The holiday season is the perfect time to cozy up with some fun Christmas books for kids. Whether it’s stories about Santa’s adventures, festive animals or snowy places full of holiday cheer, these books capture the magic of Christmas in a way that kids will love. From timeless classics to new favorites, these stories will bring a little extra holiday joy to your home this season.
In this post, we’re sharing awesome Christmas books that are perfect for reading together as a family. Whether you’re looking for something to enjoy by the fire or a sweet bedtime story, these picks will add some extra fun to your holiday traditions. Ready to find a new favorite holiday read? Let’s jump right in.
Board books for 3 and under
For kids under three, Christmas board books are a fun and easy way to bring the magic of the holidays to life. With bright, colorful pages and simple stories, these sturdy books are perfect for little hands to explore. Whether they’re meeting Santa, snowmen or reindeer for the first time, these festive books make holiday storytime sweet and memorable.
‘First 100 Christmas Words’ by Roger Priddy
Babies and toddlers will learn all about the Christmas holiday through colorful pictures and vocabulary words. Each word has a photograph to match which helps young children develop concepts and makes for a great discussion starter to learn new vocabulary.
‘Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La’ by Sandra Boynton
Sandra Boynton is known for stories that are meant to be sung or read very expressively and this book is no different. Children will love the silly animal illustrations and the hilarious lyrics. If you can sing even a little bit, sing it to the tune of “Deck the Halls” and make it even more fun.
‘Pop-Up Peekaboo! Christmas’ by DK
Between pop-up pictures and rhyming text, babies and toddlers will be fully engaged in this story. Throughout the book, children are asked questions and they have to lift the flap to know the answer. When the flap is lifted, a picture pops up. This can make for hours of fun for young children.
‘Merry Christmas, Mouse!’ by Laura Numeroff
Mouse is back in this book by the author of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” He is adding ornaments to a tree one by one. As he adds each ornament, he counts them and children can count along. Children will love the colorful and cute pictures, too.
‘Little Blue Truck’s Christmas’ by Alice Schertle
Little Blue Truck spreads Christmas cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his animal friends. This book is full of rhyming text and counting and has an easy storyline to follow. Children will love the colorful illustrations and cute animals.
Stories for preschoolers
If you’re looking to bring some holiday magic to storytime, these Christmas books for preschoolers are just the thing. With fun stories, cute characters and lots of festive cheer, these books will keep little ones entertained and excited for the season. From waiting for Santa to cozy holiday traditions, these sweet reads are perfect for sharing some holiday joy with your youngest readers.
‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!’ by Mo Willems
Pigeon wants to drive something again and this time it’s a sleigh. Just like he normally does, he begs and begs and then throws a tantrum because he isn’t allowed to drive it. Kids will love telling Pigeon, “No!” when he begs and the story is simple enough for kids to memorize and read on their own after a few times. The humor will keep parents engaged too.
‘Construction Site on Christmas Night’ by Sherri Duskey Rinker
In this rhyming book that’s part of the “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site” series, the big rigs are building a new home for fire engines. As they finish, they each get their own Christmas surprises. Children will love discovering which surprise each vehicle receives. The colorful and cute illustrations will keep them engaged as well.
‘Llama Llama Holiday Drama’ by Anna Dewdney
Llama Llama does not like waiting, especially for Christmas. He and Mama Llama stay busy baking cookies, decorating the tree and shopping for presents, but he still wonders how long it is until Christmas. He can’t wait anymore and all it takes is a cuddle from Mama Llama to remind him that gifts are nice, but the best gift is each other.
‘Snowmen at Christmas’ by Caralyn Buehner
In this beautifully illustrated story, the Snowmen gather in the town square to celebrate Christmas at night while all the people are asleep. The story is engaging and has a nice rhyming pattern that children will enjoy.
‘Grumpy Monkey Oh, No! Christmas’ by Suzanne Lang
Jim the monkey can’t get into the holiday spirit this Christmas. He eats a green banana that makes him feel sick and now everything seems worse. While all the other animals are eagerly waiting for Christmas, Jim can’t help feeling that this time of year is the worst. His good friend Norman helps him see that focusing on the good things instead of his own problems, is a reason to celebrate.
Christmas books for kids 6 to 8
If you’re hunting for fun Christmas books for kids ages six to eight, you’re in the right place. At this age, their imaginations are running wild, so whether it’s a story about a sneaky elf or a magical winter adventure, these picks are perfect for bringing a little extra holiday joy. Grab a cozy blanket and some hot cocoa and get into these festive reads with your little ones.
‘The Christmas Owl’ by Gideon Sterer and Ellen Kalish
This is based on the true story of the little owl found inside the Rockefeller Christmas tree. Little Owl’s home is cut down by people who say it will make a beautiful Christmas tree and she’s not sure she wants anything to do with Christmas. She is saved by a woman named Ellen whose house is decorated beautifully for the holidays and filled with birds who need someone to help care for them. Little Owl is surrounded by kindness and new friends and begins to wonder if Christmas might not be such a bad thing.
‘Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree’ by Robert Barry
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree has arrived and it’s too tall for his parlor. He cuts off the top so it will fit and the top of his tree is passed along to several animals in the forest, each trimming it down and throwing out the rest for another animal to find. Children will love seeing it passed among the forest animals and parents may remember this classic story from their childhood.
“When my daughters were little, we always enjoyed Tomie dePaola Christmas books, especially anything having to do with his character Strega Nona. Another favorite is ‘Christmas on Jane Street’ by Wanda Urbanska and Billy Romp. It held a special place for us since their uncle lived on Jane Street in New York City at the time so reading the book, which is set on this block, was like visiting family. Also, one of my daughters’ name is Jane.”
— Leah Ingram, Bagels and Lasagna
‘Weird but True Christmas: 300 Festive Facts to Light Up the Holidays’ by National Geographic Kids
This book is full of strange facts, stats and traditions from around the world. Kids will love learning some weird facts they probably didn’t know before such as that people in India decorate banana trees for Christmas.
‘The Christmasaurus’ by Tom Fletcher
A long time ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, an egg rolled away into the ocean and stayed there until Santa discovered it and sat on it to see if it would hatch. He was surprised to find out it was a dinosaur. A young boy asks for a dinosaur for Christmas and Santa accidentally gives him the real one instead of a stuffed replica. An evil man wants the dinosaur. Will the child get to keep it? Young readers will love this imaginative chapter book.
‘The Jolly Christmas Postman’ by Allen Ahlberg
This interactive picture book is full of letters from favorite nursery rhyme characters to read. Kids can open the envelopes on each page and take out the letters. With beautiful illustrations and rhyming text, readers of all ages will enjoy this book.
Final thoughts
Christmas books for kids are the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. From silly elves to heartwarming stories about giving, these tales are sure to spark joy and create some fun family memories. So grab a cozy blanket, snuggle up and let the magic of these stories bring your family closer together this Christmas.
Heidi is a Certified Elementary School Teacher in the Inland Northwest and has been teaching for 18 years. She is also a vintage recipe blogger at Real Life of Lulu, where she focuses on recipes that are at least 50 years old, many from her grandparents’ kitchens. When she isn’t teaching or baking, she loves spending time with her husband and three kids.