The Holidays is considered the most festive time of the year. People go above and beyond with decorating and buying gifts for family and friends. It is absolutely one of the most wonderful time of the year. It is the ultimate season for giving and spreading joy and happiness and spending time with family and friends all over the world.
Below we have included our best holiday books that we absolutely love reading. Happy Holiday to you and your family.
CRINKLE BELLS
Christmas is almost here, and we are celebrating with CRINKLE BELLS by Jay Fleck.
When two crinkle bells hanging on the Christmas tree jiggle, the noise wakes up the other decorations, and they are not happy.
Read to the tune of classic “jingle bells,” the other decorations sing the crinkle bells to sleep just in time for Christmas morning.
With bold and festive illustrations, this crinkle series is a huge hit at our house, and children will love touching the shiny, crinkly sheets on each page.
YOU'RE MY LITTLE LATKE
YOU’RE MY LITTLE LATKE by Natalie Marshall introduced children to basic Jewish culture and Hanukkah.
From dreidels to the menorah and yummy latkes, children experience the rich traditions and share in the festive occasions.
Adorned with bold and vivid illustrations, this book is an instant favorite when teaching children about Judaism.
I’M DREAMING OF A BROWN CHRISTMAS
I’M DREAMING OF A BROWN CHRISTMAS by Steven T. Gray is absolutely splendid.
Written to the tune of the classic “White Christmas” song, it celebrates the joys of the Holiday season seen through the eyes of a black boy.
As he drives through the neighborhood with his family, he observes all the brown homes housing beautiful brown families.
He dreams of a brown Christmas, and sees hot chocolate, brown turkey, and faces of all shades of brown singing and being merry.
With bold and vivid illustrations by Vernon D. Gibbs, this book is a perfect representation of black/brown families and their traditions during the holidays.
THE TWELVE CATS OF CHRISTMAS
THE TWELVE CATS OF CHRISTMAS by Feather Flores is for the cat lovers.
Written to the tune of the Christmas classic, “Twelve days of Christmas,” it features 12 cute cats given as gifts.
They parade through the house rummaging on boxes of presents dressed in bows, chasing ribbons, and helping Santa with treats.
The bold, vibrant, and festive illustrations by Carrie Liao are amazing, making this book perfect for cat-loving families during the holiday season.
CONSTRUCTION SITE: MERRY AND BRIGHT
In CONSTRUCTION SITE: MERRY AND BRIGHT by Sherri Duskey Rinker the trucks are preparing for Christmas.
From dump trucks and bulldozers, our truck friends carry hidden wrapped presents under each flap that are guaranteed to entice curious readers.
With bold and vibrant illustrations by AG Ford, this book welcomes holiday cheer with presents and lights just in time for Christmas.
MY CHRISTMAS WISH FOR YOU
What did you wish for this Christmas?
MY CHRISTMAS WISH FOR YOU by Lisa Sterling & Ralph Lazar is full of lovely Christmas wishes.
Whether your wishes are for glowing fireplaces, mugs of hot chocolate, or just having fun with friends and family, this book welcomes the spirit of Christmas with love and light.
With bold, witty illustrations, this book was an instant favorite.
JINGLE BELLS
JINGLE BELLS by Nicola Slater is an interactive singalong to one of the most popular Christmas songs ever.
With bold illustrations, children touch the musical notes on each page and sing along to Jingle Bells.
Best of all, the glowing star at the end of the book makes a wonderful surprise. Definitely a must-have.
WHERE'S THE POLAR BEAR?
We couldn’t have a Christmas list without a lift and flap book with winter animals.
WHERE’S THE POLAR BEAR by Nosy Crow is interactive and fun and feature fun animal friends under soft felt flaps.
The illustrations by Ingela P Arrhenius are absolutely beautiful and perfect for winter.
CHRISTMAS MOUSE: FINGER PUPPET
CHRISTMAS MOUSE by Emily Dove is a finger puppet book featuring a cute mouse who loves Christmas.
From sleigh rides and caroling, this lovely book is full of festive Christmas cheer that little readers will love.
The interactive puppet is super fun and perfect for tiny fingers.
CHRISTMAS IS AWESOME
CHRISTMAS IS AWESOME by Sabrina Moyle celebrates the joy of Christmastime.
Cute animals friends decorate and celebrate with sleigh rides and ugly sweaters.
Christmas is definitely awesome, and this book celebrates the magic of giving and friendship.
With vibrant and festive illustrations by Eunice Moyle, how can you not love this book?
SANTA BABY
SANTA BABY by Jonathan Stutzman is such a fun book to read for the holidays.
Santa has been delivering presents on Christmas Eve for years, but this year he was not feeling the Christmas spirit. His bones were feeble, his wrinkles were more wrinkled, and his belly was less jolly.
The presents had to be delivered so to make the children happy, Santa made a magical wish to be younger. As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for,” because Santa turned into a baby.
The North Pole was in chaos because all Santa did was cry, eat and poop and the elves could not understand baby talk, so they couldn’t follow directions.
Will they be able to save Christmas? With one simple act of kindness from a little girl, Santa Baby transformed into a man and happily delivered presents.
With vibrant, festive illustrations by Heather Fox, SANTA BABY is hilarious with the perfect mix of suspense and excitement. It celebrates the magic of Christmas and the value of kindness.
GIGANTOSAURUS
John Duddle’s is back with another GIGANTOSAURUS book in the series. It’s the shortest day in Cretacea and Tiny and her friends are excited to play, but worry that they won’t have enough time too.
She planned to throw a holiday party and invited everyone. There will be decorations, music, food and even presents, but everything was a disaster on the day of the party.
The food was cold, the decorations were messy, and to make matters worse, there was no music.
That’s until Giganto, the largest dinosaur, arrived and liven up the party.
Tiny realized the party wasn’t about the decorations or music, it’s about sharing a wonderful experience with friends.
SNOW FRIENDS
SNOW FRIENDS by Margery Cuyler is a wonderful story about friendship and the joy of wintertime.
Oscar, the dog is eager to head out with his owner Matt to play in the snow. When he gets out, he chases a bunny outside his gate, then gets lost. He meets with another dog named Daisy and together they play in the snow, build a doggie snowman, and even ice-skating.
As Matt searches for Oscar, Daisy’s owner searches for her. The two join forces in the search, and not only is a dog-bond formed, but the owners also become friends as well.
With beautiful, wintery illustrations by Will Hillenbrand, SNOW FRIENDS is perfect for dog lovers and makes a great winter read for snowy days.
Christmas is joy
In CHRISTMAS IS JOY by Emma Dodd, the animals are welcoming Christmas.
From falling snowflakes to spreading joy and love with the other animals, this poetic ode to Christmas is sure to delight little readers and welcome the season.
With beautiful wintery illustrations, this book makes you want to cuddle with your loved one’s drinking hot chocolate by the fireplace. And the deer are absolutely adorable.
LITTLE RED SLEIGH
LITTLE RED SLEIGH by Erin Guendelsberger is a motivational book featuring a red sleigh that longed to be Santa’s sleigh.
Everyone discourages her, saying she was too small, too young, and not strong enough. Their disbelief encouraged her to journey to the North Pole to meet Santa.
As she traveled, she met friends like a steam train and a yellow truck who reassured her that being patient goes a long way.
She persevered through tumultuous snow, but her journey to the North Pole ended when she met a girl who used her as a sled to play in the snow. It made the girl thrilled as Little Red flew down snowy hills.
The girl took Red home, but on Christmas morning, red was sad that she hadn’t met Santa. Until she received a letter from Santa thanking her for bringing Christmas joy to the child and invited her to visit the North Pole next year.
This book will warm hearts and is an instant favorite of ours this holiday season. Red didn’t get to see Santa right away, but what she offered the child makes her strong and brave. Qualities that would make her the perfect sleigh for Santa.
The illustrations by Elizaveta Tretyakova are marvelously wintery and bright.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by Lara Hawthorne celebrates the classic song with vibrant illustrations and a seek-and-find at the end of the book.
This book is perfect to sing-along as it welcomes the holiday festivities with its traditional theme that everyone loves.
We love this traditional song and the books make a perfect addition to our Christmas list.
HOW TO CATCH A YETI
HOW TO CATCH A YETI is another fun favorite by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton.
The Yeti is real and a group of friends sets out to find him. By tracking his large footprints in the snow, they entered his lair and used every gadget they have to trap him, but he keeps tricking them and escaping.
With vibrant, wintery illustrations, this book is hilarious and so much fun to read.
SNOW FALLS
SNOW FALLS by Kate Gardner welcomes the season with winter snow. It features a child enjoying snowy adventures outside and sitting cozy, sipping hot chocolate.
Children love playing in a white cloudy blanket of snow, and this book is full of snowy fun.
Snow can be magical and fun, and though winter is cold, this heartwarming book will delight little readers. The illustrations by Brandon James Scott are bold and vibrant.
CROW & SNOW
CROW & SNOW by Robert Broder and Olivier Tallec features a lonely scarecrow named Crow.
Spring and Summer came, but no one said hello to Crow. He was all alone in the field until winter arrived and the farmer’s children build a snowman next to him.
The two started talking and became best friends, but as it got warmer, the snowman melted away and Crow was alone again.
As time passed, the two friends reunited every winter, but as the children grew older, they stopped building snowmen. Luckily, they had children, and soon Snow was back to see his friend Crow.
This book is SO sweet and celebrates friendship and love, especially this holiday season.
It’s also perfect for children who move away, it reassures them that no matter how far away they are, friendships never fade.
MOUSE’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
MOUSE’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Tracey Corderoy remakes the classic tale and tells the story through the eyes of a mouse who was actually awake the night before Christmas.
As he scurried through the house, he notices the star on the Christmas tree and makes a wish. Soon after, he hears a noise and sees Santa outside with his reindeer.
He lost his way and mouse offers to help, so together they flew around the neighborhood delivering presents. Afterward, Santa is grateful and the mouse gets his wish for a friend, and he couldn’t be happier.
This holiday season is about giving, helping, and showing kindness and that’s what the mouse offered to Santa.
Sarah Massini’s illustrations are festive with bright, vibrant holiday colors.
MILO'S CHRISTMAS PARADE
MILO’S CHRISTMAS PARADE by Jennie Palmer features an ambitious and motivated Opossums named Milo who loved Christmas and loved the Christmas parade. He dreamed of being a part of the parade, and this year he planned to have his own float.
Milo and his passel worked hard to create a float that was amazing and full of color and everything they loved. He was so happy and proud to be in the parade, but due to an accident, his float fell over.
Luckily, with the help and support of his passel, he saved his float and fulfilled his dream.
Little Milo encourages children to dream big and to always persevere, no matter what. Even though Milo was small, he was a part of something big and everyone loved him.
It’s a story of persistence, family support, and Christmas Spirit, and we absolutely loved it.
DINOSAUR CHRISTMAS
In DINOSAUR CHRISTMAS by Penny Dale, Santa’s sleigh is stuck in the snow and the presents need to be delivered, so he calls the Dinosaur Rescue team to help.
From Styracosaurus in snowplows and Megalosaurus in snowmobiles, they all raced to Santa’s house to save the day and save Christmas.
This book is full of vibrant festive illustrations and what’s not to love when you add Dinosaurs, diggers, Christmas, and snow.
5 MORE SLEEPS'TIL CHRISTMAS
In 5 MORE SLEEPS ‘TIL CHRISTMAS by Jimmy Fallon, it’s December 20 and a cute little boy just can’t wait until Christmas Day.
He counts down the days by the number of nights he sleeps, but the anticipation of its arrival is keeping him up, and he passes the time decorating and crunching on candy.
Yay! Christmas is finally here and rushes downstairs to see what Santa left under the Christmas tree.
We loved reading this book. Children get super excited during the holiday season, so this book is totally relatable.
It welcomes the holiday spirit with vibrant, festive illustrations by Rich Deas.
THE NOT VERY MERRY POUT-POUT FISH
In THE NOT VERY MERRY POUT-POUT FISH by Deborah Diesen, it’s Christmastime, the ocean is full of laughter and light and the animals decorate with bows and tinsels.
Everyone but our favorite gloomy fish. Time is running out, and he does not know what gifts he should get his friends for the party.
As he visited stores, items were sold out or closed, or he couldn’t find any gifts. Feeling dismayed, he felt like he disappointed his friends.
He wanted his gifts to be big, bright, and with meaning, but now he had nothing to give his friends. He quickly learns that sometimes the best present of all is anything that comes from the heart.
With famously vibrant illustrations by Dan Hanna, this book is perfect for the holidays and brings cheerful joy to gift-givers everywhere.
THE HANUKKAH MAGIC OF NATE GADOL
THE HANUKKAH MAGIC OF NATE GADOL by Arthur A. Levine is full of magic and imagination.
Nate Gadol was a great big spirit whose eyes and smile glowed. He helped those in need by performing simple tasks.
Whether it’s making a tiny bit of oil last eight days or keeping a flower fresh long after it should have faded, he was always there to help.
One of the many people he helped was the Glaser family. They were kind and loving, but less fortunate that others. Nate Gadol was especially fond of this family and helped whenever he can by using magic to make them more comfortable.
One night there were no treats for the children because the money was used to buy medicine for the baby, but Nate Gadol met Santa who needed help with his sleigh, and in exchange, Santa gave him all the chocolate that filled his bag.
This wonderful story of faith and hope is perfect for the holidays and encourages children to be kind. The holidays are about family and the spirit of love and generosity.
The illustrations by Kevin Hawkes are absolutely stunning with specks of gold and Hanukkah magic.
SNOW BIRDS
It’s going to be winter soon and some birds are going to fly south, but some birds thrive in the snow.
SNOW BIRDS by Kirsten Hall portrays these lovely birds in their natural habitat. From Snow Goose soaring through the air to the snowy footprints of the Black Rosy-Finch, these birds are so wonderful.
Apart from the magnificent illustrations by Jenni Desmond, we loved the information about all the birds at the end of the book.
A POLAR BEAR IN THE SNOW
In A POLAR BEAR IN THE SNOW by Mac Barnett, as snow falls, a polar bear awakens and embarks on a journey. But where is he going?
He walks past the seals and a cave, but he is neither hungry nor cold. Finally gets to an opening in the ice and dives into the ocean. He just wants to play and swim.
This interactive and engaging book provides a bit of mystery to little readers as they get a glimpse through life in the arctic for a polar bear.
Shawn Harris illustrates a wintery masterpiece that children will enjoy.
A DAY SO GRAY
Winter days can be gloomy for some children. They can play outside, but there isn’t much to see but flurry snow…. or is there?
In Marie Lamba’s A DAY SO GRAY two friends are about to head out on a snowy day. Though one friend sees gray and gloomy, the other sees something different. She sees soft browns and silver splashes and as they walk, the optimistic friend notices different hues in things that may seem dull to others.
A DAY SO GRAY shows how having a positive outlook on things can be contagious. She helped her friend to look deeper and notice the beauty of simple things that can transforming a somewhat gloomy mood into something magical and beautiful.
THE CRAYONS' CHRISTMAS
Duncan and his crayons are back again in THE CRAYONS’ CHRISTMAS by Drew Daywalt.
In this book, Duncan is making Christmas cards with his crayons when he receives letters from the mail carrier. However, some letters aren’t for him but for his crayon.
As they play and prepare for the holidays, he receives each envelope that is full of funny Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza cards, games, ornaments and stocking stuffers.
This book is full of Christmas cheer stuffed envelopes cut out games, stickers and warm, heartfelt letters that are also funny and witty and are guaranteed to be a house favorite during the holidays?
It is always so much fun and interactive to read with witty illustrations by Oliver Jeffers. Guaranteed to be a household and holiday favorites.
MY WINTER CITY
What is the winter like in your city? In MY WINTER CITY by James Gladstone a little boy and his dad are about to head outside. They put on their coats and mittens and head to the city with their toboggans.
As they trudge through sluggish snow, they notice sliding buses splashing and soaking walkers on the sidewalk, steamy windows and a wilderness of anonymous footprints.
Children love playing with a white cloudy blanket of snow, but not every city gets snow. Full of creative metaphors, this book is a great way to introduce the winter experience to children who have never experienced it before. It shows how magical and fun snow activities can be.
Upon returning home the boy dreams about the wonderful day he had and his wonderful city.The illustrations by Gary Clement are vivid and wintery and absolutely breathtaking.
SOME SNOW IS
SOME SNOW IS by Ellen Yeomans is absolutely splendid and is the ultimate ode to snow. It features three children waiting to welcome the snow and describes every type of snow there is. There’s “first snow,” “watch and wait it out” snow, sluggish snow, sleet snow, and so many other types. No matter the type, they patiently wait for the “true snow;” the snow that they can do everything in.
The snow that makes snow angels and the ones they build forts and play snow ball fights with your friends. But then there’s Spring Snow, where it starts to melt and they prepare for bike riding fun. SOME SNOW IS has the most beautiful and vibrant illustrations by Andrea Offermann. The powdery, wintery artwork is sure to entice children to head out and play.
The Shortest Day
We love poetic picture books and THE SHORTEST DAY by Susan Cooper did not disappoint. It’s the shortest day of the year and as the sun sets on a little village, the people in the village gather supplies to endure the long winter solstice.
They light candles and sing and dance around the fire as they try to chase away the impending darkness. When the night is over they welcome the warm sun with a joyous dance. THE SHORTEST DAY is absolutely splendid with beautiful and vibrant brown and orange hues by Carson Ellis. It captures the essence of the entire book as it celebrates a loving community during a time of unity and joy.
DASHER
In DASHER by Matt Tavares, we are introduced to a young doe named Dasher, who will forever change Christmas at the North Pole.
She loved listening to her mother’s stories of the North Star because they gave her comfort and hope during the harshness of being in the circus.
One night Dasher finally escaped her cage and followed the North Star. It was on that journey she encounters Santa and Silverbell in the woods. Silverbell was Santa’s horse who had grown tired over the years and couldn’t pull the sleigh like she used to.
Dasher offered to help deliver the toys that night and later led her entire reindeer family to Santa sleigh where they were given a new home and new names; Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.
We absolutely love this book and the illustrations are magically magnificent and festive. When Dasher meets Santa for the first time, it felt like such a magical moment. Dasher is a perfect fireplace Christmas Eve story that children will traditionally love for years to come.
Little Mole's wish
In Sang-Keun Kim’s LITTLE MOLE’S WISH, Mole is new in town and needs a friend. On his way home, he meets a snowball and quickly introduces himself. He feels connected to his new-found friend and decides to take him home but no driver will let him on the bus with a ball of snow.
In order to get on the bus, Little Mole had to make his snowball friend more realistic. He created a snow bear that eventually gets them on the bus but sadly the snow bear melts as they traveled home. The Little Mole feels confused and dismayed but is comforted by his grandma. He wonders what happened to his friend and why he did not say goodbye. Thanks go his grandma, the next morning he awakes to find his snow friend greeting him in the distance.
This book is such a delight to read. Moving can be challenging for children, especially around Christmas time. Most children have imaginary friends at some point in their childhood and that is perfectly fine. Children “pretend play” is a normal and healthy part of childhood. The warm yet wintery illustrations create an adorable atmosphere of friendship and love.
Where Do Diggers Celebrate Christmas?
Brianna Caplan Sayres is back with Digger and his friends in this holiday gem, WHERE DO DIGGERS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS? Do they dig giant Christmas tree for their family? Do cherry pickers hang up strings of colored bulbs or do tow trucks trade places with reindeers to help Santa pull his sleigh?
Whether it’s a tractor, food trucks or a zamboni children will be delighted to know that their favorite trucks can celebrate Christmas too. As always the illustrations by Christian Slade are vibrant and festive and are totally going to make this book a favorite.
The Love Letter
THE LOVE LETTER by Anika Aldamuy Denise is one of my favorite winter books and it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day as well.
It features three friends Hedgehog, Bunny, and Squirrel.
Hedgehog finds a love letter that changed his mood because he thinks he has a secret admirer. The letter falls out of his backpack while walking his friend Bunny home. Bunny finds the letter and thinks Hedgehog wrote it to her.
Feeling loved, she is super happy and helpful at home and later brings some acorns to her friend Squirrel. She also drops the love letter and squirrels find it and thinks Bunny loves him. After reading his letter, he is more carefree and has more fun at home.
The next day they all met to talk about the letter and it turns into a letter brawl since they think it belongs to them. However, it belonged to a lonely little mouse who wrote the letter to the moon.
This book keeps you engaged and encourages children to express their feelings. It teaches that circumstances can create wonderful outcomes of love and friendship.
THE REMEMBER TREE
THE REMEMBER TREE by Stefanie Hohl welcomes Christmas with happy memories and a wonderful tradition.
Inspired by a true story, it features her grandmother who gave her a box with a wooden pine tree that her great grandfather had carved. There were six unique ornaments for the tree and each came with a riddle.
Every guess draws reference to the birth of Christ. I loved this book from the time I got it and couldn’t wait to review it. It’s about family and love and a tradition that will be passed down for generations to come. It’s great for teaching children about the value of Christmas and the value of traditions. I love the sweet metaphors and the illustrations by Wes Wheeler are warming and festive.
This is a perfect way to tell the story of the birth of Christ, which is fun and engaging that every child would love around Christmas. Click the link to get this on our amazon list
WINTER CAKE
Another holiday favorite of ours is WINTERCAKE by Lynne Rae Perkins. It features a bear named Thomas, who has misplaced his basket of fruits that he needs to make his winter cake so his friend Lucy sets out to help him find it. During her search, she sees another animal with a basket of fruits and is convinced they took it. Only to find out she assumed wrong.
WINTERCAKE is a deliciously delightful story about friendship and community and understanding situations before jumping to conclusions. Children will love the whimsical and heartwarming wintery illustration and the adorable and friendly animals.
WheN THE SNOW IS DEEPER THAN THE BOOTS ARE TALL
WHEN THE SNOW IS DEEPER THAN THE BOOTS ARE TALL by Jean Reidy has some of the most beautiful holiday illustrations by Joel Choe.
It features a little boy happily welcoming winter by heading out with his parents and playing in the snow. The more snow that falls, the more excited he gets because he can sled and make snow angels. After all the fun, they head back inside to have hot chocolate. Children will love the rhymes as they feel the excitement of winter. The illustrations are absolutely vibrant and magnificent.
The Little Snowplow Wishes For Snow
Lora Koehler’s THE LITTLE SNOWPLOW WISHES FOR SNOW is simply adorable. During the year, a little snowplow helps with digging, pulling and lifting, but he couldn’t wait for that first winter snowfall of the year. More than anything, the little snowplow wished for snow. In spring, he wished on a clover, in summer he wished on a dandelion and in the fall he wished on a shooting star but winter came and there was no snow.
His birthday came, and he wishes dearly for snow and finally gets his wish. This book is perfect for little truck lovers and snow lovers. It teaches children to be patient and hopeful and also teaches them the season of the year.
MORE HOLIDAY BOOKS
