Christmas Picture Books

Christmas picture books have become one of my favorite parts of the days leading up to Christmas. So many Christmas-related activities require planning and preparation, but a stack of picture books is ready to be enjoyed as is. I started putting them away all year and only getting them out in December so they are fresh and interesting for the children.

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp. This beautiful book has a devotional and family activity for every day of December leading up to Christmas. The illustrations are gorgeous and we are looking forward to going through it for the first time this year.

Papa Panov’s Special Day by Mig Holder. Papa Panov, a shoemaker in in a small Russian village, has a dream that the Christ child will come visit him on Christmas. All day he waits for the Christ child to appear, but only a street sweeper and other guests pass through his door. Did the Christ child forget? Based on a folk tale by Leo Tolstoy.

The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg. A new shop is going into town and the children are delighted that it is a candy shop. As Lucy helps the store’s owner, Mr. Sonneman, unpack the candy, she discovers a kind of candy she’s never seen before—red and white striped candy stick with a crook on the end. Mr. Sonneman explains the meaning of the candy cane, and Lucy gets to help spread its message to the other town folks.

Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Join Laura and her cousins for a Northwoods Christmas. One of my favorite parts of this story is how they savor their Christmas treats and simple gifts.

The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park. Join a young boy and his father as they travel through the wilderness collecting sap tears from just the right trees. The tears are used as incense at funerals. One day three wise men from the Orient come to buy the biggest, most expensive tear. It will be a gift for a King.

Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell. One winter night, Kind Ox welcomes Old Dog, Stray Cat, Small Mouse, Tired Donkey, and Baby Jesus into his stable.

The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. Joshua was a crippled lamb. When the rest of the flock left to find greener pastures, he had to go back to the stable because it would be too long a walk for him. But while he was there, something strange happened—a baby was born in the stable and he got to fill as special role in caring for it.

Memories of the Manger by Michelle Medlock Adams. A poem about the birth of Christ, told from the perspective of Mrs. Dove.

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. This book is a bit different than the others in that it is very sad. The little match girl tries to sell matches so that she can take home a few pennies to her family on New Year’s Eve. But no one wants to buy that night. She lights one to warm her freezing hands, and she sees a beautiful vision. We usually only read this a time or two because it’s not a fun read, but it is a good reminder that there are some in this world who are suffering while we have plenty.