28 Best Christmas Books for Kids

Generations old and new will adore Dr. Seuss' classic holiday tale about the power of the Christmas spirit.

A Christmas Eve reading of this rhythmic poem by Clement C. Moore, first published in 1823, is a beloved Christmas tradition for many families.

Beth Wood:  Our family discovered this story last year and it quickly became one of our favorite Christmas books for kids! Join the North Pole Ninjas as they perform random acts of kindness. The book comes with different "suggestions of kind acts" that kids can complete...from donating unused toys to charity to shoveling a neighbor's driveway to doing a chore without being asked to giving hugs to those you love...these are acts of kindness even the youngest North Pole Ninja can perform!

Erin P.:  

We love Pete the Cat in our house and this book is another favorite! The always upbeat Pete proves to us how groovy the Christmas spirit can be.

Katie G.:  My son received this as a gift from his preschool teacher years ago. Fun one to read every year!

Beth Wood:  This adorable story about the smallest elf at the North Pole was always one of my family's favorite Christmas books for kids. We still read it each year even though they are a bit older now.

Brigitte Nohra Miller:  One of my favorite books in the Madeline Series, this book is a great spirit lifter when your little one has the sniffles during the holidays. It's Christmas Eve and Madeline is taking care of eleven sick girls and Miss Clavel. She finds help from a magic merchant selling flying carpets. The girls take a Christmas journey that will surely make them forget their sniffles and sneezes.

Erin P.:  Look and find books are great indoor activity for kids on a snowy day. This book has pages and pages filled with the classic Peanuts characters and will keep your kids occupied for quite awhile! Many of the illustrations are taken straight from the Charlie Brown Christmas TV show.

One of the all-time best Christmas books for kids, this story of a boy who journeys to the North Pole to meet the big man himself is a memorable tale about being young at heart. Beautiful illustrations by Chris Van Allsburg bring the story to life.

Originally published in 1952, this classic holiday book retells the story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem.

Jennie Utsinger:  This was one of my favorite Christmas books as a kid and now my children love it as well! Mr. Willowby cuts down a Christmas tree for his house only to find out that it's just a wee bit too tall. Rather than being thrown out, the treetop finds a new home, and comes to decorate the homes of animals throughout the countryside.

Brigitte Nohra Miller:  It's Christmas Eve and an old farmer settles in for a nap pondering how Christmas can come when it hasn't snowed. The farmer dreams about a snowstorm and awakens to find it really did snow! Now in the spirit of the holiday, he puts on his red suit and surprises his animals with gifts.

Sue Krawitz Tandoc:  The super cute story of the Claus family when Santa was a little boy. My kids loved this book because of the humor, illustrations and hearing the story of Santa when he was their age.

Try the classic Dickens tale as a family read aloud for kids who are ready to move beyond picture books, or as an independent read for older kids.

Kelly R:  Olive the dog mishears "All of the other reindeer" as "Olive the other reindeer" in the classic tune (who doesn't love a good Christmas pun?), and heads to the North Pole to seek out her destiny. A silly and heartwarming story with wonderful illustrations!