Favorite Christmas Books

The girls get new Christmas books every year on Christmas eve, with their Christmas PJS, which match. What can I say, I'm a girl who likes traditions. I myself used to get Christmas books from my parents, starting when I was in my late teens. Here are our faves. There are many.

Gift of the Magi: this is the first Christmas book my mom got me and it's a favorite of mine, the girls haven't really heard it yet. Lisbeth Zwerger's illustrations are so beautiful and it's written in this lovely script. This story is timeless.

Once There Was a Christmas Tree My friend Donna got us this book and it's one of the girl's favorites. It's a Hallmark type of book: great illustrations, a little squishy see-through gel-filled snow-globey cover and a sweet message.  It has the same storyline as Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree.

The Carolers: I love this simple book because of its rich illustrations and Christmas carol lyrics. I found this book at the library when the girls were five and three and ended up buying it because I just loved it. They were sitting and singing it just the other day.

Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? Jan Brett does it again. This story has staying power. Anything set in snow is sure to evoke cozy feelings as you listen. I think of sizzling sausages when I think of this book. This was another one my friend Donna gave us.

A Little House Christmas: So many of the Little House books had wonderful Christmas memories in them that I was very excited to find this compilation of Christmas tales to add to our collection.

 The Christmas Magic Wonderful message and illustrations.

Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present Who doesn't love John Burningham books? I love them for their illustrations but this story is really rich, too.  Avery declared it one of her favorites the other day.  It's about a present that appears in Santa's sack at the end of a very long day delivering presents.

Patricia Pollaco is a holiday book maven. Last year we added  Gifts From The Heart and Oranges for Charlie and both nearly made me ball. If sappy's your thing, she's your gal. I love that she writes about actual Christmases from her childhood in Michigan, very near where my husband grew up.

When the girls were really young they got Christmas board books like Christmas Mice because who can't resist Richard Scarry's darling mice cavorting in a Christmas tree?

Everyone needs a copy of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Christmas is a Time of Giving is just plain sweet and the children in it remind me of my niece with their ever-so-adorable cheeks. The Scrawny Christmas Tree was added to our collection because of its' message-much like the one given in the Peanut's Christmas special.

Two other gems my mom bought me are Tales of Thanks, which is a hilarious tribute to the 12 Days of Christmas from the True Love to the giver of all the 12 Days of Christmas gifts. She gradually goes mad as the gifts just keep on coming. A Cup of Christmas Tea reminds you of time's importance. You should read it and then find an old person to just sit with for an hour or two.

This year my girls are getting Little Santa (love the clever premise!) and this version of The Night Before Christmas (illustrations are awesome). I'm excited about them. I also picked Christmas Carol up at the library book sale to add to our collection.

We own The Sweet Scent of Christmas and Santa's Toy Shop, both faves from my childhood.

I will probably have to invest in The Three Bears Christmas one day. I checked it out from the library and it was really cute. Same with A Christmas Tree for Pyn. Another one that is probably awesome is Christmas Cookies: Bite Sized Holiday Lessons. I can't believe we have never bought Snowmen at Christmas. There is a LOT going on in those illustrations for little observers......

For older kiddos, these have also found a place in our collection: Zelda and Ivy: One Christmas,
Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas and of course the Best Christmas Pagent Ever. The Children of Noisy Village also has some of the best chapters about Christmas in them, and inspired a Christmas movie that I LOVE. Something about a 40's Christmas in Sweden just pulls at me to see it again and again but it's a hard one to find-I think we watched it on a VCR years ago when we still had one.

Wow. The titles just keep oozing out of my mouth and are all very CHRISTMAS-centered, but still a true collection of favorites from where I sit.

Please, please, share your favorites, too!