20+ Wonderful Picture Books about Santa Claus
For so many families, Santa Claus is an integral part of the holiday season! And Santa books lend themselves so well to hilarity, sweetness, and imagination.
Here are some of our favorite books featuring the jolly St. Nicholas – I hope you’ll love them as much as we do!
Favorite Picture Books about Santa Claus
The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold
Santa loves Harold. He loves getting yearly letters from Harold and waits eagerly for the cookies that Harold leaves out for him. But this year? Santa isn’t convinced any longer that Harold is real. Some of his friends are sure that Harold isn’t real and last year, when Harold came to sit on Santa’s knee, he didn’t look quite the same anymore. Santa is determined to find out the truth.
Who Will Pull Santa’s Sleigh? by Russ Willms
It’s Santa’s first Christmas which means he’s still figuring out the logistics of visiting children all over the world and what an adventure it will be. He has a sleigh – now he needs some animals to pull it. But when he puts out an ad, he gets lots of interest from animals that just don’t seem like quite the right fit for this most important Christmas job.
Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas by Rubin Pingk
Yukio loves snowball fights and is THRILLED when snow starts falling on Christmas Eve. But none of his other ninja friends will play with him because they’re too afraid that they’ll end up on Santa’s naughty list and forgo all their gifts. What’s Yukio going to do?
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett
Isn’t this the question that riddles every child’s mind? How does Santa really get into your house at night? This sweet and festive book shares plenty of ideas of what could really happen when Santa goes down the chimney, or how he gets in if there isn’t a chimney.
I Believe in Santa Claus by Diane G. Adamson
I love this beautiful book that shows the symbolism between Santa Claus and Jesus. It’s a perfect marriage of the Santa story and the real meaning of Christmas.
Santa Jaws by
From the author of the beloved Mustache Baby books, comes this delightful rhyming new Christmas book about Christmas under the sea where Santa Jaws makes his annual rounds to all his aquatic friends.
When Santa Was a Baby by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Genevieve Godbout
If we had to choose a single favorite Santa book, this would be it. Every year, my girls beg to read this over and over again about how Santa displayed early signs of his eventual profession, from his love of the cold to his desire to give away all his toys to his friends. I love the warm illustrations and the jolly tone of the whole book.
It’s Not Easy Being Santa Claus by Marilyn Sadler
If you are in need of a good laugh, this Christmas picture book should be the first on your list! When Santa’s life begins to get a little overwhelming (all the letters to read, fighting reindeers, and missing slippers) he decides to try out a few other professions. He quickly realizes though, that nothing is quite the same as just being Santa.
Presents Through the Window by Taro Gomi
In this clever book with cut-outs on each page, Santa peeks in the window and leaves the right gift for the sleeping recipient. Except that when you turn the page, you realize that what you’re seeing through the window frame isn’t the whole story and the gifts might not be QUITE right. This Santa book is a huge favorite in our home.
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.
Santa Claus the World’s Number One Toy Expert by Marla Frazee
Is there anyone on earth who knows toys better than Santa Claus? I’d say no! And Marla Frazee agrees in this delightful book that shows Santa playing with all the toys . . .er, testing them out, so that when Christmas Eve comes, he knows just what to give to every child.
Santa Baby by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Heather Fox
Santa is WORN OUT by the work of Christmas Eve – he’s getting old! And so he calls on the magic of Christmas and. . . suddenly he’s a baby! As Christmas draws closer, the elves start getting worried. How can a baby Santa take care of all the present delivery when he can’t even say HO HO HO, let alone do all the other tasks required of Santa Claus?
Santa in the City by
With only two weeks to go until Christmas, Deja is starting to get worried about Santa. She’s a city kid and her home has no chimney, no parking spots, and no place for a giant sled and eight reindeer to come to rest. But she doesn’t need to worry – the Christmas spirit is alive in the city, with or without a chimney!
Santa Mouse by Michael Brown
First published in 1966, this classic Santa book was just re-released this year about a tiny nameless mouse who wants to give a special gift to Santa Claus, with delightful results for both Santa and the mouse.
Super Santa: The Science of Christmas by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Guy Francis
For every child who has ever asked, “but HOW does Santa visit every home in one night?” this book is for them. All the science behind what it takes to make the world’s most magical night is on full display here in delightful and nerdy detail.
My Pen Pal, Santa by Melissa Stanton, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
When a little girl writes her annual letter to Santa, she imagines that’s it. But when a few cookies are left uneaten on Christmas morning, she writes him a note to see what happened. And soon they’re writing back and forth all year long!
Santa Claus and the Christmas Surprise by Dorothea Lachner, illustrated by Maja Duskov.
Christmas is just around the corner but with the deep snow, Anna and Michael are afraid there will be no Santa that year. But things work out in the most delightful and sweet way that brings the community together.
Little Santa by Jon Agee
Young Santa loves living in the North Pole but the rest of his family hates the cold and eventually decide to relocate to Florida. But just as they’re ready to depart, a terrible blizzard strikes, trapping them all in the house. Happily, Santa figures out a solution to rescue his family!
Hey, You’re Not Santa! by Ethan T. Berlin, illustrated by Edwardian Taylor
It’s a busy Christmas Eve night for Santa and suddenly it gets even more chaotic when he realizes some toys have been left behind at the North Pole. Fortunately a cow is willing to step in to keep delivery presents . . . will anyone notice that Santa has been replaced by a bovine in a red suit?
Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Claudia Rueda
I LOVE the Cat series – they’re so clever and surprising. In this Christmas version, Cat is very worried he might not be on the nice list. So he tries to give out gifts himself which turns out to be harder than it looks. This might be a job for the real Santa.
Santa’s Prayer by Tom Roberts, illustrated by Doug Moss.
As a brother and sister walk through town talking about their Christmas wishlists, they spot Santa slipping into the local church to offer a prayer before setting out on his journey. A sweet reminder of the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list of books about Santa that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
Do you have a favorite Santa book I left off this list? I’d love it if you left them in the comments to make this post even more helpful!