8 BEST CHRISTMAS BOOKS TO READ ALOUD

The season of joy is coming near and it’s the best time to get into the Christmas spirit with some amazing Christmas books to read aloud to your children.

No matter how old you are, there’s just something about the magic of waking up on Christmas morning that takes us back to our childhood. No doubt you began to love that feeling even more since you became a parent because it really does come alive in children.

There are so many wonderful moments to be had and memories to be made as a family and children feel the Christmas spirit more than anyone with their imagination and pure innocence.

Reading sweet Christmas books during this festive month is a great tradition to continue as a family and will definitely give life long memories and habits to your child.

The beautiful illustrations and stories will leave you and your children feeling full of holiday spirit.

Following is the list of books I LOVE reading to my kids and the reasons why they are must-read Christmas books. Because it’s not just about reading but also about having a really fun and memorable time as a family.

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book!– By Dr Seuss

I hope you will enjoy these stories as a family and have a great time with your little ones during this festive season.

8 Best Must-Read Christmas Books For Children

THE LITTLEST CHRISTMAS TREE BY JANIE JASIN

Highly recommend this one if you are after a more religious and traditional approach to Christmas.

This story is told of a small pine tree that waits in the forest to grow tall so she can be picked up by an owner.

The tree worries that no one will pick her because she is too small. However, the tree is able to see the beauty around her and appreciate the world she lives in.
Throughout the book, the tree talks about how she is thankful for the Sun, Wind, Rain, and Sky for helping it grow.

She soon comes to realise that may be her purpose isn’t to grow into a tall Christmas tree. Instead she could provide shelter for small animals , birds and she could even be brought into a home as a window frame.

The tree no longer feels worried but instead is excited about the possibilities the life may bring her.

I love this story not only because of its message to everyone but also for its ample sensory imagery which let us experience everything the book explains to the core.

For example:
Visual imagery (eye) – “… And the sky..I watch it each day as it changes, some days are cloudy and grey and some days are clear and blue“- Ideal for kids to close their eyes and visualise.
Auditory imagery(ear) –gentle breeze rustle through her tiny green needles
Olfactory imagery (nose) “rain smelling sweetly of grass and earth, …how delicious rain feels on my needle”
Tactile imagery (skin)- I love sunshine so warm on my green branches

It’s a great time for children to close their eyes and focus on these imagery which will help them experience all these beautiful phenomena of nature. Finally the story ends with a self realisation.

“I will feel the Sun and the sky and the wind and the rain and I will think about how wonderful it is to grow. Just for today”

Here the author shows us that we are all created with a purpose but not everyone’s purpose is the same.

THE YEAR WITHOUT SANTA BY PHYLLIS MCGINLEY

This is based on the classic Christmas cartoon “The year without a Santa Claus” I recommend this book for pre-schoolers and upper grades due to its length and fairly complex wording.

The rhyming scheme and alliteration (Slippers with zippers, so many so merry, toots and hoots etc) makes it sound like a one long poem which is interesting and appealing.

When I was reading it, all I was thinking was how well the author has played with words to make them sound so interesting and rhythmic. As a result it’s one of my favourite to read aloud and act out. Great time to showcase your acting skills. haha.

Have to give credit to amazing illustrations that complement the beautiful words used by the writer.
The story starts like this. Santa has woken up on the wrong side of the bed. He’s got a crick in his neck, a cold in his nose, and aches in his fingers and all ten toes. So Santa decides to take his first vacation in one thousand years. The Elves, the reindeer, the Gnomes and most of all the children around the world are upset when they find out.

But then one 6 year old boy comes to Santa’s rescue, and children from all four corners of the world band together to give Santa a Christmas he will never forget.
A great book to teach kids that Christmas is more about giving rather than receiving. It’s a truly wonderful message that portrays the true spirit of Christmas. I love it!

MOUSE'S CHRISTMAS COOKIE BY PATRICIA THOMAS

Ideal for babies and toddlers with its visually delightful illustrations and repetition throughout the book.

There’s only few yet effective words in this book and one can say it’s almost a wordless picture book. My favourite thing about wordless picture books and stories with few words is that there’s so much room for creativity, imagination and fun conversation.

In addition to that, I love the sound words (also called onomatopoeia) used by the writer to make the story more appealing.

Examples for sounds words used- Swoosh, jingle, chugga chugga, toot toot, scritch scritch ,plop.

Little kids LOVE these sound words and a great way to have a giggle. WARNING- They will keep repeating these words in the silliest way possible in the following days. haha

In this story, mouse steals a Christmas cookie and cat sees it all. The chase is on, up and down the Christmas tree, onto the toy train and across the mantlepiece.

The bright, eye-catching illustrations tell the story with plenty of humour and action. There’s endless possible ways you can act it out when reading. Try it!

This story ends happily when cat surprises mouse with a gift and mouse reciprocates showing that even unlikely friends can exchange gifts at Christmas.

HOW TO CATCH SANTA BY JEAN REAGAN

From the New York Times best selling author of How To Babysit a Grandpa, How to catch Santa is a must-read this season.

In this story two siblings give clever tips for catching Santa on Christmas Eve. It covers almost every question we had about Santa when we were kids.

Filled with humour and holiday warmth, this is a fun read-aloud for the whole family to enjoy. If your kids are believers and looking for an Instructional Guide as to how to catch Santa, this simple, and hilarious treat is for you. It’s sure to spark imagination and lead to fun family conversation.

This book is definitely going to be appealing to children because it’s written from a child’s perspective and it’s fun, silly and more relevant to present-time. I like that my toddler can also enjoy it as it has simple, conversational language.

There’s no age limit to have a fun giggle for us grown ups too.

A CHRISTMAS WISH FOR CORDUROY BY B.G HENNESSY AND DON FREEMAN

It’s a sweet and heart-warming story about a bear called Corduroy finding his forever home. A perfectly smooth flow of this story can fill your little one’s heart with joy of Christmas spirit.

Here is the summary of the story. It’s almost Christmas and Corduroy wishes he could be a child’s holiday gift- but he is a plain bear, and nobody seems to notice him.

He sets out to ask Santa Claus for help, but he can’t visit without wearing a special outfit. After stopping to try on hats, boots and even baby cloths, Corduroy finally arrives at the North Pole.

The innocence of sweet Corduroy and his wishes and fears can be compared to our own little ones. His story teaches us that determination and perseverance definitely takes us to where we want to be.

There’s nothing overstimulating about this calming story so I prefer this as a bed time story to wind up after a long day. A calming and soothing way to call it a day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS SPLAT! BY ROB SCOTTEN

It’s the night before Christmas and Splat wonders if he’s been a good enough cat this year to deserve a really big present.

Just to make sure, he offers some last minute help to his mom but ends up messing up completely. That night Splat stays awake hoping to explain Santa that he’s been a good boy. But when Splat misses him, he’s sure his Christmas is ruined along with his hopes for a really big present.

This is a humorous story which brings out a common fear lingers on most of the kids’ minds during Christmas. “Have I been a good enough kid to get a big present from Santa?” I think the grown ups find this story more hilarious than the children.

At the same time, when I saw the unconditional love given to this silly cat by his mom and dad at the end, a smile comes to my face. Isn’t it a great lesson for all the parents?

In addition, we love the cute illustrations in this book, special mention to the way different emotions have been shown by simply changing the eye ball of all characters. Couldn’t help noticing that and I thought it’s top-notch.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS BY CLEMENT C. MOORE

This classic of a poem is considered the most iconic of all popular Christmas books. One can say it’s responsible for the popular vision of what Santa Claus looks like.

This lovely, enchanting and timeless Christmas poem is a must-read with your kids to feel the Christmas spirit. It’s great for children to know how Santa visit each house on Christmas Eve.

If you have read this book in your childhood, it’s a great way to transport to simpler times and feel the magic and nostalgia at the same time. The kids LOVE the life-like, zoom-lens illustrations in this book which make us feel that Santa is here for real. 🙂

“The moon on the breast
of the new- fallen snow
Gave the lustre of midday
To objects below;”
Wow I see why people cherish this piece even after 200 years. A must- have Christmas book in any home for a reason.

PEPPA'S CHRISTMAS WISH

Peppa book series is a big hit in our house and their Christmas books don’t fall short of our wishes at all. Peppa’s Christmas Wish is yet another sweet story about Peppa and George making wishes for Christmas.

But who would have thought Peppa would wish for a not-so-usual thing? Yes She wished to see Santa for real. haha Does her wish come true? Find it for yourself. wink!

We love the fantastic illustrations and children get to learn about Christmas rituals like Christmas tree, Christmas pudding, Christmas cards through these lovely illustrations.

So many things to talk about with our little ones. Isn’t that what we all want to snuggle up with?

I am sure this list of Christmas books to read aloud will help you enjoy holidays even more. Get cosy, have a mug of hot chocolate ready and time to take your little ones to a magical world full of joy.

Read my article Benefits of reading for kids

I am eager to know what your favourite Christmas books are. Please leave a comment.

Enjoy this season of joy and make memories together!