Favorite Holiday Books for Toddlers and Kids
After months and months of waiting, it's the most wonderful time of the year once again! There’s finally a nip in the air here in Los Angeles, Christmas lights are up, ‘Elf on a Shelf’ is gracing our social feeds, halls are decked and I know my littles are in the holiday spirit!
Some of my family’s favorite fun holiday activities are making cookies, going out to see the lights, watching festive movies, and cuddling up to read our favorite Christmas stories.
I’ve gathered 12 of the jolliest, most delightful books – picture and board books, so all your littles can enjoy – to read for the holidays. It’s a collection of Christmas stories, winter adventures, Hanukkah tales, and a few books that celebrate special dates around the world. And they’re all available on Amazon, so you still order and get them for the season.
By the way, I really like the idea of reading a book a day for the 12 Days of Christmas (or a book for each night of Hanukkah). You can even wrap them up and have your littles unwrap them every before you read together.
So, curl up with some hot cocoa, a cozy blanket, and enjoy some reading time with your littles.
Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
We watch the movie every year, and my littles really enjoy this original version of the story too! If you’re not familiar, it’s a story of a skeptical little boy, an extraordinary train ride, and the magic of Christmas.
Only YOU Can Save Christmas by Adam Wallace
This is a fun, interactive story where kids have to honk, whistle, wiggle, and shake to help get Santa out of a pinch and make sure things turn out okay just in time for Christmas.
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
We don’t get much snow (ha, we don’t get any snow!) in LA, so snowmen always seem a bit magical to my littles. This book takes it up a notch, with an imaginative story about all the little fun and adventures snowmen get into once everyone is asleep!
The Great Reindeer Rebellion by Lisa Trumbauer
Can you imagine any other kind of animal pulling Santa’s sleigh besides reindeer? When his trusted sidekicks go on strike right before Christmas, Santa has to audition new animals to take their place in this silly take on ‘The Night Before Christmas.’
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
Your kiddos probably already love the movie adaptions, so introduce them to the book that started it all. When the Grinch sets out to ruin Christmas for the Whos down in Whoville, he learns the true meaning of Christmas that warms his small, cold heart.
Lights of Winter: Winter Celebrations around the World by Heather Conrad
This is a fantastic book about all the winter celebrations that take place around the world including Solstice, Yule, Christmas, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah. It’s a wonderful way to start teaching your littles about the different and beautiful people and cultures in our world.
The Night Before Christmas Pop-up by Clement Clarke Moore
This version of the classic Christmas poem includes beautiful pop-up illustrations! It might not be best for little littles (since they may rip the pages), but older kids will love each new 3D scene.
Where’s the Penguin? by Nosy Crow + illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius
Yes, I know penguins live in the South Pole, not the North Pole, but this adorable lift-the-flap board book is still perfect to read to littles in the winter!
Where Is Baby's Dreidel? by Karen Katz
Here’s another fun lift-the-flap book for littles! This interactive board book introduces a new Hanukkah item or symbol on each page.
I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison
I Got the Christmas Spirit is so fun to read! It’s very lyrical (“I sang the spirit from my heart – Fa La La La La”) and you can make it interactive by having your littles repeat the words and noises after you. Plus, the illustrations are gorgeous and the message of the story – that it’s better to give than to receive – is a great lesson for your littles to learn.
All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
Did you know that Mariah actually turned her Christmas bop into a kids book? This take on it, is about a young girl whose greatest Christmas wish is for a new puppy. Your littles will love it and you probably won’t be able to read it without the song getting stuck in your head!
Always Together at Christmas by Sara Sargent
We all know that the holidays this year will feel a little different. Always Together at Christmas highlights different family traditions and how they'll be changing in 2020. Such a sweet read!
BONUS: Every Month Is A New Year by Marilyn Singer
Here’s another great book that celebrates cultures all over the world – and you can start reading it after Christmas! Every Month is a New Year teaches kiddos how people around the world celebrate the new year, from the Chinese New Year in January or February, to Ethopians’ Enkutatash observances in September. There are some celebrations in here I never even knew about!
Did I leave out your family’s favorite book? Find me on Instagram (@healthylittlesleepers) and let me know which books you love reading this time of year!