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When I first read about a Christmas book countdown, I instantly loved the idea! We read Christmas books for kids every year in December, but having a book countdown seemed such a lovely way to make our reading time more special.
A few years ago, we read a chapter from the book “How Winston Delivered Christmas” every night from December 1st to Christmas Eve, and we enjoyed it a lot! It was a wonderful way to count down the days to Christmas!
The following year, I wanted to prepare a Christmas book countdown with one book for us to read every day. But after a while, I realized that we would enjoy the books even more if we would have more time to enjoy each of them.
So instead I prepared 10 days of Christmas books, when we will discover a new book every day in the first 10 days of December. This will allow us more time to enjoy the stories before Christmas and use them as inspiration for creative activities.
To make these 10 days really special, I spend a lot of time looking for the best Christmas books for kids. We repeated this tradition again last year, and discovered even more wonderful stories!
This is why I decided to put together a list of our favorite Christmas stories to give you some book ideas for the holiday season!
21 awesome Christmas books for kids
The books look absolutely beautiful, so if you are looking for new Christmas books to enjoy with your kids, I’m pretty sure you’ll find inspiration in this list!
1 – Last Stop on the Reindeer Express (by Maudie Powell-Tuck) | 3-7 years
This book shares the story of a girl named Mia who discovers a magical mailbox and finds hersef inside the Reindeer Express that takes her in a journey to her grandpa.
The illustrations are wonderful, and the books has many nice details like doors that open into the next page, peek-through holes, and even a card that the kids can open and read.
2 – Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever (by Matt Tavares) | 3-6 years
This charming tale follows Dasher, a brave doe who dreams of living under the stars and eventually finds her way to Santa.
It’s a lovely story of courage and Christmas magic.
3 – The Great Spruce (by John Duvall) | 5-8 years
This heartwarming Christmas book shares the story of a boy and his grandpa who, instead of cutting down a tree for Christmas, find a way to share their beloved spruce with the whole city.
4 – Olive, the Other Reindeer (by Vivian Walsh) | 3-7 years
This book shares a lovely story about a dog who thinks it is a reindeer. Olive decides to go to the North Pole and join Santa and the other reindeer.
There is also a movie based on the book that you can watch with your kids after reading the story.
5 – The Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch (by Tom Fletcher) | 7-10 years
This chapter book is the enchanting sequel of the popular Christmasaurus story.
In this book, Christmasaurus and his human friend, William, team up to save Christmas from the mysterious Winter Witch.
6 – Christmas Is Coming! An Advent Book: Crafts, games, recipes, stories, and more | 5-10 years
This book is packed with festive activities like crafts, games, recipes, and stories. It’s a perfect way to count down to Christmas and create lasting family memories.
7 – The Little Reindeer (by Nicola Killen) | 4-6 years
This book shares a wonderful story of a friendship between a little girl and a lost reindeer. I love both the magical tale and the lovely illustrations created by the author.
8 – The Snowflake: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids (by Benji Davies) | 4-8 years
This heartwarming tale explores the journey of a single snowflake and a child’s wish for a white Christmas. It’s a gentle story about hope and the beauty of nature.
9 – How Winston Delivered Christmas (by Alex T. Smith) | 4-8 years
Winston, a plucky mouse, sets off on a big mission to deliver a lost letter to Santa. This delightful book blends a story with fun Christmas activities.
10 – Jolly Christmas Postman (by Janet Ahlberg and Alan Ahlberg) | 4-7 years
The Jolly Postman delivers letters to various fairy-tale characters in this playful and imaginative read.
11 – 5 More Sleeps ‘til Christmas (by Jimmy Fallon) | 3-6 years
This #1 New York Times bestseller is a sweet story about a boy waiting for the Christmas day. The story is simple and joyful, and the illustrations are beautiful!
More wonderful Christmas books for kids
12 – Pick a Pine Tree (by Patricia Toht) | 3-7 years
This book shares the story of a family who visits a pine tree lot to pick out the perfect tree, and then goes through all the rituals of decorating the tree together.
The story and the illustrations perfectly capture the joy and excitement of the holiday season!
13 – Little Red Sleigh: A Heartwarming Christmas Book For Children (by Erin Guendelsberger) | 3-6 years
This is a tale of a little sleigh with big dreams of becoming Santa’s sleigh, teaching about perseverance and dreams.
14 – The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker (by Katy Flint) | 4-7 years
My eldest son is a big fan of the “The Nutcracker”, so I knew that I wanted to include this story in our list of Christmas books!
Instead of choosing the classical version of the book, I discovered this musical retelling of “The Nutcracker” ballet that is absolutely special!
The kids can push a button on each of the scenes in the book to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Tchaikovsky’s score.
15 – The Christmas Owl: Based on the True Story of a Little Owl Named Rockefeller (by Gideon Sterer and Ellen Kalish) | 4-8 years
Based on a true story, this book tells the tale of a little owl discovered in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. It’s a story of resilience and surprise.
16 – Pete the Cat Saves Christmas (by James Dean) | 3-6 years
We love Pete the Cat books, so I was glad to discover this holiday book with our favorite blue cat!
17 – A Boy Called Christmas (by Matt Haig) | 7-12 years
This book shares a captivating origin story of Father Christmas, blending humor and heart.
It’s an adventurous and festive read for children who love a good Christmas mystery.
18 – Home Alone: The Classic Illustrated Storybook (by Kim Smith) | 4-8 years
I remember watching this movie as a child, and I was happy to find a book that is a a gentle version of the movie!
19 – Little Robin Red Vest (by Jan Fearnley) | 4-7 years
This heartwarming tale of kindness follows the generous Robin as he gives away his warm vests to other animals, leading to a magical Christmas gift.
20 – The Christmasaurus (by Tom Fletcher) | 7-10 years
This unique story follows the story of a boy who befriends a magical dinosaur at Christmas time.
It’s a delightful tale that combines adventure, humor, and the spirit of Christmas.
21 – The Christmas Wish (by Lori Evert) | 3-7 years
This book shares the story of a brave little girl named Anja. She wants to be one of Santa’s elves, so the winter animals help her make her way to Santa.
The pictures in the book are really amazing!
Christmas stories make the holiday season more special and magical, and I can’t wait to get cozy in our reading corner and enjoy all these books with the kids!
Have a wonderful holiday season, with many happy story times with your little ones!
