Today is November 1st, which means Christmas is just around the corner...can you believe it?! And I have a list of some awesome Christmas themed books (picture books, middle-grade, and activity books) to help you and the young readers in your life get excited for the holiday season. I know Little A and I have enjoyed all of these wonderful titles...
Just click each title to learn more about each book
PICTURE BOOKS
by Patricia Toht
illustrated by Jarvis
Candlewick Press
A festive read-aloud brimming with all the joy and excitement of Christmastime — beginning, of course, with picking out a tree!
Part of the magic of the Christmas season stems from the traditions that families and friends take part in every year: hanging up stockings; putting lights in the windows; and, one of the most important of all, picking out and taking home the Christmas tree. With style and warmth, debut author Patricia Toht and Jarvis, the author-illustrator of Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth, evoke all the rituals of decorating the tree — digging out boxes jam-packed with ornaments and tree trimmings, stringing tinsel, and, at long last, turning on those twinkling lights. Joyously drawn and rhythmically written, this celebration of family, friends, and the holiday season is as merry as the tradition it depicts.
by Ammi-Joan Paquette
illustrated by Adam Record
Candlewick Press
The anticipatory excitement of Christmas Eve builds in a festive way in this follow-up to the much-loved Ghost in the House.
Jingle-jingle!
There’s a girl in the house on this snowy Christmas Eve.
Creeping down, step by step, here she comes.
But what’s going on?
Santa’s snacks are gone,
And the only thing that's left is . . . CRUMBS!
Follow a child on a most magical night as she looks for the source of the sound that woke her up. In a lively, cumulative story full of page-turn reveals, all is not what it seems. While the little girl searches the house, she encounters some unexpected new friends. But the biggest surprise is sure to come last!
by Anne Booth
Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
Candlewick Press
Clara’s dream is to become a Christmas fairy, whose job it is to stay still atop the tree. But when Christmas lesson time rolls around at fairy school, things don’t go quite as planned. Clara’s so excited that she can’t possibly be still and quiet like a fairy should. Although she tries her best, at heart she’s still a wriggly, giggly chatterbox who likes nothing more than making people smile. But when it’s time for the big Christmas Show, it looks like that’s exactly the kind of fairy Santa needs to help him save the day. At last, Clara can put her talents to good use, and it soon becomes clear that there’s more than one way to be a Christmas fairy! This rhyming text from the pair behind The Fairiest Fairy is sure to have readers in a festive mood.
By Syd Hoff
Harper Collins
Celebrate Christmas dino-style with Danny the Dinosaur!
Danny’s friend the dinosaur has never experienced Christmas before, so he and Danny decide to celebrate—dino-style! But what will happen when the museum director isn’t so happy with the new museum decorations?
Find out in this Danny and the Dinosaur 8x8 adventure, complete with 8 holiday cards, a poster, and stickers. This brand-new story is based on Syd Hoff’s beloved classic.
By Susan Jeffers
Harper Collins
Susan Jeffers, the Caldecott Honor and New York Times bestselling artist of The Nutcracker and The Twelve Days of Christmas, takes readers on an enchanted journey set to lyrics from the beloved holiday song.
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
O’er the fields we go, laughing all the way…
Ride along with a girl, a boy, their pony, and a mischievous dog as they travel to Grandma’s house. With playful animals in their path, their journey gets a bit sidetracked. But soon enough they arrive at Grandma’s—where an unexpected visitor fills them with holiday cheer!
By T.E. McMorrow
Illustrated by James Ransome
Harper Collins
This jazz-inspired reinvention of The Nutcracker is a worthy tribute to the dreamlike wonder and magic of the Christmas season.
In this original retelling, set in New York City during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, one little girl finds her voice as a musician thanks to her enchanting adventures with a magical toy.
This quintessential holiday tale is brought to vivid life by debut picture book author T. E. McMorrow and Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator James Ransome. An author’s note at the end provides additional information about the history of the Harlem Renaissance, and about the author’s inspiration for this musical retelling.
MIDDLE-GRADE/ KIDSLIT
By Syd Hoff
Harper Collins
A holiday classic by the author of Danny and the Dinosaur, available again—and now with full-color art!
Milton the moose wants to help pull Santa’s sleigh. “I have never used a moose before,” says Santa, “but I’m willing if you are.” At first, clumsy Milton is not very good at landing on roofs. But when Santa’s sleigh becomes too heavy for the tired reindeer, Milton comes to the rescue. This reissued edition is a funny holiday twist on Santa and his reindeer by Syd Hoff, celebrated author of Danny and the Dinosaur.
Santa’s Moose is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.
By Laura Ingalls Wilder
Illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim
Harper Collins
Join the original pioneer girl in this Little House chapter book, adapted for younger readers from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved classics.
Illustrated with beautiful new black-and-white artwork, this repackaged edition includes bonus material such as games, activities, and more!
For Laura Ingalls, Christmas means good things to eat, visits from friends, and special gifts to give and receive. As Laura grows up, every Christmas is better than the one before.
By Laura Ingalls Wilder
Illustrated by Renee Graef
Harper Collins
This hardcover, full-color treasury includes six picture book stories adapted from the classic Little House books.
The Little House series introduced generations of readers to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life on the frontier. Now with this illustrated storybook collection, the youngest readers can share in her world as well.
Laura Ingalls lives in a snug little log cabin with her ma, her pa, her sisters, Mary and Carrie, and their dog, Jack. Almanzo Wilder lives on a farm with his family and lots of animals. These pioneer children have all sorts of adventures, including trips to town, county fairs, cozy winter days, and holidays with family.
By Marissa Burt
Harper Collins
A thirteen-year-old girl spends her first holiday away from home completing a scavenger hunt that takes her across Europe in 12 Dares of Christa, the first contemporary novel from Marissa Burt, author of Storybound.
Christa is a holiday junkie. What’s not to love? There’s decorations! Gifts! Caroling with friends! But thanks to her parents’ recent separation, Christa’s favorite time of year is now filled with heartache. And when her mom announces that she’s taking her on a mother-daughter trip to Europe over winter vacation, Christa knows she should be excited. She just can’t imagine spending the yuletide season without her dad.
By Matt Haig
Penguin Random House
From the bestselling author of A Boy Called Christmas comes a hilarious and heartwarming holiday tale for fans of Roald Dahl and Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol that imagines the story of the first child to ever receive a Christmas present.
Amelia Wishart was the first child ever to receive a Christmas present. It was her Christmas spirit that gave Santa the extra boost of magic he needed to make his first trip around the world. But now Amelia is in trouble.
When her mother falls ill, she is sent to the workhouse to toil under cruel Mr. Creeper. For a whole year, Amelia scrubs the floors and eats watery gruel, without a whiff of kindness to keep her going. It's not long before her hope begins to drain away.
Meanwhile, up at the North Pole, magic levels dip dangerously low as Christmas approaches, and Santa knows that something is gravely wrong. With the help of his trusty reindeer, a curious cat, and Charles Dickens, he sets out to find Amelia, the only girl who might be able to save Christmas. But first Amelia must learn to believe again. . . .
ACTIVITY BOOKS
illustrated by Sarah Walsh
Candlewick Press
Each page of this brilliant book can be colored and made into a box! Simply tear out and fold to create a gift box perfect for storing all kinds of Christmas treats. The boxes are beautifully decorated with festive black-and-white designs, which you can color in with pens or pencils to make sure your gifts are extra special this Christmas.
illustrated by Joey Chou
Candlewick Press
This innovative new activity book includes ten press-out pieces to play and decorate with. The simple die-cut shapes, including Santa, a reindeer, and an angel, are easy to press out and slot together. The book also includes lots of activities, songs, and recipes to help celebrate Christmas!
illustrated by Kate McLelland
Candlewick Press
Each of the twenty press-out Christmas decorations in this book can be easily slotted together to create cheerful hanging ornaments to adorn the Christmas tree or to add a festive touch to any space. Perfect for all ages, these gorgeous ornaments look elegant in white and gold, but even more glorious when colored.
by Grahame Baker-Smith
Candlewick Press
Enjoy gorgeous art by an award-winning illustrator in this enchanting 3-D rendition of a beloved Christmas carol.
On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me . . .
Unfurl a delightful accordion-fold book to find a turtle dove rising on the wing, a sprightly lord a-leaping from the page, and many more elements of the familiar seasonal song. Featuring the captivating art of Grahame Baker-Smith, this Christmas keepsake tucks back into a slipcase until the next holiday season.
illustrated by Yu-hsuan Huang
Candlewick Press
Each book in the Sing Along With Me! series has five slider mechanisms and a QR code with directions for how to download both an instrumental and vocal version of the nursery rhyme. Simply scan the code to listen and sing along! Slider mechanisms on each page and cheerful illustrations will make these favorites for sharing. Sing along to the classic Christmas carol in We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Christmas Seek and FInd
by Gergely Dudas
Harper Collins
If you’re searching for Where’s Waldo? for the next generation, this holiday seek-and-find from internet sensation Gergely Dudás will have you—and your kids—busy for hours.
Bear loves the holidays, and this year he's throwing a party for all his animal friends. But there's so much to do to get ready—and he is only one very little bear! Can you help Bear find all the secret treasures he needs for his party?
Readers of all ages will find this lush, charming illustrated wonderland irresistible—and irresistibly challenging—and will return to it again and again.
By Mary Engelbreit
Harper Collins
Just in time for the holidays, New York Times bestselling author and artist Mary Engelbreit has expanded her collection of coloring books with this assortment of black-and-white Christmas postcards, ornaments, and gift tags—perfect for adding your own pop of color!
With the Color ME Christmas Book of Postcards, Mary Engelbreit fans can deck the halls, the tree, and their gifts with 10 postcards, 15 cut-out gift tags, and 10 cut-out ornaments. Each item is printed in black and white—the perfect canvas to get creative! This festive book from the New York Times bestselling queen of Christmas makes it easy to put an original and heartfelt touch on the holiday season.
*I received copies of the books above, from their publishes, for review/feature purposes.
All these books look lovely, I especially love holiday books. Really gets you in the spirit. Thanks for sharing.
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