24 New and Classic Christmas Books

2012 was the first Christmas we ever celebrated in our own home.

(If by “our own home” you mean “second floor apartment”).

After eight years of spending Christmas traveling, I was SO excited to do Christmas on our own, especially since it was the first year where Ella was really into the whole concept.

That year, I spent several weeks putting together a collection of classic Christmas books and wrapping them all so that Ella could open one each day until Christmas.

She was thrilled about opening a present every day, plus reading to a toddler was an activity I could do while holding a newborn, so that was very appealing.

It didn’t quite go as planned, though, because she ended up being way more excited about unwrapping the books than actually reading the books, and from then on, I just got all the books out at the beginning of the month we could enjoy them all.

Plus, the idea of wrapping 24 books wasn’t that appealing to me anymore.

I just keep them in a basket by the tree and voila – holiday cheer!

However you do it, these  Christmas books are so fun to read to your kids all month long. I’ve tried to include classic Christmas books plus some newer ones, funny books and more serious ones, plus religious and secular titles.

I hope you love them all!

(And, of course, you can always look at the previous Christmas book lists too, which have tons more options. I think last year’s list was particularly good – it was something of a banner year for Christmas picture books – and I also have lists from 2014, 2015, and 2016!).

New and Classic Christmas Books

The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Renata Liwska
One of the things I love most about Christmas is the stillness that you sometimes experience. This Christmas book perfectly captures all the different kinds of quiet that you can experience at Christmas and it was one of the very first books we added to our Christmas collection.

Toot and Puddles: Let it Snow by Holly Hobbie
My sister-in-law, who is a phenomenal gift giver and has supplied us with many excellent Christmas books, gave us this one several years ago, along with Toot and Puddles: I’ll Be Home for Christmas and they’ve both held places of honor in our Christmas line-up ever since. Think Frog & Toad but with pigs.

The Twelve Hats of Christmas by Brett O Parson, illustrated by Holly Parson Nielsen
This is a new Christmas book this year that has a distinct Dr. Seuss feel to it, thanks to the rhyming storyline.

A Creature was Stirring by Clement Clarke Moore, illustrated by Carter Goodrich
This book repeats the classic “The Night Before Christmas” poem stanza by stanza on the left pages while the right pages have an original poem that shows a little boy who IS stirring and sneaks up to the roof to joyride in Santa’s sleigh. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law recorded an audio version of it to go along with the paper copy about ten years ago, and it’s so fun to listen to them read it (more details about doing your own DIY audiobooks here).

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, illustrated by Laura Cornell
This is the most classic of classic Christmas books, so it’s only right to have a picture book version for little readers who are too young for the full-length chapter book.

Santa’s Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas by Hisako Aoki, illustrated by Ivan Gantschev
I grew up with this book, so it feels like one of the classic Christmas books to me. In it, the animals find Santa in the woods and he retells the story of Christ’s birth to them. Oh, it’s just so beautiful.

Oliver and Amanda’s Christmas by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Ann Schweninger
This might be my all-time favorite Christmas book. I LOVED this one growing up, with the sweet stories of a pig family getting ready for Christmas, and just looking at the illustrations makes me feel cozy.

Little Christmas Tree by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
This is a new Christmas book that takes place in a beautiful forest with winter animals hiding behind every flap. It is a fantastic option for younger kids and older kids, and it is FOR SURE Tally’s favorite Christmas book this year.
Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by A.G. Ford
You probably already know Rinker from her super popular construction books, but this holiday one is a new and delightful addition to the lineup.

One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson
I love the unique illustrations in this beautiful retelling of the first Christmas. Frankly, I can’t even look at the cover without getting a little teary-eyed.

Mouse’s First Christmas by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Buket Erdogan
I love the books in the Mouse’s First series, and this one is no exception. They’re just all so sweet and charming. Perfect classic Christmas books for the youngest little reader.

Millie in the Snow by Alexander Steffensmeier
Millie the cow loves delivering mail, especially when the holidays roll around. But when she gets lost on a delivery, Christmas might be ruined.

Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner
When darkness falls and the world is quiet, how do snowmen celebrate Christmas? In SERIOUS style. This one is full of magic and gets me so excited for the holiday season!

Oliver Elephant by Lou Peacock, illustrated by Helen Stephens
I love this new Christmas story about a mom and her two young children who head to the department store for Christmas shopping (complete with the little boy breaking something by accident). The outing ends with a little stop for a treat, but everything goes wrong when they discover that beloved Oliver Elephant has gotten lost.

Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney
For every child who has felt like it just takes TOO long for Christmas morning (and the presents) to arrive, this book hits just the right notes.

Catch That Cookie by Hallie Durand, illustrated by David Small
This was a Bookroo pick a couple of years ago and it immediately snagged a spot in our Christmas book line-up. A class bakes gingerbread cookies that escape and all the children have to hunt them down. But are they REALLY escaping or is the teacher just playing a holiday trick?

Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Renee Graef
Gretchen Rubin once said something about Laura Ingalls Wilder books being the definition of home, and when it comes to Christmas, I think that’s double-y true.

Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Alison Jay
I love Alison Jay’s illustrations and her Christmas books are some of my very favorites (I love her The Twelve Days of Christmas). This is the nativity story told in the most beautiful way.

Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockcroft
This was probably Ella’s very favorite Christmas book when she was 2 and 3, and I can’t blame her. I love the beautiful illustrations and all the animals making room in a stable for Baby Jesus.

Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton and Karen Hillard Good 
On a snowy night, a grandmother and her two grandchildren find a sick deer in the forest and take him home to nurse him back to health. Of course, this is no ordinary reindeer as they discover when Christmas arrives.

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
If I had to pick 5 classic Christmas books, this would absolutely be in that top five. Mr. Willowby’s beautiful Christmas tree is just a LITTLE too tall, so he chops off the top and it becomes a perfect tree for someone else. But it’s a bit too tall for THEM too and so on, until everyone has a tree just right for them.

Santa Mouse by Michael Brown
This classic Christmas book is from the 60s about a little mouse who saves a piece of cheese all year long to give to Santa Claus. It is such a fun Christmas tale, and I bet it will bring about a little bit of nostalgia!

Coming Home by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Kerry Hyndman
One nice thing about living with my in-laws was that when new books would arrive, my mother-in-law would look through many of them and tell me which ones were worth reading. This new Christmas book got a thumbs-up from her and I agree! It’s about a robin trying to find his way home in time for Christmas. The illustrations are stunning and the story is so sweet.

On This Special Night by Claire Freedman and Simon Mendez
I don’t generally think of cats as part of the nativity story but in this one, a mother cat leads her kitten to see the Baby Jesus and it’s very sweet.