But this list may be a little different from others you might find. While there are DOZENS of Christmas books that I ADORE, I have to keep in mind that my kiddo is only a toddler. So while I may love "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey", is Tommy really going to sit through that whole book? Maybe, maybe not, since he's pretty good at sitting through stories for his age. But I can't choose books of that length and complexity night after night. So I went really simple this year, with the majority of the books catering to the toddler and preschool crowd. A lot of these are board books. 13 are Christ-centered/nativity-related, 5 more are giving/serving-based, and 7 are more of the "Christmas magic" sort. I hope you find some books to share with your children, too!
25 BOOKS OF CHRISTMAS: For Toddlers/Youngers/Shorter Attention SpansDec. 1: What is Christmas? by Michelle Medlock Adams. It's a cute rhyming board book that goes through all the fun things to do on Christmas while asking what Christmas is really about, then moving to Jesus' birth as the answer. A great kickstarter to the holiday season.
Dec 2: My Very First Christmas Story. Just a sweet, large board book of the nativity story.
Dec. 3: The First Christmas, by Tomie DePaola. This was my husband's favorite Christmas book as a child. That classic, beautiful DePaola artwork is transformed in this gorgeous popup book. Thomas loved it! And so did I.
Dec 4: Room For a Little One, by Martin Waddell. I got this one at Deseret Book last year. In this book of shimmery, gold-flecked art, Kind Ox gives a place to Old Dog, Old Dog makes room for Stray Cat, Stray Cat makes a safe place for Small Mouse, etc., with the refrain of "always room for a little one here" culminating in the arrival of baby Jesus.
Dec. 5: Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi. Yeah, Tommy requested this one three times in a row. He's Mickey obsessed. Plus points is that the cartoon version is on Netflix right now. If your child isn't a Mickey lover, or if you are wanting something less "branded", you can always choose another version of Gift of the Magi.
Dec. 6: The Usborne Touchy-Feely Nativity. Don't worry - while I am an Usborne consultant, I'm not putting this in here to sell to you - because it's out of print! ;) I just love this one anyway. There are multiple textures on each page, from the donkey's ears to the swaddling blanket. And of course, the nativity story in here is simple and sweet.
Dec. 7: Little Tree by e. e. cummings . Something about this book always bring a smile to my face and a lump to my throat. The artwork is so special to me (so get the one illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray!).
Dec. 8: The Little Drummer Boy, by Ezra Jack Keats. I think this is THE original? This text is just the text o the song, so it could be sung or spoken.
Dec 9: God Bless Our Christmas, by Hannah C. Hall. I wouldn't actually recommend this. . . I got it at a thrift story for a buck, and for it's good size, sweet Arctic animal pictures, etc., it's been a definite win for a toddler. But would I have paid the $10 price on the back, no. If I had money and wanted to make this a perfect list, I'd probably sub this out for Olive the Other Reindeer or Jan Brett's The Mitten.
Dec. 10: The Friendly Beasts. There are many great versions of this song-story of animals giving gifts to the baby Jesus. I can't remember who makes my favorite (my mom owns it).This year we're using The Animals' First Christmas, which is the same text as the friendly beasts but minus two verses and in a board book to keep it Tommy-friendly. This one can also be sung or spoken.
Dec. 11: How the Grinch Stole Christmas. No explanation needed!
Dec. 12: Ummmm. . . I can't find it at the moment to 100% confirm the title, but I think it's A Charlie Brown Christmas. But there are, like, four different versions, at least two of which have different art, and I can't remember which one I ended up choosing at Bookman's. But regardless, gotta have some Charlie Brown every Christmas, right? Go choose the one that looks best to you. ;)
Dec. 13: The Christmas Train by Thomas S. Monson. While this might veer a tiny bit out of the toddler-friendly category, I don't think it will be a problem because of its large, colorful illustrations (and the toy trains!).
Dec 14: The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet. While there are versions I like much better (particularly in the artwork category), we are choosing the one by Deborah Hautzig and illustrated by Diana Goode because it's shorter, and well, I already have it. And that art's not bad! It's just not as amazing as others I've seen. He's already loving Grandma's nutcrackers this season, so I want to give it some context.
Dec. 15: The Polar Express. Another oldie-but-goodie.
Dec. 16: This is the Star, by Joyce Dunbar and Gary Blythe. A great read-aloud with cumulative rhyme that's soothing to listen to. "This is the angel shining bright, who came to the shepherds watching by night, who saw the star in the sky." By the end there's a lot of text per page, with starker, darker art, so choose it on a good-attention-span kind of night. ;)
Dec. 17: Secrets of Winter. This is the only book on my list that's not a Christmas book, and is instead a winter book. But the fun of this one is that it is a "shine-a-light" book! You use a flashlight behind the page to reveal hidden pictures: rabbits in a snowbank, squirrels in a hollow tree, etc. Tommy loves playing with flashlights with Grandpa, and he loves the Seashore edition of this book we have, so I know it's going to be a hit.
Dec. 18: Christmas in the Manger, by Felicia Bond. Disclaimer: I haven't read this one yet, I'm ordering it. But every review, every picture, and everyone I know who has read it gives it two thumbs up. I'm looking forward to checking it out!
Dec. 19: A Present for Piglet. Just like the God Bless Our Christmas, I wouldn't recommend this for anyone else, per se. But my buddy boy LOVES Winnie the Pooh, and will in fact be having a Pooh-themed birthday party on this very day! So we're going with it. ;) If I were less broke, I'd get "Silent Night", the one with the Thomas Kinkaide illustrations, to put in on this night.
These last five are very special to me, enough so that on three or four of them I'm breaking the rules of "toddler-friendliness". I may have to sum up pages or accept that he won't "get" it, but they are MUSTS for my Christmas season with my family, the ones that will be part of our family Christmas traditions forever.
Dec. 21: The Littlest Angel. I thought everyone knew this classic, but I have discovered that many people don't know this one! It's the sweet story of the littlest angel in heaven as he struggles to adapt to heaven, how he gives his most precious gift to the Christ-child, and how his sacrifice is transformed by God into something most wondrous. I don't know if I've ever read this book without crying. In a good way! Go get this book!
Dec. 22: The Night Before Christmas. While it seems counter-intuitive to not be reading this on Christmas Eve, I save Christmas Eve for the most Christ-centered book. But we're still reading this close enough to Christmas Eve to soak in the magic of it!
Dec. 23: I Believe in Santa Claus. A good follow up after The Night Before Christmas. This beautiful book shows the many ways that Santa is a symbol of Jesus Christ. GO GET THIS BOOK, PLEASE. (and this is an exception to my disclaimer about - this one has beautiful, large illustrations and short, simple sentences). I get teary every time I read this book. This is a win for toddlers and kids.
Dec. 24: When Jesus Was Born in Bethlehem, illustrated by Joseph Brickey. It's all directly from scripture, so it's like the traditional reading of Luke 2. But it's BETTER because it includes more scriptures - ones that remind us of the reason Christ came to earth, the annunciation, etc. . . and the artwork is SO BEAUTIFUL. I really feel the Spirit each time we read from this. My Noble family reads this every Christmas Eve after dinner. Here's a couple of my favorites from this book:
Dec. 25: The Tale of Three Trees. Although I know this will go over Tommy's head in most ways, I think the spirit of this book will carry it through. This folktale tells of three trees who fulfill their aspirations in unexpected but remarkable ways - as they become Jesus' manger, boat, and cross. I think this is a great one for Christmas Day because it helps us look beyond just the manger and on to the purposes of Christ's coming. Can't go a Christmas season without this special book.
So those are our 25 Books of Christmas, toddlerized! Next year or the year after, I will re-work this list to include many of MY favorite titles that I had to leave off since he's so little! Classics like The Christmas Candle, or new favorites like Angela and the Baby Jesus. I can't wait to introduce to Tommy to some of those, once his attention span and interest have reached their level!
I'm always on the lookout for new children's books, especially Christmas. So if you have any recommendations, send 'em my way!
