BEST Christmas Picture Books

October 12, 2025
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One of our families favorite Christmas traditions is wrapping up Christmas Picture Books to unwrap each day leading up to Christmas. Here are the Christmas books for kids you’ll want to make sure you read this year! These best Christmas books have charming stories and delightful illustrations that are perfect for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade students, and beyond! My adult kids still love hearing me read them to the younger kids.
One of our families favorite Christmas traditions is wrapping up Christmas Picture Books to unwrap each day leading up to Christmas. Here are the Christmas books for kids you'll want to make sure you read this year! These best Christmas books have charming stories and delightful illustrations that are perfect for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade students, and beyond! My adult kids still love hearing me read them to the younger kids.

Christmas Picture Books

One of our family’s favorite Christmas traditions is wrapping up a selection of Christmas picture books to unwrap each day leading up to Christmas. It adds an extra layer of magic and anticipation to the holiday season, and it’s so heartwarming to see the excitement on my kids’ faces as they unveil a new story each day. Reading together during this time not only strengthens our family bond but also helps foster a love for reading that lasts a lifetime. The best part? My adult kids still love hearing me read these cherished tales to their younger siblings. There’s something truly timeless about these stories that resonates across generations. Here are some Christmas books for kids that you’ll want to make sure you read this year. These selections are filled with charming stories and delightful illustrations that appeal to toddlers, preschoolers, pre-k children, kindergarteners, first graders, second graders, and beyond!

We have lots more christmas crafts and activities to choose from! Plus don’t miss top Christmas cookies, easy gingerbread puffy paint, fun growing candy canes activity, free printable christmas worksheets pdf, and bingo printable christmas

Unwrapping Christmas Books Tradition

Christmas books tradition

Our tradition has to do with wrapping up Christmas books. Over the years (and many, many clearance sales) I have amassed quite a selection of quality Christmas books. (You can get books for 75-90% off if you wait long enough!) Each year I use the leftover (scrap) wrapping paper to wrap up the books. Then, when Christmas rolls around we stick them in a basket or under the tree. Each night from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve one of the kids gets to open a book. (We alternate to be fair. Although there are nights that everyone gets to open a book!) We read the Christmas book we opened that night before the kids go to bed. They always enjoy opening presents before Christmas plus the element of surprise – What book are we reading tonight? A little added bonus is that it is good for fine motor skills & great practice for little ones (like Tinkerbell) so she is all practiced up before the big day =-)

Best Christmas Books

So… wondering what Christmas books we really look forward too? I thought you’d ask! I know I’m always on the lookout for new favorites! (If you click on the boxes below it will take you to Amazon where you can see the price of the book, other reviews, and purchase it at Amazon’s low prices!)

  • Dad’s Pick – Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree is a charming tale about a tree that gets trimmed down, providing festive decorations for several local animals.
  • Mom’s Pick – The Christmas Sweater is a heartwarming story about love, family, and how some gifts are so much more than they appear.
  • My daughter’s childhood favorite was The Sweet Smell of Christmas. This sweet book goes through the smells of Christmas with a clever book kids love! This is not a cheap scratch and sniff book, but a quality one that you will treasure. So much of what we remember is tied into smell. What a fun book to help kids put the smells into words.
  • My son’s childhood favorite was Merry Christmas Curious George.We are big PBS Curious George fans in our family. So I wasn’t surprised that this classic George became a family favorite. In the story George follows a Christmas tree that ends up at a Children’s Hospital. Along the way George causes some unintentional mischief, but ends up making the children laugh.
  • Must Read! God Gave us Christmas.  I picked this book up on clearance by chance. It is now a treasured book! This beautiful book tells us about the true meaning of why God gave us Christmas in a sweet story format. Don’t miss out.
  • Favorite Series! Llama Llama Holiday Drama.  We are HUGE Llama Llama fans in our house. Besides the fact that the books are beautifully illustrated and that they read and rhyme in a fun-to-read format, the books always have great stories about a mother and her son going through everyday struggles like you and I do. This is a fun holiday book, but don’t miss the others in the series.
  • Top Pick! We always read The Night Before Christmas in my house growing up on Christmas eve – it’s tradition! I have always loved the flow and rhyme, the pictures it paints in your head, and the anticipation it creates. But if you think all copies are the same – you are wrong! This particular edition is the best! The illustrations are gorgeous, playful, and colorful. Every family should own this book!

Christmas Books for Kids

Here are more treasured favorites! I am not including board books, Thomas, Elmo, Clifford, etc. although we have them. These are the really treasured good books! We also really love singing through the 12 Days of Christmas, but it looks like our book is out of print. (If you do decide to buy a book I recommended I’d love it if you bought it through the links on this page. I get a very small, but helpful, advertising fee from them. Thank you!) Of I you are frugal (nothing wrong with that!) go check them out at your local library for free!

Children’s Christmas Books

  • Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner reveals the festive adventures of snowmen enjoying the holiday spirit in their own unique way!
  • Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker. This vibrant holiday picture book tells the delightful story of construction vehicles working together to build a new home for fire engines, with fun surprises for each vehicle, making it a perfect Christmas read for young readers.
  • Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer. Discover the enchanting journey of Humphrey the camel in this delightful children’s book for ages 4-8, which not only brings to life the story of the three wise men but also beautifully captures the spirit of Christmas and the true meaning of gift-giving through captivating text and charming artwork.
  • Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson. Bear’s friends keep him awake for Christmas by involving him in festive activities, teaching him that the joy of giving is the greatest gift of all.
  • How to Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace. Get ready for a fun holiday adventure as a mischievous elf causes chaos in your home on Christmas Eve; this engaging picture book filled with vibrant illustrations, STEAM concepts, and humor is a perfect gift for kids ages 4-8 and sure to become a beloved holiday tradition.
  • The Littlest Christmas Tree: A Kindergarten and Preschool Christmas Book by R. A. Herman. With just five days until Christmas, the Littlest Christmas Tree fears it won’t find a home, but on Christmas Eve, its wish comes true when the tree stand owner takes it home to his family.
  • Celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Polar Express with a beautifully reproduced edition of Chris Van Allsburg’s artwork, perfect for long-time fans and new readers experiencing this classic holiday tale of a boy’s journey to the North Pole.
  • Little Blue Truck’s Christmas: A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids by Alice Schertle. Join Little Blue Truck as he spreads holiday cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his friends, and enjoy counting the trees from one to five in this charming novelty gift book filled with festive warmth and delightful illustrations.
  • Mooseltoe by margie-palatini is a whimsical holiday tale about a moose who tries to celebrate Christmas in his own unique way, bringing warmth and laughter to the season.
  • There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell! by Lucille Colandro. Join the hungry old lady as she whimsically swallows a bell, bows, gifts, a sleigh, and reindeer, only to be interrupted by Santa Claus needing a ride, all told through rhyming text and hilarious illustrations that make this a delightful Christmas read for kids!
  • Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. Matti accidentally opens the oven too early, releasing a mischievous Gingerbread Baby that leads his family and pets on a thrilling chase through the village and into the forest, while Matti stays home crafting a gingerbread house that the Gingerbread Baby eventually finds refuge in.
Christmas crafts for kids

Christmas Crafts for Kids

Don’t miss Christmas Crafts for Kids by +Beth Gorden with over 100 Christmas Activities, Crafts, and Recipes for families to enjoy together during the month of December.

The book (rated 5 stars on Amazon) is being raved as “impressive”….. “winning combination” …. and “well planned book with lots of great ideas” by readers.  So take the work out of your holiday season so you can focus on creating priceless memories together!

 

What’s Your Favorite Christmas Book?

Do you have a favorite Christmas book I need to check out? I’d love for you to leave me a comment!
  • These Christmas Word Searches are fun, engaging activity for kids during December. These christmas word search printable pages have varying degrees of difficulty making these holiday word search fun for children in preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th graders too. Simply print the free printable christmas word search for kids to play and learn while finding words to do with December 25th like wreath, tree, bow, sleigh, Santa, gifts, cookies, carols, and more!
  • Kids will have fun practicing math and literacy skills in December using these super cute, free twas the night before christmas worksheet pages. Use these Christmas worksheets with preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten age students filled with cute holiday clipart and practice with shapes, numbesr, patterns, letters, and more! Simply print the twas the night before christmas activity printables and you are ready to play and learn!
  • Christmas-Scavenger-Hunt
  • FREE Christmas Mazes - included in these Christmas printables are 8 different holiday themed mazes kids will have making. This is perfect for Christmas parties, Christmas centers, fun Christmas worksheets or over Christmas break for elementary age kids. #christmasprintables #christmas #printablemazes
  • FREE Christmas Worksheets for toddler, preschool, prek, kindergarten, and first grade kids to practice math, literacy, alphabet, and more during december. #christmasworksheets #prek #kindergarten
  • free-Christmas-Game
  • FREE-Christmas-Around-the-World
  • Celebrate the holiday season this December with these super cute, free Christmas coloring pages. These simple Christmas coloring sheets are a fun, no-prep Christmas worksheet for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade students. Kids can color the ornament, holly, wreath, stocking, candle, candy canes, present, bells, Christmas tree, and Merry Christmas greeting for a fun Christmas Activity. 
  • nutcracker printables
  • Celebrate the holiday seasons with these super cute, free printable Christmas Coloring Pages. This pack of free Christmas coloring sheets are all about Santa Clause and his helpers the Elves, Soldiers, toys, and Santa's workshop. Toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade children will have fun strengthening fine motor skills as they decorate and colour these simple coloring pages in December.  Simply download the Christmas Coloring Pages PDF and you are ready for fun!
  • Polar Express Worksheets
  • FREE ELf on the Shelf Printables- take the work out of planning your Chrsitmas Elf's antics with these fun elf on the shelf ideas, Welcome Back Letter, and Elf on the Shelf Jokes! #elfontheshelf #elfontheshelfprintables #christmasprintables
  • These Christmas Emotions Sorting Mats are the perfect activity to get learners introduced to emotions and the different feelings that they have. This center is perfect for Christmas activities for Kindergarten, preschool to learn about the different emotions that they experience. The Emotions Sorting Game is also a great way to practice visual discrimination with your learners as they have to sort the emotions based on the different faces displayed on the objects. Simply download, print and prep the christmas printables  and let your learners have a fun and hands-on SEL activity exploring and sorting emotions!
  • Looking for a fun christmas activity that is no-prep because it uses free printable christmas worksheets? This super cute Christmas I Spy is a great way to have fun, work on visual discrimination, and work on counting too. This I spy Christmas printable is great for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten and even first grade and 2nd grdaers. Simply print free Christmas printables and you are ready to play and learn!
  • Kids are going to love these interactive, Free printable Christmas Playdough Mats! Let their creativity soar as they play, learn, and strengthen their fine motor skills while helping decorate the Christmas tree, decorating the gingerbread man, helping Santa Claus getting on his iconic red suit, and more!  Simply download the pdf file with the 10 different free Christmas playdough mats to have fun with toddler, preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten age students this December!

Christmas Printables

  • Get ready to unleash your creativity this holiday season with our Marbleized Melted Crayon Ornaments! These stunning crayon Christmas ornament craft is not only a blast for kids to make, but they also turn out absolutely gorgeous! This Christmas ornaments crafts for kids is fun for all ages—from preschool to elementary. All you need are a few simple materials and a little imagination! Grab your little ones and let the fun begin!
  • This No Stick Gingerbread Slime Recipe is not only fun to play with, but it smells amazing too!  This easy Gingerbread Slime is perfect for strengthening and engaging little hands for some sensory play in December. Make a gingerbread man out of slime, stretch, mold, oooooz and have lots of fun with this Christmas activity for kids! We love this Gingerbread activities with toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, and 2nd grade students!
  • Easy-to-make bauble ornament crafts are beautiful! Use free printable template & construction paper! Christmas craft for preschoolers!
  • This Christmas wreath craft may be quick and EASY, but WOW is it beautiful! Children of all ages from preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd graders, and up will love making these construction paper Christmas crafts as decorations for home or the classroom. So grab some pretty paper and start making this pretty paper plate wreath as a holiday craft for December!
  • how-to-grow-a-candy-cane-christmas-kids-activity
  • adorable fingerprint reindeer craft
  • Star Christmas Ornament Craft for Preschoolers
  • Celebrate the season by making a cute, one-of-a-kind reindeer craft with your kids. This simple to make reindeer handprint craft is a fun extension to a story about Christmas reindeer or the most famous reindeer of all - Rudolph! Plus you'll love that this reindeer footprint craft helps create a priceless keepsake by preserving the size of your kids precious hands and feet.  Try this Christmas craft with toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd graders this December!
  • Kids will love this fun, silly Christmas Slime Recipe for Play. Use this Christmas activity for kids of all ages from toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and up! Plus lots of Christmas slime ideas too!
  • Jingling Silver Bells Christmas Craft
  • Gingerbread-Christmas-Craft-for-Kids

Christmas Activities

  • This magical Melting Christmas tree project is sure to bring some magic and fun into your day this holiday seasons! Try this simple, easy Christmas Science Experiments with preschoolers, kindergartners, toddlers, and grade 1 students to sneak in some fun Christmas Learning! This Chemistry Christmas tree is such a fun Christmas activity for kids to try this holiday season!
  • White paper cut Balloon Markers Cotton balls, Marshmallows, or white pompoms Ruler
  • If you are looking for a fun, simple way for kids to learn about the life cycle of a reindeer, then you will love these fun and free Reindeer  Worksheets.  Use these reindeer printables in December for science or anytime when learning about reindeer life cycles with elementayr age students in first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th graders too.
  • This fun Rudolph Race Game is both an outrageously fun Christmas game for kids and a chance to sneak in  Christmas STEM Activities! This easy-to-set-up Rudolph Races is a Christmas Activity for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students that teaches a little physics while having FUN! This Christmas science experiment is perfect for the whole family!
  • Kids are going to flip when they make they make their own spinning Christmas tree science project. This easy electronics project is perfect for December because it combines a Christmas craft and a Christmas science experiment to make one EPIC Christmas STEM project for kinderarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade students. This festive, holiday Christmas activity for kids is a must try this year!
  • Want to add a little more magic into your Christmas holiday season this year? Your kids eyes will get wide with this fun Christmas science experiment. The best part? This Magic Melting peppermint science experiment takes literally 2 minutes to set it up! This Christmas science is perfect for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade students to try in December.

Christmas Science

  • Sneak in some practice telling time to the hour, half hour, quarter after, and quarter till this December with a cute time activity! This polar express activity uses no-prep telling time worksheets to make holiday math. Use these free worksheets with kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade students. Just print the pages that your student needs to work on. 
  • FREE Christmas Dot-to-dot Coloring Pages - prek and kindergarten age kids will have fun practicing counting to 10 and 15 with these holiday math worksheets Christmas connect the dots make learning fun in december for preschoolers and kindergartners #dottodot #christmas #prek
  • Make practicing math fun in December using this Christmas addition printable! This addition math craft helps children in pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade gain fluency and keep focused on learning during the holiday season. Simply print the Chrsitmas math and you are ready to play and learn with this Christmas math activity. 
  • Celebrate the holiday season this December with these super cute, free printable, Polar Express Color by Number. These Christmas worksheets are perfect for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade students to work on number recognition. Simply download pdf file for this coloring pages pack of no-prep Christmas Math pages to make learning fun!
  • Looking for a fun way to practice 2D shapes identification and recognition? These Christmas 2D Shape Puzzles are the perfect way to practice shape recognition and identification with your learners. This hands-on activity of matching 2D shapes to complete the puzzle are such a hands-on way to get learners learning and recognizing their 2D shapes. With a fun Christmas theme, as learners recognize the shapes of the Christmas ornaments, this activity is perfect for a Kindergarten Christmas Math Center! Simple download, print and prep the printable for your learners to use over and over again for an engaging 2D shape activity!
  • Are you looking for a fun Christmas math activity to sneak in some fun learning during the holidays? If you are working with 2nd grade and 3rd graders, you will love this Christmas Multiplication free printable! For this Christmas math games children will solve simple multiplication problems to complete the puzzle.
  • Math-Christmas-Tree
  • Christmas Cut and Paste Math Worksheets
  • Hands on Christmas Fact Families Activity
  • christmas word problems
  • gingerbread-addition-puzzles
  • This fun, hands-on Christmas counting idea allows preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten age children to sneak in some fun holiday math in December! These Christmas counting activities also help strengthen fine motor skills too! Simply print the Christmas math and you are ready for an engaging math center or Christmas activity for kindergarten!
  • Stocking-Three-Digit-Addition-Game
  • Christmas-Skip-Counting-Puzzles-PIN2_thumb25255B125255D
  • christmas-solve-and-stamp-math-worksheets

Math Christmas Activities

  • Are you looking for fun, playful, and educational gingerbread activities for preschoolers? Grab our free gingerbread printable set with gingerbread men each featuring a different uppercase letter along with a recording sheet to trace and write the capital letters. This letter recognition activities for preschoolers is perfect for December!
  • gingerbread-man-reading-comprehension-worksheets
  • Are you looking for a fun, educational Christmas activity for kindergarten? This fun long o sound printable lets children put together Christmas tree puzzles while working on long o vowel teams. Simply print and you are ready to play and learn in December.
  • This week we have dived into the vowel team with eigh sound words. And with Christmas right around the corner, I knew we needed a fun, educational Christmas game to work on our new eigh words. I hope you enjoy this free printable vowel team game as much as my first graders have.
  • free printable christmas rhymes worksheets
  • FREE Christmas Tree ABC Game - kids will have fun practicing sorting Christmas presents under the correct alphabet Christmas tree by listening for the beginning sound. Great literacy activity for prek, kindergarten and first grade for some fun Christmas learning or center in December #christmasphonics #christmaskindergarten #christmasprintable
  • Help children practice their alphabet letters with these super cute, and FREE polar express worksheets. These polar express printables allow preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten to  practicing to identify both uppercase and lowercase letters with a festive letter find activity perfect for December. These fun, educational Christmas worksheets are a fun, engaging way to work on letter recognition this holiday season.
  • alphabetical order christmas lights printable activity
  • Free-Christmas-Sight-Words-Coloring-Pages
  • Christmas Phonics
  • If you are looking for some fun ideas to get your child writing more during the month of December? You will love these free printable Christmas Writing Prompts for kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade students.  There are over 30 pages of December writing prompts, letters to Santa templates, and more with both smaller and wider ruled lines! 

Language Arts Christmas Activities

Beth Gorden is the creative multi-tasking creator of 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As a busy homeschooling mother of six, she strives to create hands-on learning activities and worksheets that kids will love to make learning FUN! With over 20 years educating children, she has created over 1 million pages of printables to help teach kids alphabet, math, science, English grammar, history, and so much more! Beth is also the creator of 2 additional sites with even more educational activities and FREE printables - www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com and www.preschoolplayandlearn.com. Beth studied at the University of Northwestern where she got a double major to make her effective at teaching children while making education FUN!

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2 Comments

  1. Suzanne Kuehn says:

    You absolutely MUST read Humphrey’s First Christmas! Beautiful and hilarious illustrations and brings the point of the story back to the Savior. I bought copies for all my friends!

    Reply