Skip to main content

Five Favorite Classic Christmas Picture Books

 It is that time of year when I pull out all of my Christmas books to read to young kiddos. I thought I would share five of my favorite Christmas books that still get me into the Christmas spirit. Enjoy! 

By Greg Pizzoli 
Los Angeles ; New York : Disney - Hyperion, 2017.

If there was ever a Christmas song that would get stuck in my head, it would be this one. And this brightly illustrated version is begging to be read and loved. It is the perfect way to sing a storybook and get into the holiday spirit—or at least to remind everyone, with one of the longest Christmas songs, that it is time to celebrate! 

By Robert E. Barry
New York : Random House Children's Books, 2000.

This may be one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories. I love how it is all about how you can make something special with just a little leftover Christmas cheer—or in this case a leftover Christmas tree top. I love how a little sprig of greenery can make the various homes a bit cheerier for the holiday. 

Written by Clement Clarke Moore
Illustrated by Loren Long
New York : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020.

I know I said that Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree was my all-time favorite, but it could also be any good version of The Night Before Christmas—and this version illustrated by Loren Long is particularly well done. It isn’t Christmas in my home until I read this story on Christmas Eve. It is the epitome of a classic Christmas picture book! 

By Patricia Polacco 
New York : Philomel Books, 2004.

When I want a feel-good Christmas story, this is the one I turn to. In the story, Frankie and his siblings get the special gift of an orange for Christmas. But then Frankie makes a choice that costs him his Christmas orange—which leads to another choice where everyone puts together pieces of their oranges to make a new orange for Frankie. If you want a longer, feel-good Christmas story read, this is the one for you. 

Written by Julia Donaldson 
Illustrated by  Axel Scheffler
New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2009.

I know that this is an obscure Christmas picture book, but I love it. It is all about Stick Man and how he ends up far away from his family (he is used to playing fetch, building snowmen, and all sorts of things) and all he really wants is to be with his family again. Of course, Santa helps make his holiday wish come true. I love how in this book the true gift of Christmas is to be with family.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: A Game of Noctis

A Game of Noctis By Deva Fagan New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 310 pages. On the island of Dantessa, social standings and wealth are determined by your place in the Great Game. If you keep on winning, you can reap treasures, power, and security for yourself and your family; but if you lose too many games, you'll be exiled to Pawn Island and a life of servitude. That's what happens to 12-year-old Pia's grandfather. Due to poor vision, he struggles to see the games, but also can't afford new eyeglasses without winning. When his score falls to zero, he is sent away. Desperate to bring him back, Pia joins a ragtag group of misfits to form a team for the annual game of Noctis. The game requires contestants to perform dangerous challenges in front of a live audience, and no one outside the wealthy Diamond District has ever won. Each member of Pia's team, the Seafoxes, has their own reason to compete, but if they're going to win they'll h...

Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages.  Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Review: Fowl Play

  Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...