12 Days of Christmas Printables for School Age Kids

1. Holidays Around the World for Kids: With students excitedly counting down to the holidays, this is the perfect time to engage children in learning about holidays celebrated all around the world. This free, printable Holidays Around the World interactive notebook or lapbook set features six celebrations to learn more about.

2. Christmas Alphabet Bingo: A fun and festive way to revise alphabet learning with preschool or kindergarten age learners at home or school.

3. Letter to Santa Postcard: Send a note to Santa with this cute festive postcard set – or use it to send Christmas wishes to family and friends you live apart from.

4. Santa Stop Here! Door Hanger: Invite kids to elf themselves with this fun DIY Santa Stop Here! door hanger.

5. Christmas Lego Printables: Give free time purpose with these printable Christmas Lego Mosaic Patterns or Lego Christmas Challenge Cards.

6. Printable Gift Tags: Encourage kids to create their own Christmas images with these Art Frame Gift Tags or keep it simple and just print and color these Penguin Christmas Gift Tags.

7. Christmas Coloring Cards: These cute designs are fun to color before sharing with friends or family.

8. Christmas Mindfulness Coloring Pages: Invite older students (or adults!) to find a little focus, peace and relaxation over the busy holiday period with these gorgeous mindful coloring pages.

9. Christmas Around the World Worksheets: Invite students to learn more about how Christmas is celebrated in six different countries of the world.

10. Holiday Mantlepiece Pop Up Christmas Cards: Older students will enjoy the challenge of creating their own holiday mantlepiece as a pop up Christmas card.

11. 12 Days of Christmas Math Challenge: Explore the very “mathy” Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, with older students but beware, you may never be able to hear it again without thinking about all the computations and number applications!

12. Play a Christmas game: Invite family, friends or classmates to join in the fun with a game of Christmas Who Am I? or Christmas Charades.

Looking for more ideas? Check out these fun Christmas printables:

The post 12 Days of Christmas Printables for School Age Kids appeared first on Childhood101.

For those with older children, be sure to check out our collection of 12 Days of Christmas Fun for School Age Children or alternatively, for younger ones, our 12 Days of Christmas Sensory Play Ideas.

12 Preschool Christmas Craft Ideas

1. Work fine motor skills by folding cupcake wrappers to make this sweet preschool-friendly Christmas tree craft.

2. Keep small fingers busy by threading a festive garland with this idea for Christmas Threading from Picklebums.

3. These Popstick Christmas Trees are so simple to make and also look great hanging all together as a Christmas garland. Alternatively, add a string to each one to hang on the tree.

4. Explore textures as you make your own wrapping paper with this idea for Rolling Pin Wrapping Paper.

5. Thread Beaded Snowflakes on pipe cleaners to hang on the tree.

6. And then thread mini Button Christmas Trees.

7. Make Christmas Hearts with TP rolls.

8. Make sweet Salt Dough Ornaments that can also double as a great gift.

9. Get busy with Sharpies, glitter, confetti and even photos to make Laminated Christmas Baubles.

10. The tree will shine bright with these Easy Tin Foil Decorations from Picklebums.

11. Get your preschooler busy making and playing with a batch of Peppermint Playdough or make some chocolate playdough for fun making Playdough Reindeers.

12. Try Tabletop Monoprinting with red or green paint and use the completed prints for the front of handmade cards or as wrapping paper.

For more Christmas craft ideas for young crafters, check out these related posts;

The post 12 Days of Preschool Christmas Craft Ideas appeared first on Childhood101.

And why not pair your reindeer with a cute Santa Origami Bookmark, or check out our collection of over 25 Bookmark Crafts for Tweens & Teens.

How to Make a Reindeer Origami Bookmark Craft

You will need:

• 1 sheet of 4in x 4in origami craft paper
• Craft paper – one sheet each of red, white and brown OR use the pre-colored shapes included in the printable template
• Paper glue
• Scissors
• Marker pen
• Pencil
• Printable template (optional) – full download instructions for template at the bottom of this post

 How to Fold an Origami Bookmark

1. Take a square paper of origami paper and it diagonally onto the table top so it looks like a diamond. Fold the paper in half by taking the top point all the way down to meet the bottom point to form an inverted triangle.

2. Fold the triangle in half to find the middle point of the triangle’s base. Open back up once creased.

4. Lift the upper flap of the bottom point, taking it upwards until the tip touches  the middle of the inverted triangle’s base and fold it there.

5. Next, take the top right corner and bring it down towards the bottom until the tip lines up with the bottom point and crease firmly.

6. Repeat for the top left point.

7. Finally, tuck each of the bottom points up inside the flap that was created in step four to create the pocket that will slide over the book pages.

How to Make a Reindeer Bookmark

8. Cut out the pieces for the reindeer – antlers, face, mouth and nose – from the colored paper using the printable template page included below (full download instructions can be found at the bottom of this post), or cut them freehand. Alternatively, there are also pre-colored pieces included in the download.

9. Glue the horns of the reindeer on the top of the head piece.  Then glue the mouth piece onto the face.

10. Finish off the reindeer by gluing both the nose and the eyes onto the reindeer.

11. Finally, glue the reindeer’s face onto the top of the bookmark pocket.

Download and Print Reindeer Bookmark Template

Click here to download: Reindeer Bookmark Template . Save the PDF to your computer. Open the PDF and print the pages you require. When printing, select “Fit to printable area” (or similar) to ensure the page fits with your printer type and local paper size. Laminate the printed pages for durability.

Having trouble accessing or downloading the file? Please try a different internet browser.
Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.

For more Christmas craft for tweens and teens, check out these related posts;

The post Reindeer Origami Bookmark Craft appeared first on Childhood101.

And why not pair your reindeer with a cute Reindeer Origami Bookmark, or check out our collection of over 25 Bookmark Crafts for Tweens & Teens.

How to Make a Santa Origami Bookmark

You will need:

• 1 sheet of 4in x 4in origami craft paper
• Craft paper – one sheet each of red, white and skin toned OR use the pre-colored shapes included in the printable template
• Paper glue
• Scissors
• Marker pen
• Pencil
• Printable template (optional) – full download instructions for template at the bottom of this post

 How to Fold an Origami Bookmark

1. Lay the origami paper diagonally onto the table top so it looks like a diamond.

2. Fold the diamond in half, taking the bottom corner of the paper to the top to form a triangle.

3. Fold the upper point downwards so the tip touches the middle of the base of the triangle.

4. Take the bottom left corner, bringing it up towards the point of the triangle and fold firmly. Repeat with the bottom right corner. You will have now formed a new, smaller diamond shape.

5. Tuck each of the top points inside the flap previously created in step three (3). This forms the pocket that slips over the page corner when the bookmark is in use.

6. Rotate the diamond so that the pocket sits at the top and add the Santa details as demonstrated below.

Santa Origami Bookmark Craft

7. Cut out the pieces for the Santa Claus – hat, pom pom, hat band, face, mustache, beard – using the printable template page below (full download instructions can be found at the bottom of this post), or cut them freehand. We used a fun, textured white craft paper for Santa!

8. Glue the white circular piece onto the pointed top of the hat as a pom pom (or add an actual mini pom pom if you like!)

9. Glue the white strip shaped piece along the bottom of the Santa’s hat.

10. Then glue Santa’s mustache and beard onto the skin toned circle to create Santa’s face.

11. Draw Santa’s eyes using a thin black marker pen.

12. Finish off by pasting the hat onto the top of Santa’s head.

13. Finally, paste Santa’s head onto the top of the bookmark pocket that you created in step 6.

Santa is now ready to slip over the corner of your current Christmas read!

Download and Print Santa Template

Click here to download: Santa Claus Bookmark Template . Save the PDF to your computer. Open the PDF and print the pages you require. When printing, select “Fit to printable area” (or similar) to ensure the page fits with your printer type and local paper size. Laminate the printed pages for durability.

Having trouble accessing or downloading the file? Please try a different internet browser.
Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.

For more holiday craft ideas for tweens and teens, check out these related posts;

The post How to Make a Santa Origami Bookmark appeared first on Childhood101.

As I sit hear writing this introduction I can hear our eight year old reading aloud from our copy of The Twelve Days of Christmas picture book down the hallway while her sister is pouring over a beautifully illustrated copy of Twas The Night Before Christmas.

Our girls love the annual appearance of our basket of beloved Christmas books at the beginning of the holiday season. This basket includes lots of Christmas themed books that we have collected over the years, including board books, picture books and chapter books. We add at least a few new titles each year.

Whether you have a basket of Christmas books or you count down to Christmas with a book advent calendar, below you are sure to find some great chapter books for early or newly independent readers.

This stage can be hard when it comes to book-age recommendations, as reading levels can vary so much in the 6-8 year age range.  While I have included age recommendations here, if you are unsure if a title is suitable for your child, click through via the book title and have a look at the text inside via the ‘Look Inside’ function at Amazon. The content within these stories is suitable as read alouds for children of any age.

If you are looking for chapter book and novel suggestions for older readers, click through to see our list of Christmas Chapter Books for Tweens, or your might like to try the titles on our list of Christmas Graphic Novels for Kids.

Now on to the list…

15 Christmas Chapter Books for Early Readers

Each book included on our list is linked to both an Amazon page – these are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

The First Christmas Jumper (and the Sheep Who Changed Everything) by Ryan Tubridy Hilary the sheep is special – she’s the only multi-colored sheep in the world! She loves Christmas and dreams of meeting Santa. When Santa starts looking for wool to make a jumper that will keep him warm on his important Christmas journey, Hilary wonders if she could possibly be chosen. A sweet and funny first Christmas chapter book with a great cast of characters, great for newly independent readers. Age 6+ years. Available: Amazon

Captain Awesome Saves the Winter Wonderland by Stan Kirby Eugene and Charlie can hardly wait for their school’s holiday spectacular – The Winter Wonderland. But not before the superhero skills of these Snowflake Symphony members are called into action as an all-new villain threatens to ruin the second graders’ performance. Can the Sunnyview Superhero Squad save the show? Age 6+ years. Available: Amazon

Ella Diaries: Christmas Crackers by Meredith Costain Ella has so many ideas for the class Christmas project that she calls a special meeting with her BFFs, Zoe and Ammy. They are so excited that they all want to be in charge of costumes, and be director and act in the performance. Will they convince their class to support their big ideas? Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Magic Tree House: Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne When Jack and Annie receive an invitation to spend Christmas Eve in Camelot—a magical place that exists only in myth and fantasy—they know they are in for their biggest adventure yet. What they don’t know is that the invitation will send them on a quest to save Camelot. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Christmas Chapter Books list continues below.

Daisy and the Trouble with Christmas by Kes Gray Daisy is so excited about Christmas! Especially as this year she will perform in the school Christmas play. She’s got seven whole words to learn. But when Daisy and her best friend Gabby decide that the doll their teacher has chosen for Baby Jesus is a bit boring, Daisy comes up with a plan that can only mean one thing… TROUBLE! Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith Winston is a little mouse who, upon finding a letter addressed to Santa on Christmas Eve, is determined to make sure the lost letter reaches Santa before it’s too late! Along the way, he meets other creatures who advise him on his journey, finding help in the most unexpected of places. This delightful advent story is told in twenty four and a half chapters. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Christmas Wishes by Enid Blyton The spirit of Christmas abounds with Blyton’s tales of magic and Christmas wishes – from a dog who discovers the joy of Christmas to Santa Claus who gets himself out of a muddle with a little help from his friends, these stories celebrate shared times, festivities and wonder. Age 6+ years. Available: Amazon

The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo This delightful novella, draws on Raymond Briggs’ class illustrated, wordless story, The Snowman for inspiration. James, a quiet child with a stammer forms a friendship with a Snowman and together with his family and friends, James learns to overcome his stammer and find his words. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

List continues below.

Christmas Ballerina (Secret Kingdom Series Special) by Rosie Banks Ellie, Summer and Jasmine return to the Secret Kingdom for a Christmas Celebration, only to find that Rosalind, the elf ballerina, is in trouble! They must work together with Trixi, King Merry and Santa to save Rosalind from Queen Malice and the Storm Sprites’ spells, in time for her to dance in her special Christmas performance. Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

Merry Christmas, Geronimo! by Geronimo Stilton Everything that could possibly go wrong for Geronimo’s Christmas preparations does! Will this be the worst Christmas ever? Or will Geronimo’s family help to save the holidays? Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Geronimo Stilton Classic Tales: A Christmas Carol by Geronimo Stilton Geronimo retells the classic tale of old and cranky Ebenezer Scrooge. With no Christmas spirit, Ebenezer is visited by three ghosts on the night of Christmas Eve. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Magic Kitten: A Christmas Surprise by Sue Bentley Molly is so excited to spend Christmas with her family but in the lead up she just can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble! Luckily, she finds a distraction in Flame – a snow white kitten. With his magical help, it looks like Molly is set to get the best Christmas present ever.. Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

Oscar’s Lonely Christmas by Holly Webb Hannah is delighted to receive a puppy, Oscar, just before Christmas. She wishes she could spend all her time with her gorgeous puppy, but she has her school Christmas play to rehearse. Poor Oscar doesn’t understand why Hannah has left him all alone. Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson The six Herdman kids can only be described as naughty! When they show up at church for the free snacks and suddenly take over the Christmas pageant, the other kids (and adults) are shocked. The Herdsman children have never before heard the Christmas story and start to re-imagine it in just their own way, with hilarious results and just a little Christmas magic for all. Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

More great Christmas books for kids:

The post 15 Christmas Chapter Books for Early Readers appeared first on Childhood101.

I’ve worked hard to make sure our Christmas book lists cover a wide range of ages and book types, and a number of these collections are super popular, particularly the Christmas Chapter Books for Newly Independent Readers list, Best Christmas Books for Tweens, Best Christmas Books for Teens, Books Celebrating Christmas Around the World, and our new list of Classic Christmas Picture Books.

And now we can add graphic novels to our holiday book list collection! Below you’ll find a fun list of cool Christmas graphic novels, with titles suitable for kids from six right through to 15 years of age. As with each of the book collections in our Best Books for Kids library, each title below is linked to Amazon (these are affiliate links) where you can find further reviews for any you might not be personally familiar with.

10 Christmas Graphic Novels for Kids

Happy Narwhalidays by Ben Clanton Exuberant Narwhal shares his excitement for the holidays with his best friend, Jelly, telling him all about the Merry Mermicorn who spreads holiday cheer. Jelly is skeptical about the existence of the ‘Mira-Miny-What-A Corn,’ even when he receives a mysterious present. It must be from Narwhal! Now Jelly has to find the perfect gift, but finding a present for someone as unique as Narwhal is no easy feat! Age 6+ years. Available: Amazon

Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive by Melanie Watt While the holidays can be joyous times of reflection and gratitude, they also can be fraught with anxiety. And this Christmas Scaredy Squirrel is very concerned with his to-do list, decorating with the exact shades of red and green, wrapping presents, and making a yule log or gingerbread house. It could be challenging to pull all this holiday cheer off, especially when everything has to be perfect! Or does it??! Age 6+ years. Available: Amazon

Pup and Dragon: How to Catch An Elf by Alice Walstead Pup and Dragon are best friends, who are always there for one another. In their first hilarious graphic novel adventure, the duo trying to catch one of Santa’s little helpers – only Dragon has no idea what a Santa is, let alone an elf! Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

The Peanuts Guide to Christmas by Charles M. Schulz Full of holiday cheer for fans of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, this is a fun and charming collection of short, holiday themed Peanuts comic strips. A great first introduction to reading a comic strip format. Age 7+ years. Available: Amazon

Provide the perfect introduction to comic strips and graphic novels with our lists of the 21 Best Comic Books for Kids and 30 All Time Best Graphic Novels for Kids.

Christmas Graphic Novels list continues below.

8 Tiny Reindeer by Robert Tinkler In the not-too-distant future, Santa’s entire operation has been automated. Machines, not elves, make all the toys. And drones transport the presents on Christmas Eve. Since Santa no longer needs much help, he’s let go all but two of his elves, Elvis and Delfina, and released his reindeer into the wild. But just days before Christmas, Santa learns that the wealthy tycoon who supplied all the technology, Larchmont Quickbuck, is plotting to take over Christmas and send Santa packing! Santa knows his only hope of saving the holiday is to bring back the true source of Christmas magic — his reindeer. But will Elvis and Delfina find them in time? The perfect gift for counting down to Christmas, with a chapter for each day of December leading up to Christmas Day. Age 8+ years. Available: Amazon

The Xtreme Xploits of the Xplosive Xmas. Adapted by Meredith Rusu Friends George and Harold love Christmas but they’ve decided that the old traditions could use an upgrade. Their solution – Blissmas! This cooler, modern version of Christmas includes a Mechalition Derby, holi-DJs instead of Christmas carols, lasers instead of fairy lights, and a super cool Santa Claus. But, as with all of George and Harold’s genius ideas, Blissmas has unexpected consequences and if they don’t act fast, Christmas could be gone forever! Age 8+ years Available: Amazon

List continues below.

A Merry Olde Christmas in Dance Class series 3 in 1 by Beka and Crip What could be better than Christmas? Christmas in London, that’s what! Julie, Lucie, and Alia are excited to get a letter from their friend Prune, inviting the girls to help her pull off a Christmas musical, which wouldn’t be so bad if their rival – Carla – wasn’t along for the occasion, as well. The competition will be stiff, and the girls will have to use all their dance skills to make this a yuletide memory for the ages. Age 9+ years. Available: Amazon

Archie’s Christmas Wonderland by Archie Superstars Archie and the rest of the gang from Riverdale are well known for their festive adventures and merry mis-adventures and in this compilation the crew are celebrating Christmas with stories of the season – from sleigh rides, to caroling and even visits from the big man in red himself! Age 10+ years. Available: Amazon

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Adapted by Natalie Andrewson Based on the traditional story version of this classic tale (not the ballet), this fantastical retelling shares the adventures of Marie Marie and her love for the Nutcracker that family friend, Uncle Drosselmeyer gifts her and her brother for Christmas, even after it gets broken. She goes downstairs at night to check on it and finds the dreaded Mouse King threatening it. Marie makes many sacrifices in an attempt to save her beloved Nutcracker. When she subsequently falls ill, Uncle Drosselmeyer shares a story of how the Nutcracker came to be, leaving the reader to decide what is real and what is imaginary. Age 10+ years. Available: Amazon

List continues below.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted by Sean Michael Wilson This graphic novel adaptation of the Christmas classic brings the story to life through detailed, moody artwork that helps to create the perfect tension for the tale. Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly businessman, is visited one Christmas eve by three spirits who take him on a wondrous journey that changes his life forever. Age 13+ years. Available: Amazon

Reindeer Boy by Cassandra Jean Quincy as a recurring dream every Christmas eve about a boy with reindeer antlers. On returning to school after Christmas break she meets a very interesting boy with ‘wearing’ very realistic antlers… a boy we later find out is Cupid, one of Santa’s reindeers who work as human delivery people whilst attending Quincy’s high school. When Quincy falls for Cupid, the result is a sweet story with lots of funny moments. Age YA. Available: Amazon

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Don’t miss the other great ideas in our KIDS GIFT GUIDE !

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This list includes twenty one classic Christmas picture books that are guaranteed to become family favorites – whether they are stories you are already familiar with, or titles new to you.

And for those who wish to continue creating shared holiday memories by reading aloud or creating a book advent, be sure to check out these related book collections – 10 Christmas Books for Toddlers, 15 Magical Christmas Books for Preschoolers and 15 Books Celebrating Christmas Around the World.

21 Classic Christmas Books for Kids

Each book included on our list is linked to both an Amazon page – these are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore This classic poem has shared the story of the excitement of Christmas eve and an a visit from Santa with families for generations and is beautifully reshared in this version illustrated by Charles Santore. Available: Amazon

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore This stunningly illustrated version of the classic Christmas eve poem presents the prose with a more modern illustration style and diverse representation. Available: Amazon

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg A young boy is welcomed aboard a magical train to the North Pole. The Polar Express makes its way to the city atop the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish. One for all who believe in the spirit of Christmas. Available: Amazon

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss In this classic tale, the mean, grumpy Grinch hates everything about Christmas and sneaks into the houses of Whoville and steals all of their Christmas presents, food and trees! But the Christmas spirit manages to shine through, leaving the Grinch with this classic quote, “Maybe Christmas” he thought “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”Available: Amazon

Check out The Grinch on our list of 21 Christmas Movies for Kids. Have younger children? Be sure to check out our list of 15 Toddler Christmas Movies and Holiday Specials.

Classic Christmas books list continues below.

The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers This lavishly illustrated retelling of the classic Nutcracker story takes readers on a magical Christmas Eve adventure alongside Marie, Fritz and the Nutcracker himself and bringing to life the frightful Mouse King, the elegant Sugar Plum fairies, and the entirely magical Land of Sweets. Available: Amazon

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett The classic counting Christmas carol comes alive thanks to the illustrations of Jan Brett, where, hidden in the illustrations you will also find a family’s busy Christmas preparations, “Merry Christmas” in eleven languages, and a sweet menagerie of charming creatures. Available: Amazon

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski Jonathan Toomey is the best woodcarver in the valley, but no one knows why he always keeps to himself and never smiles. And no one knows about the mementos of his lost wife and child that he keeps in an unopened drawer. Then one early winter’s day, a widow and her young son approach him with a gentle request that leads to a joyful holiday miracle. Available: Amazon

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry A beautifully illustrated version of the classic short story in which a young husband and wife each, unbeknownst to the other, gives up a most treasured possession to buy the other a wonderful gift, with the gifts being useless as a result of each person’s sacrifice. Lovely to share with children in middle grades and up. Available: Amazon

List continues below.

Madeline’s Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans It’s Christmas Eve and in the old house in Paris everyone is sick in bed. All except brave Madeline. Taking care of eleven little girls and Miss Clavel is hard work but a mysterious caller arrives with the promise of turning this sad Yuletide into an adventure. Madeline buys 12 rugs from the turbaned visitor and tucks them around the chilly invalids until she discovers that the covers are more than comforting. They are magic! They take Madeline and her friends on a wonderful flight, bringing back the joys of the season. Available: Amazon

Paddington and the Christmas Surprise by Michael Bond When the Browns take Paddington to the Christmas Grotto in a London department store his journey through the Winter Wonderland is full of surprises. And the best surprise? It is from Santa! After all, who else could find the perfect present for a bear like Paddington? Available: Amazon

The Miracle of St Nicholas by Gloria Whelan Set in a small Russian village, a babushka tells the story of a past Christmas before the soldiers arrived in a touching story of having faith and hope and a Christmas miracle. Available: Amazon

List continues below.

Silent Night by Lara Hawthorne Celebrate the miracle of the Christian Christmas story with this wonderfully illustrated adaptation of the world’s best loved Christmas carol. Available: Amazon

A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith This gorgeous and unique version of the classic Christmas story of Jesus’ birth by stellar children’s author, Brian Wildsmith has recently been re-published. Available: Amazon

Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell In the stable next to an inn, Kind Ox is just settling in for the night when Old Dog comes into the stable. Kind Ox makes room for Old Dog, who in turn makes room for Stray Cat, who then makes room for Small Mouse, after all, “There’s always room for a little one here.” When Tired Donkey comes by, carrying Joseph and Mary, who asks “Where will my child be born?” Kind Ox replies, “There is always room for a little one here.” And so, Jesus is born in the stable with the animals all around Him. Available: Amazon

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston It is Christmas, 1918, and Ruthie and her mother await the return of Ruthie’s father who is off fighting in World War I. Without her father, and little money for a costume for Ruthie’s role as the Christmas angel in this year’s pageant, Ruthie and her mother are also tasked with supplying the church Christmas tree as it is their family’s turn, in a touching story of family, love and sacrifice in time of need. A sweet Christmas picture book to share with older children. Available: Amazon

Mog’s Christmas by Judith Kerr It’s Christmas, and Mog’s house is full of strange noises and peculiar smells. Everyone is busy hanging holly and blowing up balloons, and where is that tree going to go? It is all a little much for Mog who seeks refuge on the roof and refuses to come down! Until she does with a rather amusing bump! Available: Amazon

List continues below.

The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia Scarry Celebrate the wonderful sights and smells of Christmas with Little Bear as she prepares for Christmas in this awesome, interactive book. The scratch-and sniff feature is sure to surprise and delight your toddler. Available: Amazon

An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco Frankie’s family is abuzz with excitement for the approaching holiday but tomorrow is Christmas Eve and Pa hasn’t returned yet from his trip to Lansing. He promised to bring back the oranges for the mantelpiece. Every year there are nine of them nestled among the evergreens, one for each of the children. But this year, heavy snows might mean no oranges, and, worse, no Pa! A sweet and important lesson about giving. Available: Amazon

Joy to the World by Tomie dePaola A collection of three of dePaola’s most beloved Christmas stories – The Night of Las Posadas, The Story of the Three Wise Kings, and The Legend of the Poinsettia – sure enchant the entire family during the holiday season. Available: Amazon

Mr Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry With fabulous rhyming prose, we learn the fate of a Christmas tree too tall for Mr Willowby’s parlor. The butler chops off the top and gives it to the maid, who finds even the treetop too tall for her small table. So she chops off the top for the gardener, and so on until one tall tree provides Christmas trees for seven homes, from Mr. Willowby’s parlor to the cozy mouse hole behind his chair, where three tiny mice dance around their little tree. Available: Amazon

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck An engaging, interactive book with a magical story. Mia has no time to send the card she made to Grandpa who lives far away. When she stumbles across a magical mailbox, Mia finds herself inside the Reindeer Express and she is whisked away on an exciting voyage over many exotic lands. Will Mia reach Grandpa just in time< Available: Amazon

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