We love books for all occasions in our family, but we especially love Christmas books. We bring out all the Christmas books in our December 1st box and each year we add one or two new books to our collection. The kids love reading all the stories in the lead up to Christmas and it often leads to lots of bookish play.
If you want to start a Christmas book tradition like a book advent calendar, December 1st or Christmas Eve box, or you just want to add to your collection, I've put together a list of our favourite Christmas books for kids.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PICTURE BOOKS FOR 2022
Each year there's a plethora of new kids Christmas books released and we see old classics return to the shelves of many stores. Our Christmas book collection increases every year {I just can't help myself}, so just like our collection, this list includes old favourites and fun new releases from this year.
You can borrow them from the library, or find them in stores and online to add some new Christmas favourites to your list too. How many will you read by the end of December?
PIG THE ELF
Aaron Blabey
The world's greediest pug, Pig is back again and this time Santa is coming. Twas bigger than big! No-one loves Christmas more than Pig. Find out what happens when Pig refuses to sleep and waits up late for Santa to come. Will he get everything he wants or will chaos ensue?
Macca's Christmas Crackers
Matt Cosgrove
Christmas is here! Christmas is Macca's favourite time of year. He loves thinking up amazing presents for his friends. But when he looks in his piggy bank, he finds he has no money! Macca and his best friend Al have to come up with a plan to make the best Christmas surprise for all their friends, and in doing so, discover the true spirit of giving.
Fiona Watt | Rachel Wells
The Usborne touchy-feely books by Fiona Watt are immensely popular, especially for younger babies and toddlers. There's a That's not my... book for most animals and children can flip through the pages and feel the textures of different fabrics. That's not my Santa, That's not my elf, That's not my angel and That's not my reindeer are all perfect sensory Christmas books and there's also That's not my Christmas fairy and That's not my snowman.
THE JOLLY Christmas POSTMAN
Janet & Allan Ahlberg
It's Christmas Eve and the Jolly Postman is delivering greetings to everyone's favourite fairy-tale characters. He has a card for Baby Bear, a game for Red Riding Hood, a get-well jigsaw for poor Humpty Dumpty and lots more packages to deliver! The book comes with real envelope pockets and cards for kids to open and read.
Available: Book Depository | Amazon AU
DEAR SANTA
Rod Campbell
Open the presents and find out what Santa has sent in this fun lift-the-flap Christmas book from the bestselling creator of the preschool classic, Dear Zoo. Toddlers will love lifting the flaps to discover what Father Christmas has sent, and finding the perfect present at the end.
With bright, bold artwork, a simple, engaging text and a touch-and-feel surprise ending, Dear Santa by Rod Campbell is the ideal Christmas gift for fans of Dear Zoo - and the chunky board book format and sturdy card flaps make it great for small hands.
Available: Book Depository | Amazon AU
TEN LITTLE ELVES
Mike Brownlow | Simon Rickerty
Follow 10 little elves as they go on an adventure to help fix the reindeer and save Christmas Day. Ten Little Elves is a counting book that'll teach children to count down from 10 with fun rhymes and action packed adventures including a yowling yeti and scary ice queen. Ten Little Elves is one of many popular counting books by Mike Brownlow, see all of his ten little books here.
Available: Book Depository | Amazon AU
The CRAYON'S CHRISTMAS
Drew Daywalt | Oliver Jeffers
'Tis the season for all of us to write our Christmas wish lists. But everyone knows – even the Crayons – that the best presents are the ones that you give. In this unique book, readers join in as Duncan, the Crayons and their families celebrate the festive season. With real, folded letters to pull from their envelopes and read, games, press-out ornaments, a poster and a pop-up tree, this book is the perfect gift for fans of The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home.
Available: Book Depository | Amazon AU
GREEN IS FOR CHRISTMAS
Drew Daywalt | Oliver Jeffers
The crayons are back again with another festive book about Christmas. Green crayon is sure that he's the only Christmas colour in the crayon box, however when he claims green is the only colour for Christmas, the other crayons let him know that there would be no Christmas without them either. The book explores all things Christmas and all the crayon colours needed to make it special.
At Christmas,
YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND YOU DON'T GET UPSET!
Heath McKenzie
Christmas is an exciting busy sometimes overwhelming time of year! There's so much to see! So much to do! So much to WANT! Narrowing the Christmas list down is challenging but its a perfect time of year for this gentle and humorous lesson in remembering you get what you get and you don't get upset.
Heath McKenzie's humorous take on navigating the inevitable Christmas meltdowns will be loved by children and appreciated by their parents! Fingers crossed this will give my kids some coping strategies to deal with the festive season overwhelm.
Don't ask how it happened, but there's an elf stuck in this book! Kids will be entertained by the escapades of the cheeky and adorable elf, as he tries to get out of the book and get on with preparations for Christmas. This one is a fun interactive book that makes kids feel like they're part of the story.
Available: Catch | Book Depository
yule NOT OPEN THIS BOOK
Andy Lee | Heath McKenzie
It's Christmas time, and Wizz is preparing for a visit from Santa! He knows he's been a good boy, but with every page you turn it seems he's getting naughtier and naughtier! How will Wizz make sure Santa comes to him this year?
This fun Christmas story will delight children and adults alike. Keep turning the pages and find out if Wizz gets out of his mess by the end of the book! Just like all the other Do Not Open This Book books from Andy Lee, kids will be laughing out loud as they turn each page.
Available: Book Depository | Amazon AU
SANTAGRAM
Sophie Masson | Shiloh Gordon
At Christmas time Santa's mailbox is always overflowing. Santa loves getting letters, but the elves are FED UP with sorting through the huge piles of mail. Surely an app would be better – quick, easy and heaps of fun! They’ll call it ‘Santagram’. Once the letters stop arriving, will they be missed? Can Santa use social media? And should he? This is a Christmas story with a twist that will have the whole family laughing out loud.
Available: Book Depository | Amazon AU
What do you wish for?
Jane Godwin | Anna Walker
Follow along with Ruby and the children from her street in a story full of the wonder of Christmas, the magic of wishing, and the timeless dreams of a child. What do you wish for at Christmas?
Another book about Santa.
Laura & Phillip Bunting
Do you know how many books have been written about Santa? A lot! Christmas is a busy time of year for jolly old Saint Nick. The last thing he needs right now is to be performing in Another book about Santa. In an effort to free up some time around Christmas Santa tries to find a new star for all these Christmas books.
VERANDAH SANTA
Bluey
How does Santa get in when there's no chimney? Maybe he uses the verandah? It's Christmas Eve and Bluey, Bingo and Muffin decide to play a game called Verandah Santa! What will Santa bring them? A gorgeous hardback book for kids of all ages. If your kids love Bluey this is a must have Christmas book to add to your collection. Find out all about Bluey and the other Bluey books available here.
Available: Book Depository | Amazon AU
The Christmas Pine
Julia Donaldson | Victoria Sandoy
Deep in a snow wood stands a little pine tree with a special destiny: when it grows up, it's going to be the famous Christmas tree in London's Trafalgar Square! We follow the pine's journey from the forest all the way to London where it becomes the biggest and most glorious Christmas tree.
MORE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
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