We have a tradition where every year, we buy a new book “from Santa.” These Christmas books for kids are treasured, and we reread them every year.
In fact, I have a collection of kids’ Christmas books my parents gave me as I was growing up, and I love to dig through them and reread them even now. This collection gets updated each year with new and fun books, and it’s ready for 2024!
If you have older kids, I put together a list of great Christmas books for teens and tweens, but if you have younger kids in the early elementary years, I have our favorites for those and everything in between here. Christmas books for toddlers and preschoolers focus more on board books and picture books that are fun to read, so that is a separate article.
Start a new tradition where you give a new Christmas book every year. It’s so much fun and a great way to develop a love of reading.
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Best Christmas Books for Kids
Picture Books
These are great books for that in-between age, when they still love the shorter picture books but may want to read them by themselves, whether they're ready for chapter books or not.
1
Dasher
Dasher didn't always start out as one of Santa's reindeer. Once upon a time, she was just an adventurous reindeer who lived with her family in a traveling circus.She's always wanted a different life, however, and when she meets a man in a red suit, it seems like all her dreams may finally come true.
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2
Dasher Can’t Wait for Christmas
This is a sequel to Dasher, the New York Times best-selling book, and it's sure to delight your young ones.With only one sleep left before Christmas Eve, Dasher can’t contain her excitement for her favorite holiday. She sneaks off to visit the festivities but gets lost and has to find her way home in time to lead the sleigh.
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3
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?
When Santa arrives at a child’s house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feetfirst or headfirst? What if he gets stuck? What if there’s no chimney?This book answers that constant question with hilarious results and more and more ridiculously fun situations as the night goes on. You'll love this light-hearted book.
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4
Five Little Monkeys Looking for Santa
The monkeys always made my kids – and me – laugh. No surprise, the monkeys can't sleep on Christmas Eve, and they keep jumping out of bed to look for Santa every time they hear anything. Will they catch a glimpse of the big man?
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5
The Gingerbread Pirates
Matt Tavares has written a number of great Christmas books for kids, and this one lives up to his standards. Jim and his mother left gingerbread men for Santa on Christmas Eve, but not just any gingerbead men – pirate gingerbread men!Captain Cookie sneaks away from his place near Jim's bed that night a daring adventure to find his pirate crew and rescue them from that mysterious character he’s heard about: a cannibal named Santa Claus.
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6
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh!
Is there a child anywhere who doesn't love the Pigeon books? His silliness and sweetness come through in this Christmas-themed book from Mo Willems.
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7
Disney: 5-Minute Christmas Stories
I love anthologies where I can read a quick story and choose a different one every night, and this book is perfect for that. It includes 12 different Christmas stories starring everyone from WALL*E to Aurora to Mater and more. They're quick enough to read aloud two or three before bed and not feel guilty about it, and they have that Disney magic everyone loves.
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8
Gingerbread Baby
What happens when Matti and his mom open the oven too early? Out pops a gingerbread baby who takes the whole family – except Matti – on a merry chase. Matti makes a gingerbread house instead, and your child will love finding the secret that the gingerbread baby ran into it to hide.
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9
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
Sorry, did you already get the song stuck in your head? This book retells the Christmas song about a little girl who just wants a hippopotamus for Christmas, and who can blame her?
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10
I Saw Santa’s Underpants
If you're looking for a slightly more irreverent Christmas book, this is the one for you. My kids have always loved finding things that they think are slightly naughty but really aren't, and that's exactly what this book is.Santa has a little accident, and a boy and his dog are the ones who need to save the day in this delightful rhyming book with gorgeous illustrations.
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11
Where Would Santa Go?
Lucy and Max leave a letter to Santa with his milk and cookies asking where they should travel first when they're older. He's their travel role model.Santa decides that they don't need to wait, and he whisks them away for adventures. Not only do they explore the locations, but the book includes facts about them in addition to the gorgeous illustrations and fun story.
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12
The Crayons’ Christmas
The Crayons was one of my favorite childrens' books, and this Christmas book follows with the same adventures and style. The crayons celebrate the holidays, as do their families and Duncan.The book also includes real, folded letters from the Crayons that you can pull from their envelopes and read, games, punch-out ornaments, a poster, and a pop-up tree to make it even more interactive.
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13
Where Would Santa Go?
While most kids want toys and games for Christmas, all Lucy wants for Christmas this year is to know Santa's favorite destinations around the world. She gets her wish when Santa takes her and her brother with him around the world where they not only get to see the locations but learn about some of the traditions and customs at each stop. It's a fun way to sneak in some education in a story that your kids are sure to love.
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14
The Jolly Christmas Postman
Remember when we used to write letters to Santa instead of emails? This book has all those letters collected by the postman over the years.Your kids will love pulling the surprises out of the envelopes on each page and seeing letters from Humpty Dumpty, the Big Bad Wolf, and more. Not all the surprises are letters, so it keeps kids guessing.
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15
Bear Stays Up for Christmas
Bear’s friends are determined to keep Bear awake for Christmas. They wake Bear up and have him help them find a Christmas tree, bake cakes, hang up stockings, and sing Christmas songs.Bear stays up and discovers that giving is one of the best Christmas presents of all.
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16
Christmas and the Joy of Giving
This book shares the true meaning of Christmas with animals at the center of the tale.Every year, they decorate the forest for Christmas, however, this year, they are unable to complete it because the world has been less compassionate. The animals come together to save their holiday through acts of love and giving.
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17
The Tree That’s Meant to Be
This sweet little book shares the story of a tree that doesn't look like the others and is left behind when families choose their Christmas trees. As he feels not good enough, the animals in the forest come together to show him exactly how special he is.
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Easy Reader Books
As kids start to learn to read on their own, finding books for them to enjoy is so key. These easy reader Christmas chapter books are a perfect start.
18
Christmas Is Here!
While you know and think about the classic Peanuts Christmas story, there are so many other Peanuts-inspired books out there to know and love.This easy ready book features (mostly) Snoopy and is a fun and fast-moving book that kids will love as Snoopy tries to just enjoy his day and keeps getting interrupted.
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19
Santa Claus Doesn’t Want to Work
This book is perfect for early readers, as it includes illustrations to accompany the silly story about Santa deciding he's done with all his responsibilities and that he just wants to relax. The text is also optimized for dyslexic readers, making it easier for all readers.The elves have to all work together to pull off Christmas in this book that is funny and adventurous at the same time in order to save the holiday for all the children of the world.
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20
A Beautiful Christmas
Christmas is just around the corner, and Albert is on a mission to find the perfect gifts for his friends. Albert gets off-track and focuses on himself instead.To make matters worse, Parker the Pickle has a trick up his evil sleeve and is determined to ruin the holidays for everyone. Is Albert capable of finding the perfect presents for his friends, and at the same time, saving Christmas from this sour pickle?
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21
Happy Narwhalidays
This book is written in graphic novel form,la which makes it easier to digest. Narwhal and Jelly have their own traditions for the holidays, and Narwhal can't wait for the Merry Mermicorn to arrive – part mermaid, part unicorn, and completely mer-aculous. Jelly gets a mysterious gift she knows has to be from Narwhal, and the pressure is on to find one for him now, too.
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22
Christmas Mice!
It’s Christmas time and the four cheerful mice merrily hang stockings, string popcorn, wrap presents, and sing carols. The little mice are so caught up in their joyful preparations that they almost forget to look out for their old enemy, the cat.
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23
Ronaldo: The Reindeer Flying Academy
This illustrated early-reader Christmas book is loads of fun. This book is less strictly Christmas-themed and more winter-focused.Ronaldo wants to win the endurance test more than anything else in the world. But Arctic-like conditions prove more difficult than he ever imagined, and after only a few circuits self-doubt creeps into his mind.
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24
Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia
Amelia Bedelia is constantly mixed up, which makes her such a fun read for kids as they enjoy her zany adventures. Amelia Bedelia has to get the Rogers house ready for a visit from Aunt Myra, and you know that she will do it all wrong but yet somehow get it right.
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25
The Christmasaurus
While this book is long at 400 pages, this is designed for younger readers though not brand new readers.Santa and his elves discover an egg frozen for thousands and years and accidentally hatch a dinosaur. Of course there's a dino-loving boy who accidentally gets the real christmasasaurus instead of a stuffed one and a bad man who wants it for his collection. Enjoy the adventures!
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Fun Christmas Books
These are the Christmas books that aren't just the classics we grew up with but are fun for various reasons. They're often a bit irreverent, but they're great to keep kids interested and wanting to read.
26
The Christmas Pig
This kid's book by J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame is a far cry from Hogwarts. In this sweet book, Jack's favorite toy Dur Pig has disappeared. When he gets a replacement for Christmas (we've all been there, right?), the new Christmas Pig comes to life on the magic of Christmas Eve and hatches a plan to find and rescue Dur Pig. It's a sweet story filled with Christmas adventure.
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27
Disney Villains: How the Villains Ruined Christmas
Everyone loves Disney, and sometimes the villains are even more fun than the traditional heroes. In this fun picture book, the villains and their minions do everything they can to ruin Christmas for everyone. It's written in a rhyme that makes it easy to read out loud to your kids or have them enjoy on their own.
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28
Christmas at Hogwarts
This gorgeously illustrated picture book takes a single chapter from the first book in the Harry Potter series and creates a lovely stand-alone Christmas book filled with magical traditions. It's a fun story so many of us know already, but repackaged in a way that makes it far more approachable to kids.
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Classic Christmas Books
There are some books you grew up reading, some that your parents grew up reading, and they are just as good now as they were then. These classic Christmas books for kids are ones that definitely belong in your collection.
29
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
If you don't have The Grinch in your collection already, this is a must buy. This classic book needs no introduction or explanation.It is simply one you need to own.
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30
Polar Express
Long before this book was made into a movie, I was reading it. The glorious message and amazing journey still give me goose-bumps to this day.Just buy it. Read it. Love it.
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31
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Has anyone not seen the classic movie? But have you read the book?I grew up loving the book version of Charlie Brown's search for the meaning of Christmas, and this never disappointed. Enjoy this well-known story with lovely illustrations for years to come.One caveat: the book has been slightly rewritten and the play Charlie Brown directs is not the nativity play anymore. I cannot find a version of the original story, but this remains worth adding to your collection.
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32
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
I'm pretty sure I had the entire Golden Book catalogue as a child. The Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was no exception.We all know the movie, but enjoy the book, as well. This version is perfect for little kids and remains true to the original.
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33
Frosty the Snowman
Just like Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman is a classic story that is as enjoyable to read as it is to watch on tv each year.This is a perfect picture book based off the classic movie that includes the illustrations you're used to seeing and the story you grew up loving.
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34
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is another classic, and if you have planned to take your little one to the ballet or already have, this book is a perfect accompaniment. It tells the story we all know and love in a way accessible to kids with gorgeous illustrations that will have them asking you to read it again and again.
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