11 Picture Books for Christmas
If I were Saint Nick-
When The Cat in the Hat gets a letter designed for Santa he decides he can run Christmas better! In True Cat in the Hat form, things do not go as planned! These book is not written by Dr. Suess but in his style. I do like a lot of the books that come out from the Dr. Suess brand even in the past decade or so. I will say that this is one of my favorites!
Jack and Santa-
The Jack Series was a favorite of my daughter when she was learning to read. They are very relatable to kids and have just a few words on each page making them perfect for new readers. I would say 4-6 year old kids would totally be able to red them themselves! In this story, Jack ends up on the knotty list…. can he convince Santa he is not that bad? Be sure to read this one if your kids enjoy silly, silly books!
Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve?-
Jan Brett is an epic children’s book author that has a beautiful winter style. There are SO many wonderful books by her that are perfect for winter. This book is based on a Norwegian Folktale that follows a boy and his pet polar bear as they help a girl ward off troublesome trolls who try to create mischief at her holiday feast. This story is a great way to open up conversations about the Scandinavian countries, what it would be like to have a polar bear as a pet and what mischief would happen if trolls were real!
A Christmas for Bear-
Have you read any other books between Bear and Mouse by Bonny Becker? They are all pretty funny as the relations between these two characters lead to and unlikely friendship. When Mouse comes to Bear’s house he disappears when Bear is getting pickles from the kitchen. Bear loves his pickles! This is a heart warming story people to showcase the true meaning of friendship.
Tiny Reindeer-
I LOVE this book! Tiny is the smallest reindeer, too small to pull Santa’s sleigh but still able to help fulfill a Christmas wish. This story is a great reminder that everybody has a purpose, no matter how small! Your heart will be warmed and may grow three times its size after you read this story!
Snow Horses-
Okay, this is actually a New Years Eve book, but it reminds me of Christmas too. Two horses draw their sleigh through the snow while carrying various neighbors. Children, grandparents, and friends in all skin tones are represented. Representation is necessary in children’s books and this is a nice way to bring that in.
Dream Snow-
I am a huge fan of ANY Eric Carle book and this is no exception. We had the board book when my daughter was little, and she loved the flaps to lift. The hardcover book is a great version that had some clear pages that mimic the flaps in the board book. The story is of a farmer who gives a gift to each of his animals for Christmas. it is a sweet book with amazing illustrations as always!
Merry Christmas Peanut-
Who doesn’t love a good book full of puns?!?! This book is also by Terry Border who wrote Peanut Butter and Cupcake. The story follows a peanut though a world of puns as he tries to get to his friend’s house for Christmas…. a traffic JAM, a forest made of Christmas tree cookies and making snow angles out of powdered sugar! The pictures are a delight and are photographs made from real food making them even more “punny”.
Hoo Hoo Who-
Poor Owl, his glasses are broken! He is at Mouse’s surprise party, but he cannot see anything…. follow the clues to help Owl know who the guests are. be prepared for some extreme close ups of animals…. This is more of a birthday book, but I still like to call it a winter book because my daughter’s birthday is in December. You can’t overlook those December babies!
A Christmassy Catus-
Tiny Catus loves Christmas but the little girl who owns her is spending more time with a big shiny tree! Tiny wishes she can be decorated to be more special and get more attention. This story can hit home for many kids who get jealous especially around this time of year. I love that the colors are not a traditional red and green but have pink too! That makes this book stand out in!
The Donkey’s Song-
No Christmas would be complete without the story of the birth of Jesus. This adorable book is the nativity story told from the perspective of the gentle donkey that Mary rode on. It is the perfect book to snuggle up and discuss the true meaning of Christmas and we celebrate! I truly must own for all families!
