Christmas Books for Children
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Christmas Books for Children
The time has come. There is no escaping Christmas anymore. If you’ve been reading my blog for a few years now you’ll be aware that I’m not a massive fan of Christmas trees. It’s not that I’m a Christmas scrooge, I just don’t love all the hype and the plastic, and I’ve never understood why we insist on putting terrified toddlers on a strange red guys lap. Okay now I sound like a scrooge! I do like Christmas food and all the catch-ups with friends and family…and I do love Christmas cards…more about that here.
I will have many more Christmas and summer holiday ideas coming over the next few months, but if you are keen to get started, there are some ideas at the end of this post.
Whilst I may not be a huge fan of the Christmas tree…I don’t mind a Christmas book or 50 and we have quite a collection. Like toys, I rotate books, as it is only going to spell trouble if you start reading books about santa in May. Our Christmas books at home, and in my school library, are just about to come out of the cupboard.
Below are the 25 books we will be reading each day in the lead up to Christmas – click on the cover to read a blurb and/or purchase. Some are activity based, some are for shared or independent reading, some are religious, some are Santa based and one has a farting monster. They span the ages from early childhood to middle primary. For more Christmas books…some of which are aimed up middle/upper primary please see this list here.
Top 25 Christmas Titles
To add these books to your home, school or library collection click on covers.
Pud is particularly fond of this first one, ‘The Nights Before Christmas’ as it is one story a night for the month of December…it’s sort of a book and advent calendar rolled into one!
A beautiful Christmas story based on the traditional legend of the Christmas Rose. The fields near Bethlehem are filled with great joy when angels appear telling of the birth of a very special baby.
Alison Jay books are always gorgeous and this one is no exception. On Christmas Eve a man buys presents for the woman he loves, beginning with a partridge in a pear tree…
Oh dear me…The Wild Thing ADORES the farting monster. Sigh. I see a a December of reading this one every.single.night. 
I’ve read this one with every class from Years Two to Six in the last week and I think I could read it many many more times yet before I need a break! For starters it is by Jane Jolly and Robert Ingpen…perfect combination of creators. Main character, Kathleen eagerly awaits the Christmas Tea and Sugar train. Will she meet Father Christmas? Will she receive a Christmas gift from him? A delightful, heart-warming story from the National Library of Australia that will intrigue, captivate and introduce readers to a slice of the past. Wonderful sensitive illustrations, including a beautiful double fold-out image showing the shops inside all the carriages.
Santa and reindeer fun with gorgeous illustrations. 
One of my all time fav Christmas tales…the nativity told from the perspective of the animals. It’s available in board book form too….which makes it a perfect small book for the top of a book advent tree! In the stable next to an inn, Kind Ox is just settling in for the night when Old Dog comes into the stable. Kind Ox makes room for Old Dog, who in turn makes room for Stray Cat, who then makes room for Small Mouse–and each time, the larger animal says to the small, “There’s always room for a little one here.”
This is a new and utterly gorgeous nativity story, again told from the perspective of the animals. Penny Matthews text is perfection and…well…it’s Stephen Michael King illustrations…enough said. Buy it. On the very first Christmas Eve, so the story goes, the animals were given a very special gift to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Since then, at midnight on Christmas Eve the animals remember. A beautiful retelling of an old Christmas folktale. 
A magical Christmas mix of stories, poems, memoirs and illustrations from some of Australia’s favourite children’s authors and illustrators. From the funny to the ghostly, fantasy to adventure, from peace and love to action and the unexpected, from recipes to carols, whether you dip in or devour, read aloud or read under the covers, there’s something in this beautiful lavish book for everyone to enjoy. Publisher, Christmas Press, will donate a percentage of the proceeds from this book to Room to Read, an innovative global non-profit which seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in ten developing countries in Asia and Africa by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.
A charming and nostalgic Christmas story about a much loved Little Dog who finds his way home for Christmas. Little Dog and Jonathan are best friends. They do everything together. But on Christmas Eve Little Dog finds himself lost and alone in a busy city. How will he find his way home? Can Christmas wishes come true? 
From Australian icon and singer–songwriter, John Williamson, comes this hugely popular family song, brought to life by talented artist, Mitch Vane.
It’s a new ‘EJ’ title! PudStar is beside herself that I won’t let her read it until December. I am SOOOOOO mean. More on EJ books here.
Love this series of books with their accompanying CDs…it’s on high rotation already!
Gorgeous GORGEOUS. Have purchased a few of this one as gifts for toddlers.
Home decor and art and book – I’ve loved this ‘book’ since I was a child and may or may not have stolen my childhood copy of it.
Likewise…I may or may not have stolen my childhood copy of this. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
It’s Olivia. No more need by said. Perfection in a book.
I purchased one of these last year as a gift and it was greatly enjoyed…so this year Pud and I are going to have some thumbprint art fun.
For some reason this book makes me all teary every time I read it – it is just SOOOOOOOOOO beautiful. Oh my GLORY Mem Fox and Kerry Argent you did a good job with this one all those years ago! 
Pud is about to lose her two front teeth so this is a must.
This one is for The Wild Thing…who loves stickers (all over her body and the bathroom wall and the dog) and Maisy.
Have purchased this one for some babies that are hopefully going to make their entrance just before Christmas!
This is our Nativity set in the school library and the students love rearranging it and reading the story.
Before you think my children are deprived…we do have a Christmas tree…it’s just more of your palm tree seed pod variety…with very few decorations. We visit other families who do Christmas lights (big time Christmas lights!) and we go to Christmas events and parties; it’s a win win!
If you’re keen to start planning Christmas holiday activities here are some ideas from last year.
Looking for more great book reviews and recommendations? I’m Megan Daley and you can find out more about me here.
My book recommendations (for babies to young adults) is here and you can peruse ALL of my reviews (searchable by age, genre and theme) here.
Check out my mini ebook, 'What to Read Next' or sign up for my FREE webinar, '3 Tips to Start the Best Book Club Ever'.
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[…] Books, which features yours truly, is counted among the best 25 Christmas childrens' books over at Childrens' Books Daily. A magical Christmas mix of stories, poems, memoirs and illustrations from some of Australia’s […]
If you’re looking for another Christmas book to add to your collection try reading “Where Does Santa Claus Go” by Ima Chatterbox. It’s about where does Santa go when he has to, well, ya know? It’s a funny read and I have 3 boys so our life revolves around potty humor.
Sounds perfect for The Wild Thing! thank you!
We have lots of these and even though my kids are probably too old I’m buying Alison Jay’s 12 days because I love her illustrations so.
Oh and Applesauce and the Christmas miracle – Glenda Millard and Stephen Michael King – so beautiful!
Never too old!
Oooh- I was going to go with Dear Santa by Rod Campbell but might have to make a last-minute switcheroo to Count my Christmas Kisses for my little lady. Oh heck. I’ll probably end up getting both. And then some. I wish I had willpower when it came to buying books! Thanks for the super list xx
Count my Kisses is DIVINE! I have NO willpower when it comes to books! NONE. I am HOPELESS.
I’d love to win “There’s a monster under my christmas tree who farts” because in our house, my four year old daughter and my husband have nicknames for each other: Little Stink and Big Stink. It would be a perfect book for them to share together!
Trying to decide which one of these books would make the best present for someone is like being asked to pick your favourite child! I am never go at making decisions about preferences when it comes to books. I think for my grandsons I am hovering between a traditional book like Room for a Little One and the very original take on Christmas – Tea and Sugar for Christmas (I am a Robert Ingpen fan). Can I just say I am avoiding the farting monster as I do not wish to be banned from my cherubs because I once again lead them astray :-). So in the end my heart would choose Room for A Little One for my little grandsons.
Thanks for such a great list of books Megan and a wonderful treasure trove for fellow book lovers. Your enthusiasm of literature is contagious!
My little boy wants to ask Santa for a Christmas book and a batman book.. Oh my gosh ‘there is a monster under the xmas tree who farts’ would just blow his litte mind. We would have to read it everyday as well!
I have book hungry children and nieces. Also my year 1 class next year!
Ohhh what a great list! I love the idea of a different xmas book as a countdown to christmas. Santa always gives my kiddies a xmas book in their Santa sack but my 4 year old is right into chrismtas this year and his old books are getting ratty. Would LOVE some new ones!!!! 🙂
Fabulous post, and some great books there, many we have not yet read. We are quite partial to Karma Wilson’s Bear Stays Up For Christmas. She is the master of rhyme, and we love her bear books. Just reminds me to put another one on Gigi’s Christmas list. We will pin all these so we remember them.
Oh gosh I’m a reading freak which I have passed on to my kids all look beautiful. My little boy wants a christmas book and a batman book for Christmas… A monster farting under the xmas tree.. Well that would almost be too much happiness for him to bear. My little girl loves music so.the John Williamson one or deck the sheds she would love!
My not-so-little brother has been the chief instigator in developing my son’s toiler humour. His own little farty-pants was born just two weeks ago and it’s time for some payback from Aunty Lilybett.
Please can we win a copy of There’s a Monster Under My Christmas Tree Who Farts for my newest nephew? (Although any book’s a good book when it comes to Christmas).
The one I really want to win is the farting one for my son and husband – they already get so much joy from farts – surely adding literacy to it can only be a good thing!
What a great selection. I would love to win a book for my niece for Christmas. She became a big sister this year and has been fantastic with her little sister. So proud of her. She absolutely loves books and being read to.
I would love to win the books for my kids. I am addicted to reading, whereas their Dad has only read one book in 20 years (the first Harry Potter book can you believe). I love that my kids re taking after me more than him in that way, and I encourage them to love books every way I can!
What A lovely List! Thank you for these!
I have a 4 year old nephew who comes every January and this year I want to read something new to him!
We also have some neighbor kids who come to borrow the ‘Kachoo book’ and ‘Matilda’ from me often.
So any of the books from the list would be boon 🙂
Thank you!
I would love to win books for my daughters who are 6 and 4. We read every day and my little 6yo who has learnt to read this year, reads by herself so often now, she loves reading to her little sister as well which just melts my heart!
Thank you!
Anyone who has met my daughter knows that I simply CANNOT keep up with her demand for books! She is a voracious reader and a committed writer. I’d love to win a book for this budding young writer… and keep fanning the flames of her interest and passion for all things books and writing!
I love kids books..even as a grown up!
My littlest book man would treasure any of these amazing reads !
I’ve got three sons that love books. There are so many on this list that we still don’t have! I’ll be checking some of these out, thanks!
I just read about the ‘4 gift rule’ today for children whereby children receive four gifts for Christmas or for their birthday.
Something to play with, something to wear
Something to read, and something to share
I’m going to start this as a new tradition in my house this year and would love the “something to read” for my two little ones (girl aged 4 and boy aged 1)! Happy Christmas everyone!
Seasons greetings! I think that there is something very magical and special about Christmas. I love to share the joy of reading with my grandchildren by giving them books for presents (they are also super easy to mail to interstate!). There is nothing like a book to inspire and spur the imagination in young minds.
Who wouldn’t I want to gift a book to is a better question! I’m a huge believer that picture books are for all ages, so I’d love some books for my husband which he will then share with our two daughters.
Mine keep telling me they’re too old for Picture Books (8 and 6) but every Christmas we’re still reading the old favourites. I thinking the farting one is sadly a must for my two sons and any child from ages 3-10 — isn’t that a universal topic of glee… 🙂 Wonderful list – Happy Christmas to you and yours. Keep the posts coming 🙂
I want to win books for my son .He loves picture books more than his grade 1 readers and i want to let him read picture books to keep the love for books alive in him .