Christmas is in the air and we all have our favourite Christmas reads! We frequently get queries about Christmas books so we’re sharing a curated list of everyone’s X’mas picks! Do share your favourites and we’ll add them here to the list!
Asha associates The Wizard of Oz with Christmas as she grew up watching the movie every Christmas morning. Have you read this classic? Which books remind you of Christmas while growing up?
For 0-3 Years
Busy Christmas (0-3 Yrs)
Busy Santa (0-3 Years)
Dear Santa: 15th Anniversary Edition by Rod Campbell
Counting Christmas by Karen Katz
Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present?: A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Book
When Santa Got Stuck up the Chimney (Sound Book) – Shreya gifted this one to Bhavneet and the atchooos are adorable indeed!
Elmer in the Snow by David McKee for 0-3 yrs. Achira says, “A must have for Elmer fans. Elmer takes his friends to the snowy mountains who were complaining of cold. Though being in the snow was lots of fun, they soon realise that what they had was not all bad. With Elmer we learnt to appreciate things that we are blessed with.”
Elmer’s Christmas (0-5 years)
The Very Hungry Caterpillars Christmas EVE (0-3 Years)
Llama llama Jingle Bells (0-3 Years)
Funny Faces Santa Claus by Roger Priddy (10 pages) – Sreyoshi’s baby loves loves this interactive book!
Llama Llama Holiday Drama (2-5 years)
The Nutcracker (Campbell First Stories) for 1-5 years
Peppa’a Christmas (1-4 year)
Peppa Pig: Peppa’s 12 Days of Christmas: A Lift-the-Flap Picture Book (28 pages)
Santa’s Busy Day (1-4 years)
Hurry, Santa! (1-5 years) – This should be super funny because Santa has to go to do some POTTY BUSINESS!!
Usborne Little Peep-Through Books Are You There Little Elf? (Little Peek-Through Books) – 12 pages
That’s Not My Santa (Usborne touchy-feely books) and That’s Not My Snowman by Fiona Watt – 10 pages (0-3 years)
Where’s My Santa? (1-3 years)
Reindeer of the Year (1-5 years)
Hey Duggee: Countdown to Christmas: A Lift-the-Flap Book (10 pages)
Little Blue Truck’s Christmas (light-up novelty book) – Sreyoshi has done a read aloud with her toddler in the fb group here where you can see the lovely pages!
The Christmasaurus: Tom Fletcher’s timeless picture book adventure for 0-5 years (32 pages)
Little Reindeer Saves Christmas (1-5 Years). Quoting Amardeep:
All of Santa’s reindeers fall ill, and it is up to the little reindeer now to ensure that all the children receive their presents. But, little reindeer doesn’t know how to fly! An absolutely heartwarming read about how one Christmas was saved by the little reindeer, and his bravery.
LEGO Christmas: A Push, Pull and Slide Book There are other books in this push, pull, slide series.
Penguin’s Christmas Wish by Salina Yoon (1-5 years)
Dream Snow (2-4 years)
Peppa’s Frosty Fairy Tale (2-6 Years) Achira has this one and says, “Perfect for all Peppa Pig fans out there. Peppa and her family go to the frosty kingdom in a sleigh! Join them to meet the sugar plum fairy on this Christmas!”
Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Night Before Christmas (2-6 years)
Mog’s Christmas by Judith Kerr for 2-5 years. This was on Asha’s list for the longest time ever and she finally got this one! “This book is a must have for every cat lover. It’s about Mog the cat, who is upset by all the hustle and bustle over Christmas in the house. Mog who is unfamiliar with the idea of a Christmas Tree, thinks it’s a walking tree and climbs up the roof out of fright!
A Judith Kerr book that feels like a warm hug on a cold winter day.”
RECENTLY RELEASED!!!! THE CHRISTMAS PINE: a magical story for Christmas by Julia Donaldson
I Went to See Santa (Bloomsbury) for 2-5 years
Lulu’s Christmas (everyone at kbc loves Lulu!!
Hey Duggee: Duggee and the Christmas Badge (2-5 years). There are lots of books on first experiences in the HEY DUGGEE SERIES.
Mickey Flies the Christmas Mail (24 pages)
The Turkey That Voted For Christmas for 3-5 years (32 pages). Punidha has shared inside pages here.
The Mouse That Cancelled Christmas for 3-5 years is by the same author, Madeleine Cook.
Santa’s Wonderful Workshop for 3-5 years (32 pages)
Hey Duggee: Duggee’s Night Before Christmas for 2-6 years. There are lots of books on first experiences in the HEY DUGGEE SERIES.
Danny and the Dinosaur: A Very Dino Christmas by Syd Hoff for 3-4 years (24 pages). This series, Danny and the Dinosaur is very popular!
For 3 – 7 Years
NEW RELEASE – The Christmas Tree Mystery by Bharti Singh for 3-6 years (32 pages)
Yikes, Santa-Claws! (3-6 years) by Pamela Butchart & Sam Lloyd. In Achira’s words:
A fun riot this one is. What happens when you see Santa is a green Dino is literally trashing the whole Christmas eating all crackers and turkey, opening all presents! Total mess till real Santa arrives to save the day!
The Unicorns Are Coming To Town (3-6 years) by Scholastic – This book combines Santa, reindeers and unicorns! A beautiful story of how too much may not be very good, and how Christmas is truly a team effort! Children will love reading about the Ice Spa and unicorns!
Betty and the Yeti (3-6 years) Asha has this one. In her words,
This is not a typical Christmas book. But it has the feel good factor with lots of snow in it!! Betty and Yeti is a simple story of unconditional friendship, of being inclusive and accepting people as they are. Making new friends is always difficult because you are constantly judged but this story shows us how Betty befriends the Yeti in a heartbeat without being judgmental at all.
The story is in verse and the illustrations are mighty beautiful! A must have for every season!
Mr. Men Little Miss Christmas (Mr. Men and Little Miss) Box Set for 3-7 years – this boxset makes the perfect gift!
Little Miss Christmas
Mr. Men: The Christmas Tree (Mr. Men & Little Miss Celebrations)
Mr. Men And Little Miss Celebrations — Mr. Men Little Miss T: A funny illustrated children’s Christmas story book starring Little Miss Naughty!
Mr. Men Little Miss Secret Santa: The Perfect Christmas Stocking Filler Gift for Young Children! (Mr. Men & Little Miss Celebrations)
Mr. Men Little Miss Save Christmas: A New Festive illustrated children’s story celebrating all the fun of Christmas time
There are quite a few books with the Christmas theme in Mr Men and Little Miss series which can be bought individually.
The Christmas Show written by Rebecca Patterson. Quoting Achira:
A beautiful and touching story of a little boy whose class is preparing for a Christmas show. All his friends have some big part, one was an angel, one the king, one is narrator. But he feels he is almost nothing in this show! We he is there in a song but that is not big. After all the practice comes the big day and when they go on stage, all was going well till he sings in the wrong bit and then dances the wrong way! The show ends and some of his friends feel he shouldn’t have been in the show! But that doesn’t matter to him because his granny feels he was the best of all. He is happy.
What matters most is that our loved ones show us the appreciation. A lovely book that beautifully expresses that one might not be perfect but family is always there to love you. A little love from their loved ones can keep their confidence up!
Mince Spies by Mark Sperring (Bloomsbury). Amardeep has this book. Quoting her:
The book is actually a Christmas book, written like a thriller – all the treats in the supermarket are falling, Mince spies try to catch the culprits, and the culprits turn out to be sprouts who feel bad that all the kids eat just candy at Christmas time and not them. Santa delivers the perfect message for fussy eaters and spreading Christmas love. We’ve absolutely loved it.
[It doubles up as a book for fussy eaters as well.]After 5 minutes of the cake, while we ate our dinner, he climbed up on the table and says, I think the spinach is feeling bad I abandoned it, I’ll eat a little. He proceeded to eat his entire dinner! The credit for this dinner time win, goes to this lovely book, Mince Spies.
Santas Jaws by Mark Sperring (Bloomsbury)
How Many Sleeps To Christmas by Mark Sperring
The Christmas Selfie Contest by Rosie Greening (32 pages) for 3.5-6/7 years. Asha says, “The perfect book to explain that teamwork rocks much more than trying to be the best. So if your munchkin has a competitive streak and the urge to be the best by being solo like the Christmas Elf, Alfie here – this book will drive the message home in the most cute. Such an important lesson in the sweetest story ever with lovely illustrations. Clearly, Rosie Greening never disappoints!
When Granny Saved Christmas (3-6 years) Asha has this one. It’s about a family of mice who are travelling to Granny’s house for Christmas. There are two kids, Squeak and Bubble who are super excited about Christmas at Granny’s. They write a fancy note to Santa but forget to tell him they’ll be at Granny’s this time! After that follows numerous creative ways of letting Santa know about their Christmas destination which makes this book a super fun read!”
Daisy and the Trouble with Christmas (A Daisy Story)
Oh, Christmas Tree! by Sue Hendra (3-6 years): About a christmas tree that has big dreams and does not want to be stuck in a pot. How will the tinsel and ornaments convince the tree to do its job? A hilarious story that shows its okay to be different!
The Owl Who Came for Christmas inside pages have been shared by Punidha here in the fb group.
Merry Whatmas? This is part of the bestselling Hedgehog & Friends series by Eoin McLaughlin.
While We Can’t Hug was an incredible book written by the author in the pandemic on social distancing.
Disney Frozen Olaf’s Night Before Christmas (3-6 years)
Amelie and Nanette: Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes (Bloomsbury)
Dinosaur Christmas (3-6 Years)
Best Christmas Book Ever! by Richard Scarry for 3-7 years
Mouses Christmas Wish by Judi Abbot for 3-6 years. A Christmas tale on friendship!
Pig the Elf by Aaron Blabey of the Pig the Pug fame! Quoting Amar (who got this as a secret santa gift from Achira):
We fell in love with Pig the Pug, but what we didn’t know was that Pig the Elf would turn out to be much much more fun! Pig has a huge list of toys for santa, and is livid when santa doesn’t get him everything on the list. What happens next? Read the funny adventure that pig has, and how he learns that being greedy isn’t a good thing. The book comes with a reward chart and two huge sticker sheets, which is simply amazing. Its a wonderful book to make Kids understand that wanting too many toys isn’t great, but what’s really really wonderful about the book is its Christmas setting and illustrations. We’ve enjoyed the book so much that I’m very tempted to get more in the series now!
All the colors of Christmas (3-7 Years)
5 minutes Christmas stories (3-8 Years)
The Polar Express (3-7 Years) Written and illustrated by: Chris Van Allsburg. Quoting Achira:
A book that I can’t describe in words. A story narrated by a true believer. One Christmas Eve, this little boy kept waiting to hear the jingles of Santa’s sleigh but what he heard instead was the sound of hissing steam and squeaking metal. There right in front of his house was the magnificent polar express! All aboard said the conductor and he embarked on this journey to the North Pole with other kids. Across the mountains soaring high they finally reached the North Pole. They were mesmerised to see the elves who work in the toy factories there and make all the wonderful Christmas toys. And there Santa was to give the first Christmas gift. He was delighted to be the chosen one and all he wanted was one silverbell from Santa’s sleigh. But when he boarded the train to get back home, he realised he had lost it! Sad and heartbroken he gets back home. On Christmas morning, he was amazed to see a tiny gift wrapped box with his name and inside was the most precious gift- the same silverbell along with a handwritten note from Santa! It totally made his Christmas special. But the sound of the bell was not heard by all..only one who believes in it could hear it. He is a grown up now but it’s just he who can still hear the sweet sound of the bell! If you believe in something it does happen! Such is the magic of Christmas..such is the power of faith in Santa! I can’t be happier this Christmas because finally I have got this lovely book. Don’t miss the beautiful illustrations!
The Sweet Smell of Christmas (3-7 Years)
Father Christmas needs a Wee by Nicholas Allan unconventional but hilarious! For 3-7 years but it’s such a riot for parents as well!
This book has been on Asha’s wishlist for the longest time ever and when she finally got her hands on it she danced. “This is a Counting book on the theme of Christmas, written in verse! The story, as the title suggests, is about Santa who needs to rush through his Christmas gifting as he has had too many things to drink (tea, milk shakes, stew, etc) owing to which he really needs to take a pee! The description (in rhyme) is hilarious as he stops at each house where they show how many numbers of drinks he has – that’s where the counting fun begins and doesn’t end for a long time! A must must have book for everyone. Warning: You will be laughing throughout the book!!
Father Christmas Comes Up Trumps! by Nicholas Allan again! This is a sequel to the Wee book wherein Santa Claus has eaten too many sprouts and now needs to do some potty business! If you don’t like toilet humour we reckon you can skip the book! Do check out the reviews on amazon for sure 🙂
The Christmas Boot (32 pages)
How the Grinch stole Christmas (4-9 Years)
The Nutcracker (4-7 years). Sharing excerpts of Achira’s review:
Originally written by E.T.A.Hoffman, beautifully adapted by Rhiannon Findlay and wonderfully illustrated by Romina Galotta. This is the story of this little girl Marie whose Godfather was a famous toymaker and made a fine toy for her who wore a uniform like other soldiers and also wore a beautiful smile. He was called The Nutcracker who was said to have magical secrets! When Marie slept that night, she met the Nutcracker. Together they fought the mouse king and embarked on a magical journey to the land of sweets. They reached the castle of the sugar plum fairy where they witness the most beautiful dance by the fairy! When she wakes up she finds herself under her Christmas tree cuddled together with her nutcracker. Was it a dream or was it real!! It all depends on what you want to believe. Beautiful illustrations which simply took me to the land of Marie and Nutcracker.
The Cool Bean Presents: As Cool as It Gets: Over 150 Stickers Inside! A Christmas Holiday Book for Kids (The Food Group) by John Jory and Pete Oswald for 4-8 years (32 pages)
How to Catch Santa (How To Series) by Jean Reagan and illustrated by award winner Lee Wildish for 4-8 years. Quoting Asha who has this book and refuses to part with it!
This book is a must have to bring out the creativity in both parent and child. A brother-sister duo want to catch Santa to speak to him. So how will they do this? First they list down a series of imaginative questions which would appeal to every curious child. eg. “How do you find children who are away on trips?” After which they proceed to make an elaborate plan in order to catch Santa in action! They share their innovative ideas with the reader, step by step from Christmas eve till Christmas night!! To give you an example – “Scatter carrots on the windowsill but DO NOT lasso him!” Will they be able to catch Santa and ask him their millions of cute questions??!! Read and find out, because I’m not telling and i”m certainly not sharing this awesome book with anyone (not even Ini!!!)
Disney Frozen An Amazing Snowman (40 pages) for 5-7 years
Lucky its not just a Christmas story by Nalini Sorensen (EARLY CHAPTER BOOK for 5/6-9 Years). There are other books in the LUCKY series!
Quoting Tanvi:
I got this book after the recommendation from kbc. It’s a simple Christmas story narrated by a dog Lucky. This is one book which my both 4 and 9 year old equally enjoyed it when I read aloud to them. Its a chapter book with small and simple chapters, bigger font and as a bonus, each chapter has a picture to color. Aashvi loved colouring the pictures after we read a chapter . Some books help create memories and this was surely one of them.
Horrid Henry Christmas Lunch book 29 (5-7 Years)
Hans Christian Andersen’s the little match girl (5-10 Years)
The First Christmas Jumper and the Sheep Who Changed Everything (144 pages)
THE PUG WHO WANTED TO BE A REINDEER for 5-8 years (160 pages)
Christmas is by Gail Gibbons (5-8 Years)
The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Unicorn for 5-8 years
Dasher (5-9 Years) Written by Matt Tavares. Quoting Achira:
Our very favourite Christmas book about this reindeer Dasher and how she chased her dream to reach the North Pole. She meets Santa and his horse silverbell who is growing old and can’t pull the heavy sleigh. She helps Santa to deliver all the toys and then finds herself in North Pole. But it is not the same without her family so together with Santa she gets them back! Lovely book about believing in your dreams and loving your family.
USBORNE Illustrated Stories for Christmas for 5/6 years+ (352 pages)
How Santa Really Works by Alan Snow (author-illustrator) for 5/6 years onwards. Adults will be just as enchanted! Asha has this and to sum it up in one word calls it FASCINATING! To quote her,
This book is a cross between Richard Scarry and Wally on steriods over 44 pages! The detailing will keep the reader busy for a whole year! The author-illustrator’s imagine is mind-blowing for the whole book is about HOW SANTA WORKS! Where does he live and work? Who helps him? How does Santa know you if you’ve been good? Where are all the toys kept? It goes on and on.
I bought this book to gift. But, I’m gifting it to myself for Christmas!
CAPTAIN AWESOME SAVES THE WINTER WONDERLAND for 5-9 years (128 pages – early chapter book). There’s an entire series called CAPTAIN AWESOME!
For 6-9 Years
The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader for 5/6-9 years which is an award winning book. Achira has shared inside pages and a review in the fb group here. Excerpts:
Oh and what a beautiful book this is! The story is about the big snow that is coming soon and how the woodland animals are preparing themselves for the snow. While the geese started flying south, the rabbits started growing a thick fur coat (yes they can’t have sweaters and hoodies like us) , squirrels and chipmunks stock up on their food (they don’t have Swiggy and supermarts) and some go for a long nap! It is a great way to teach the kids how survival is most important for all the animals and how each one of them have their way to cope with the harsh winters.
Beautiful illustrations that keep alternating between coloured and black and white ones. And of course the message is beautiful.
Stanley’s Christmas Adventure (Flat Stanley) – 80 pages
The Holly Joliday (6/7-9 Years) is Asha’s daughter’s favorite Christmas Read
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz– In Achira’s words,
The old classic which my 8 yo has totally enjoyed. We embarked on the journey with Dorothy and her dog Toto to the magical land of Oz. She has to find the famous wizard who can help her get back home. She makes many friends in her journey. And finally she finds her way home.
There are many editions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
Oxford Reading Portal | The Wizard Of OZ |Level 6 Story Book (48 pages)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Graphic Novel (Campfire Graphic Novels) for 7-10 years (76 pages)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: unabridged and illustrated Paperback (116 pages)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Deluxe Hardbound Edition) published by Fingerprint! Publishing (156 pages)
The Wizard of Oz (PREMIUM PAPERBACK, PENGUIN INDIA) 200 pages
Children Classics – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Illustrated Abridged Classics with Practice Questions – Om Illustrated Classics for Kids for 8 years+ (240 pages)
In Santa’s Castle – A Faraway tree Adventure (6-8 Years). Achira has this one as well. “A treat for all the fans of faraway tree series! Join Joe, Beth, Frannie, moon face and all their friends in this magical adventure.”
Who stole Christmas Cake (6-8 Years)
Nate the Great & Crunchy Christmas for 6-9 yrs. Quoting Achira: “This is again a fun riot again! A mail goes missing and Nate has to save the day. This book has some fun activities and some special recipes at the end.”
When Santa went Missing by Paromita Shetty. Achira says, “Well if your dad was Santa and he goes missing you would really need to buckle up and fill in to save the world! Join Noe in this fun filled adventure.”
Enid Blytons’s The Brave Soldier Boy (6 Years+)
Ten Silly Santas: And Other Christmas Poems for 6-8 years (80 pages)
One Christmas Wish (6-10 years) by Katherine Rundell – award winning!
The Anti-Boredom Christmas Book by Andy Seed (160 pages) – 7 years+. Achira has got this for Christmas 2022. She has shared some inside pages in the fb group. Quoting her: “I have sneakily checked the pages and they look fun. With jokes, quiz and get creative pages it will keep them busy for a while.”
Laughing All the Way: 600+ Awesome Laugh Out Loud Christmas Jokes for Kids for 5-12 years
The Christmasaurus for 7-9 years
NEW RELEASE NOV 2023: Children’s Holiday Collection Boxed Set (A Christmas Carol, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Nutcracker and the Mouse King) Set of 3 Books for 7-10 years from Fingerprint! Publishing (348 pages)
Roald Dahl’s 12 days of Christmas (7-9 Years)
Christmas Chaos for the Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog for 7-9 years (144 pages)
Special E – Christmas Catastrophe: Geronimo Stilton (7-10 years) 122 pages
Can Doctor Proctor Save Christmas? (Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder)
The Ice Monster (7-12 Years)
A Boy Called Christmas (Movie Tie-in): Now a major film. by Matt Haig (the author of THE COMFORT BOOK) for 7-9 years (288 pgs)
The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig for 7-9 years (352 pgs)
Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig (304 pgs)
Tinsel: The Girls Who Invented Christmas (320 pages)
The Christmas Pig by JK Rowling (8-12 years) – NEW RELEASE! Achira got this one this year.
“It is about a boy and his toy who are set to change everything. Detailed review will follow.”
A Christmas Carol : Illustrated Abridged Classics (Om Illustrated Classics) Hardcover (8-12 years)
Achira has this one. “Another classic about how a man who hated Christmas realises the effect his actions have on others! Truly a book full of Christmas magic!”
The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman and illustrated by Dan Santat (of the After the Fall fame) for 8-12 years (176 pages)
For 12 Years and Above
Let it Snow (12- 15 Years)
Christmas Activity Books
Christmas Activity Book For Children – Festive Fun for 4-7 years by Wonder House. You can read the detailed review by Achira here. Excerpts:
It has mazes, spot the difference, join the dots, cool sticker activities, drawing and some very nice face masks. You can decorate your gingerbread house, fill Santa’s bag with cool presents, colour the Christmas doodle and feel all festive. Our favourite page is the word search with a twist where each word has to start with a capital letter. Word search being one of our favourite things, we totally loved this.
A very good book for gifting this Christmas season and a great companion for any holiday plans you may have. And most important – a great book to bond together as a family.
NEW RELEASE X’MAS 2023: There is an abridged version of this activity book for 3 years+ (32 pages) –
Festive Fun Christmas Activity Book with Stickers
My Christmas Sticker activity book
The night before Christmas is a fun sticker activity book, says Achira.
“Sally Kindberg’s Draw it Christmas is a super hit with the boys! Things you never knew you could draw like the Christmas sounds and lots more. Added fun are the stickers.” Achira has this and has been gifting it big time as well!
Christmas activity book for Kids
Peppa Pig: Ho Ho Ho! Christmas Sticker Book
Peppa Christmas fun sticker activity
My Jolly Red Santa Activity & Sticker book
Countdown To Christmas Coloring Book: Advent Calendar Coloring Book (Notion Press)
Agatha Christie for Adults
Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
Scholastic Books
Scholastic has many interesting books on Christmas. Once you click our kbc special scholastic storefront link – you can type CHRISTMAS in the search bar to find these awesome books.
Don’t Feed the Santa Claus (0-3 Years)
Christmas Stories (7-12 Years)
Essential Classics A Christmas Carol (7-12 Years)
Horrible Histories – Horrible Christmas (7-12 Years)
Ready Freddy A Very Crazy Christmas (5-8 Years)
Ready Freddy The Perfect Present (5-8 years)
Window Stickies Christmas (0-5 Years)
Christmas Jumper Coloring Book (2-5 Years)
THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS DIARY TO GIFT!
My Lovely Christmas Book – Achira has this one and gifts it often!
Christmas Themed Book Racks and other thingies!
Enigmatic Woodworks Small Book Shelf Rack/Stand (Black Color, Merry Christmas Design)
HUG ‘n’ FEEL SOFT TOYS Snowman Plush Toy
Christmas Mugs (especially alphabet ones)
Many thanks to Achira, Amardeep, Divya, Sabah, Anuradha and many others for sharing their recos.
Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Reading!
[Note from Team Kids Book Café: For your convenience, affiliate links (MARKED IN PINK) to some of the book titles & images have been added to enable you to buy the books from AMAZON, should you wish to! A very small amount of money comes to kidsbookcafe.com when you purchase a book via the amazon affiliate link provided (at absolutely no extra cost to you!). Do let us know if you need information about other children’s books by writing to asha@kidsbookcafe.com.]
