Joyful Christmas Picture Books for the Holiday Season

Ah—Christmas! It’s my favorite holiday. There is nothing else quite like it. One of my favorite parts of celebrating Christmas is reading all the Christmas picture books we have on our shelves. Every year, my kids and I sift through our books and pull out our favorites. We make a big stack and work our way through them again and again.

And I love all types of Christmas books. Books about Jesus, Santa, magic, kindness, and miracles. Nothing gets me feeling good inside like a well-written Christmas story I can read to my kids. Whether we’re reading about the birth of Jesus Christ or a silly holiday romp about Santa and his elves, these are some of our favorite books we enjoy reading each December.

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The Best Christmas Picture Books to Read This Holiday Season

Santa’s Story by Will Hillenbrand

This adorable Christmas picture book is about Santa looking for his reindeer on Christmas Eve. He can’t find them anywhere. He even tries calling them, but they don’t come. It turns out that Santa forgot one important tradition—reading The Night Before Christmas to the reindeer. As soon as Santa cracks open the book, the reindeer come running. And reading the story gets everyone in the Christmas spirit.

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Christmas Train by David Miles

For little kids (and big ones, too), this board book will be a source of entertainment and fascination. As you read each page, the book folds out to create one long train. My kids are obsessed with folding and unfolding this book. With counting and seek-and-find activities throughout, this book will keep little hands and minds occupied for a long time.

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The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen

If you love Christmas picture books with gorgeous illustrations and delightful adventures, you definitely need this on your list. The mostly black and white artwork draws your attention to the strategically placed red items in the pictures.

This is a charming book that puts a unique twist on the typical Christmas book.

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The Gifts of the Animals: A Christmas Tale by Carole Gerber, illustrated by Yumi Shimokawara

On the night that Jesus was born, the animals prepared the stable for him. They each gave something to the new baby to welcome him into the world. This heartfelt story is a must-have for your Christmas collection. With beautiful, poetic text and stunning illustrations, this is one of my favorite books to read with my kiddos during the holiday season. It helps us remember the reason for the season and makes us feel warm and good inside.

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Pig the Elf (Pig the Pug) by Aaron Blabey

I don’t know if you’ve heard of this series yet, but it’s a blast. Pig the pug is the world’s greediest dog—and it just so happens that he loves Christmas.

This little book is full of shenanigans and laugh-out-loud moments. Kids that enjoy funny Christmas picture books will be thrilled to get their hands on this gem.

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Lit for Little Hands: A Christmas Carol by Brooke Jorden, illustrated by David Miles

Charles Dicken’s classic tale is now available in a highly interactive board book format! With sturdy pages and lots of tabs to pull, children will love reading this book over and over. My kids love the interactive tabs on each page. They bring the story to life! And the illustrations are as cute as can be!

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How to Catch Santa by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish

This is one of the cutest Christmas picture books we have on our shelves!

If you want to catch Santa this Christmas, this is the book for you. It walks you through the process, from setting the trap to what questions to ask once you’ve got him. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with kids that want to see the big guy himself on Christmas Eve.

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Why the Evergreens Keep Their Leaves by Annemarie Riley Guertin, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

When Little Redbird falls from his nest and hurts his wing, he can’t fly south for the winter. He flies from tree to tree, asking for shelter during the cold winter months. The trees are too preoccupied with their own winter preparations to help Little Redbird. Finally, the small bird meets a group of evergreens who welcome him in with open branches. This sweet folktale about kindness will melt your heartstrings and get you in the spirit of Christmas.

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How to Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Andy Elkerton

As long as we’re catching Santa, we may as well catch an elf or two as well. Or maybe you failed at catching the big guy, so you’ve set your sights on a smaller prize. Either way, you’ll need this book to get the job done properly.

This bestselling picture book is perfect for kids with Christmas fever and big imaginations. It’s a ton of fun to read, for both kids and their parents.

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The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Peek-Through Picture Book illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

My toddler is hooked on books you can sing to. I sang this song so many times I actually had to hide the book from her. Now that Christmas is getting closer, we’ll pull the book out again and sing it until our throats are sore. My kids love the cut-out pages, the cute illustrations, and of course, the classic Christmas song.

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The Legend of Old Befana: An Italian Christmas Story by Tomie dePaola

Children all think Old Befana is just a grumpy old woman. All she does is sweep—cleaning her home for when the Christ child will come to visit.

This is a classic Italian legend told at Christmas time. If you’re looking for Christmas picture books that explore cultures and stories from around the world, this is a good one to add to your list.

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The Christmas Fox by Anik McGrory

This is a genuine, sweet, and beautiful Christmas picture book that captures the spirit of the holiday perfectly. I love nativity stories and this one has some of the prettiest illustrations I’ve seen. It’s a simple story about feeling inadequate and learning that the gift of Jesus is for everyone, including those who think they have nothing to offer.

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The Lost Gift: A Christmas Story by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

This is another Christmas picture book my kids and I love to read. The illustrations are adorable and the story is as sweet as can be. It’s perfect for bedtime around the Christmas season.

Santa accidentally loses a gift over the edge of his sleigh one Christmas Eve. A group of kind-hearted animals decides to take the gift to its recipient. They struggle through the cold, snowy night in order to get the gift to a baby girl.

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The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Everyone needs this title on their bookshelf. It’s a modern Christmas picture book classic that my kids and I love to read every December.

If you’re interested in giving this to someone as a gift, pair it up with a copy of the movie and some delicious hot chocolate. You’ll be giving a Christmas tradition they’ll love for years to come.

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Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht, illustrated by Jarvis

This beautiful picture book celebrates the tradition of picking out and decorating a Christmas tree. With illustrations from Jarvis, this picture book is destined to become a modern classic. I’ll be adding it to our holiday reading stack. Families that love this yuletide ritual will adore this stunning picture book!

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