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Since I’ve been reviewing books, I’ve seen so many lovely book lists compiled and shared online. I’ve also seen many recommendations for having a tray of books within reach for children to peruse at their pleasure. We don’t have a tray because of how our living room is set up so a while back, I bought a vintage bamboo basket from Goodwill for $10 and it has become our seasonal book basket. As the seasons change, I rotate the books so they are themed to go along with the current season.
Christmas is my favorite holiday and for years, I’ve wanted to compile a list of our favorite Christmas children’s books, so I finally did! Here are the books in our book basket for December. Many of them are special to me because they were read to me as a child and it is my joy to read them to my children!
I chose 25 so there’s a margin in the month giving you a few extra days to read through all of them if you so desire. We own many of the books on the list but have also found a few at our local library. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we do! Click the link below to access a printable copy of the list with book cover images and a checklist to bring along on your next library visit!
1. A Very Mercy Christmas
This sweet story is a stand alone book that accompanies one of my girls’ favorite chapter book series, Mercy Watson. This delightful tale is about a little girl named Stella who organizes Christmas caroling with her neighborhood animals including a pig named Mercy. Whether you are new to the series or have been aware of it for some time, you’ll enjoy this sweet, fun read.
2. A Very Merry Christmas Prayer
My son received this board book as a gift last Christmas and it has become a regular addition to our book basket. This book is about thanking God for various gifts He’s given us and ultimately, being thankful for Jesus, the best gift of all!
3. All About Christmas
This book is a unique read full of fun facts about Christmas. My girls love this book and I enjoy reading it with them. Since it’s from a Christian perspective, I feel that it’s helped me gain a better understanding of the culture and customs that Jesus was born into. You can read my review of All About Christmas here.
4. Christmas in the Big Woods
We love this picture book series of adaptated from the Little House chapter books. This story is about how Christmas was celebrated on the prairie by the Ingalls family.
5. Home Alone
I didn’t see the original Home Alone movies until I was an adult. My husband enjoyed them as a kid and now I enjoy them too and we watch them together on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Our girls are finally at the age where they can stay up and watch the movies with us. We purchased used junior novelizations of the first two movies to read aloud and we’ve also enjoyed this picture book adaptation of the first movie. This book has a special place in our December Book Basket!
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
I’m usually pretty picky about which children’s books we read because I don’t like ugly illustrations. While The Grinch doesn’t have the most compelling artwork, it is a classic. I can’t help but point out the gospel parallel in the story’s conclusion when the Grinch has a heart change. Although this isn’t a Christian book, I love that I can use it as a catalyst for bringing up the gospel when we read it!
7. Jesus Came for Me
This sweet board book includes some of the stories featured in The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible that are about the birth of Jesus. The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible is my favorite children’s Bible and I love the smaller board books with the Bible stories. You can read my review of Jesus Came for Me here.
8. Just Nicholas
This book uses historical fiction to help children understand who Saint Nicholas was and how his legacy has morphed into Santa Claus. I appreciate the Q&A section at the end of the book that gives greater context to the life of Saint Nicholas.
9. Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia
My oldest daughter loves Amelia Bedelia books and in this one, Amelia Bedelia helps Mr. and Mrs. Rogers prepare for a Christmas party. There are some merry mix ups along the way making this a fun Christmas read and a regular in our December Book Basket.
10. Merry Christmas, Curious George
In this sweet story, George ends up lost and finds himself at a hospital bringing Christmas cheer to pediatric patients. I love the art and writings of Margaret and H.A. Rey and this is a fun read for anyone who enjoys Curious George books.
11. My First Christmas Bedtime Storybook
My girls love these Disney First Bedtime Storybooks and received this one as a Yoto card in a set of bedtime storybooks. This book contains short Christmas stories with some favorite Disney characters.
12. Nicholas: God’s Courageous Gift-Giver
This story is about the life and legacy of Saint Nicholas and tells how the legend of Santa Claus came to be. It begins with a note for parents and educators that provides helpful historical and cultural context to the life of Nicholas.
13. The Christmas Promise
This book paraphrases the story of the birth of Jesus in a way that helps children understand why Jesus came. I love the biblical accuracy in the Magi visiting Jesus as a toddler rather than a newborn and the emphasis on Jesus being our rescuing king!
14. The Christmas Story
This is a paraphrase of the events that led to and culminated in the birth of Jesus. I love the illustrations by Eloise Wilkin. My mom read My Goodnight Book to me and my sisters when we were young and I’ve been a fan of Eloise Wilkin’s work ever since.
15. The Crippled Lamb
This is a fictional story about a crippled lamb named Joshua who questions his significance until Jesus is born in the stable where he lives and he gets to help keep Him warm. My mom read this book to me as a child and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since. I’ve always loved the rich illustrations and the story. I have an aunt and uncle who used to raise sheep and when they had a lamb that was born with crooked legs, I suggested naming it Joshua (and they did!). This story is so special to me so it has a permanent place in our December Book Basket.
16. The King of Christmas
This story uses a character named Fat Cat who is on a journey to find Jesus, the King of Christmas. I love the rich illustrations of this book. You can read my review of The King of Christmas here.
17. The Nutcracker
There are so many versions of this classic tale. We have the new one by Jan Brett and an older Little Golden Book. My mom used to read Jan Brett’s books to me and my sisters when we were young so it’s my joy to do the same with my children. I recently came across this version of The Nutcracker and love how it incorporates the ballet’s music into the story.
18. The Snow Tree
In this lovely book, forest animals come together to decorate a Christmas tree in the woods. The illustrations are vibrant and I love the textured pages. This book is no longer in print but used copies are available online at various used book sites.
19. The Story of Holly and Ivy
I’ve been a fan of Barbara Cooney’s work since I first encountered Miss Rumphius in my third grade reader. I love her illustrations in The Story of Holly and Ivy which is a heartwarming holiday tale about a doll longing for a girl and a girl longing for a doll.
20. The 12 Days of Christmas
We checked out Greg Pizzoli’s The Book Hog from our local library and loved it! I’m always excited to come across books about books! When we found his version of The 12 Days of Christmas, essentially a book with the text of the eponymous song, we had to check it out. The illustrations contain animals and they get sillier as the book progresses.
21. Santa is Coming to Austin
This is a fun book that my girls enjoy because it mentions a city close to our hometown. They enjoy seeing some familiar sights in the illustrations and have asked for this book on repeat. Even if you don’t live in Austin, you can find the same book about different states and cities.
22. Seek and Find: The First Christmas
This is a really neat book that helps children understand the story of the birth of Jesus biblically in a Where’s Waldo? format. There’s a board book version of this book and a coloring book too! You can read my review of Seek and Find: The First Christmas here.
23. Silent Night
This picture book contains lovely illustrations accompanied by the words to the classic carol. This version of the book is similar and I love the modern illustrations!
24. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
This old poem is a classic and I enjoy reading it to my children every year! There are so many versions available and this year we will be reading a copy we received that has my son’s name incorporated into the story as well as the copy my mom read to me as a child.
25. When Santa Learned the Gospel
This book is a great resource that does an excellent job of using the tradition of Santa to explain the gospel. What I especially appreciate about it is that this resource explains the gospel in a way that is simple and helpful regardless of whether or not you incorporate Santa into your Christmas celebration. You can watch a read aloud of the book here.
