie homeschooling mom. I love watching my daughter learn to read! She is transitioning on her own to spelling. It has been so rewarding to watch and quite the ego boost for me.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI love that All About Reading is helping you to be a confident homeschool mom, Carrie!
Ronda Bowen
says:Thanks for sharing this great list!
Barbara Gorski
says:I might have missed these books, but, I would love to see several options about “Christmas Around the World” and/or books about how different people/groups celebrate Christmas differently.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the suggestion, Barbara! Some “Christmas Around the World” books would be interesting.
Sara
says:Fun list!
Laurie
says:thanks for all the ideas – it’s always fun to find a new Christmas favorite
Teressa
says:Thank you!!! Off to gather up some favorites now. Planning to make some hot chocolate, put on some Christmas music & wrap them up! ♡
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a way to get in the holiday spirit, Teresa! ❤
Rachel
says:What an exciting list to start off the Christmas season! Library books go quickly so I need to start planning now!
Carol
says:Thank you!
What a beautiful list of books.
I look forward to reading them.
Carmen Van Deursen
says:What a great idea to share with our little ones.
Kelly Jennings
says:Great round-up of Christmas books. Our family especially loves the Olivia books – she reminds us in many ways of another favorite character, Eloise.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceBoth Olivia and Eloise are such wonderful characters, Kelly. I agree!
Natasha Chandler
says:This sounds fun
Mary L
says:We love “Angela & the Baby Jesus” by Frank McCourt. I try to read it in dialect, but I always end up crying happy tears by the end.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMary,
Thank you for the recommendation! I love a book that makes me cry happy tears.
Cheryl morrison
says:Thank you, these are great suggestions
Val
says:Jesus Christmas Party by Nicholas Allen
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for this recommendation, Val. This one looks fun!
Hope K
says:Love this! I will have to see what we have around the house and what our library has. Thanks for putting this list together!
Gale
says:I’m planning to do a unit related to Christmas Songs and Hymns next year…so very glad to find your suggestions here! I see a couple that would fit in perfectly.
Raye
says:Fantastic list! Thanks! We “read” Peter Spier’s Christmas this year and my toddler loved it. It has no words, just pictures, but the illustrations are lovely and depict all the things a family does during the Christmas season, from shopping, to decorating, to giving to others, to attending church on Christmas eve, to un-decorating and taking out the trash after Christmas.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the review of Peter Spier’s “Christmas”, Raye. It sounds lovely.
Kendra Bowie
says:We read “Josie’s Gift” by Kathleen Bostrum and loved it! It is set during the Great Depression, and is truly a sweet story about Christmas giving.
April
says:We like “The Tale of Three Trees.” We do unwrap a book each day, and several of these are in the pile we’ve collected, many from goodwill, etc. I’d like to add the Patricia Polocco one you suggested.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the recommendation of “The Tale of Three Trees”, April.
Isabella
says:These are great! There are several books on this list that we already own and some new ones that I had never heard about, but will definitely be checking out Thank you!
Erica
says:Another great one is the Story of the Christmas Rose. I’m not sure how we got it (handed down by grandparents I think), but it has become one of our kids’ favorite.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the recommendation, Erica. It sounds lovely.
Erika Damschen
says:Thank you for this great list!! I would add The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston. It’s an Appalachian story, gentle and very meaningful. Barbara Cooney is the illustrator, another plus!
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceOooo, thanks for the recommendation, Erika!
Meghann Gaudet
says:Thank you so much or this wonderful list of books! I have been looking to add more to our Christmas collection.
Jamie
says:Just a comment on The Little Match Girl – yes, it is an amazing story but parents should pre-read and judge if appropriate for little ones. It is a very sad story involving the death of a little girl (she freezes to death.) Not for sensitive little ones. I read it to my kids out of a book of Christmas stories and thankfully it was a bit over their head, but it is more for older kids or adults I would say.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Jamie, for this.
Gretchen Louise
says:Our family loves Natasha Metzler’s new book Christmas! the whole story of the God who loves.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceThank you for this recommendation, Gretchen!
Harriet Yoder
says:Wonderful idea for the Christmas picture book Advent calendar!! Your book list is excellent! #PictureBookLove
Michelle
says:One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham is my favorite Christmas picture book! A touching story about a woman who takes in an injured neighbor boy on Christmas Eve and shares the redemption story with him.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceMichelle,
Thank you for this lovely recommendation.
betsy Flynn
says:Apple Tree Christmas
by Trinka Hakes Noble is one of our family favorites. Written over 20 years ago – we bought it as a Christmas gift for the first of our eight children. Our family, like you, has a tradition of adding to our collection of Christmas picture books. The Christmas book box is the second box that is brought up from the basement after the Thanksgiving holiday. The first box contains our Christmas music and the third is the box that holds the Christmas jigsaw puzzles. Apple Tree Christmas always pulls at a heart string and causes my eyes to get a little misty. Thank you so much for your list, many of your selections are already in our box, but some are new to me! A new book quickly becomes a treasured blessing.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Betsy, for these great ideas!
Debbie N
says:I love Christmas books! I share a few of your favorites and will have to check out some more from your list. Here are a few I love to read to my kids: Give Him My Heart (Debi Gliori), God Gave Us Christmas (Lisa Tawn Bergren), The Wild Christmas Reindeer (Jan Brett), Christmas Tapestry (Patricia Polacco), Baboushka (Arthur Scholey), The Legend of the Poinsettia (Tomie dePaola), and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (Laura Numeroff). I’m sure there are more. :)
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceDebbie,
Thank you for the great list of additional titles!
Colleen
says:So excited to try this!!!!!
Kristin Del Mul
says:What a fantastic list! Thanks!
Stephanie
says:Is there a particular order of these books that you use for the countdown?
I’m so excited about this idea!!
Nancy Lynn Barth
says:I LOVE The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey. Makes me cry every time. The drawing of the widow in it looks just like my daughter in one of her costumes when she played Jane Eyre. I sent a picture of her to the illustrator, and he agreed with me. I probably have 75% of the books on this list. The Little Match Girl is another tear-jerker, especially if I’m playing Peter, Paul & Mary’s ‘Christmas Dinner’ in the background.
Robin E. at All About Learning Press
says: Customer ServiceThank you for the lovely recommendations, Nancy. These sound lovely.