Christmas is getting close and I’m getting excited! I’m excited for twinkle lights and Christmas music and putting up our tree, but one of the things I’m most excited for is Christmas books. I LOVE Christmas books! I have an admittedly ridiculous number of Christmas children’s books (Here’s my full list of favorites for each age!!) and yet every year I can’t help adding a couple to our collection.
This year is no different. There are some awesome new children’s Christmas books that came out this year and our new favorites are below.
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Merry Christmas, Baby
by Abigail Tabby
illustrated by Alice Wong
The completely adorable illustrations are what makes this book feel so warm and special to me. The rhyming text is pleasant. It reads like a poem of what a parent wishes for their child at Christmas. The illustrations are of a sweet little baby bear and his family. They are gentle and cozy and perfect for a newborn Christmas gift.
The Itsy Bitsy Angel
by Jeffrey Burton
illustrations by Sanja Rescek
This is a Christmas story set to the tune of The Itsy Bitsy Spider. I will admit I stumbled over the text in a couple of places but I think that might just be my inability to adapt songs to new lyrics. Toddlers will absolutely love this book set not only to music but to the tune of one of their favorite familiar songs.
Christmas Puppy: A Wag My Tail Book
by Salina Yoon
In my opinion, Salina Yoon is the queen of board books. Her books always have a fun way to interact or feel or play. This one has a textured tail that you can wag by pulling on the tab. The book feels sturdy and ready for little hands to play. The text is brief but cute and playful. This is one they’ll want to read again and again.
Christmas is Here!
by Charles M. Schulz
This is a sweet ready-to-read easy reader that doesn’t feel forced like so many character based easy readers do to me. Christmas is coming and Snoopy and Woodstock have all kinds of plans. There is a nice repetition to their escapades and the message at the end is sweet. Who doesn’t love a Snoopy and Woodstock story? This is one that preschoolers would enjoy listening to and new readers who enjoy reading.
Bad Kitty Searching for Santa
by Nick Bruel
We didn’t discover Bad Kitty in our house until my kids were closer to 5 but I think even some older toddlers would be amused by silly Bad Kitty – preschoolers definitely. In this one (of many) Bad Kitty stories, Bad Kitty has written a letter to Santa and wants to deliver it in person. This book speaks to the confusing idea that there are “Santas” everywhere with simple text, good use of page turns and humorous illustrations. Oh Bad Kitty.
Nutcracker Night
by Mireille Messier & Gabrielle Grimard
I’m always impressed when an author can take a familiar topic and put a unique twist on it. I have a lot of Nutcracker books in my Christmas book collection but none like this one. This tells the story of a little girl who goes to see the Nutcracker with her dad, nothing novel there, but it tells the story mostly through sounds. It captures the Nutcracker experience in a completely different way. The swish of her new dress. The “pickle-dee zing!” of the orchestra warming up. The sounds of the audience responding to the show. It’s a fun way to describe the experience and so child appropriate. The sparse, active text is paired with soft, warm illustrations. Together they bring to life this experience through the eyes of a child brilliantly.
Santa’s Story
by Will Hillenbrand
Will Hillenbrand’s family apparently had the same tradition that I started with my kids (and I’m sure many other families do as well) – reading TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS on Christmas Eve. I have a favorite version that I bring out every year now matter how late we’re headed to bed and we read it cuddled in our Christmas pjs before attempting to sleep. That tradition, in Hillenbrand’s family, inspired this story. Santa is all set to leave on Christmas Eve, but he can’t find the reindeer anywhere. The reindeers are off dashing and crooning and dozing. And then Santa remembers – Storytime comes first. It is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but I know kids like mine will relate. I also know that Hillenbrand’s beautiful illustrations of a wintery wonderland will draw them in and settle them down for sleep.
