12 Best Christmas Books For Toddlers
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One of my favorite Christmas traditions that I hope to do each year with my little one is to cuddle up by the Christmas tree and read the stories of the season. We started this tradition reading a few stories on Christmas Eve, and we loved it so much we are expanding it to a story a day for the 12 days of Christmas. It is such a magical time, and there are so many good stories to share!
We love to read a mix of old classic holiday tales and stories that celebrate our Savior’s birth. Everyone is familiar with classics like How The Grinch Stole Christmas or the Polar Express. The Grinch is great and all, but I feel like these commonly read books overshadow other fantastic holiday books that deserve a chance. I love those stories as well, but there are so many wonderful new books for young readers to add to your list! Stories about sweet woodland creatures like Bear in Bear Stays Up for Christmas or the precious mice in Santa Mouse and Mice Skating are sure to join your list of favorites!
Ways to Engage Your Toddler in Holiday Reading
The Christmas books on this list are interactive books for toddlers and for older children as well. These are picture books so there is plenty to look at and engage with. Try pointing out beloved characters or things on each page and have your toddler point them out too! You can say the name of each thing and encourage them to repeat you for a little language practice. An example would be pointing to a bear and asking them to say bear with you! In stories with animal characters, you could also practice saying the various animal sounds together.
Little ones may not have very long attention spans but they can still enjoy reading as long as we keep it interesting! We also opt for the board book version as much as we can so that those chubby toddler hands can hold them or turn the pages if they’d like. There are always opportunities for learning and Christmas time is no different!
Christian Books for Christmastime
It is easy to get wrapped up in holiday gatherings, gift giving, and other traditions- so much so that we sometimes lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Santa Claus seems to take center stage this time of year or what’s on our Christmas lists. As parents, it is our job to point our little ones towards Jesus. With all of the distractions this time of year, it can feel daunting. How can we teach them the story of Jesus’s birth and have them understand? The true meaning of Christmas and the nativity story may seem a bit above our toddlers’ heads, but that simply isn’t so!
Teaching your littles about the history of Christmas doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, in can be exciting and just as magical as any story about Santa Claus or a snowman that has come to life. I’ve included several wonderful Christmas books that both celebrate and teach little ones about the true meaning of Christmas- that it was when our Savior, Jesus, was born! These holiday titles keep the subject matter light and at a basic level of comprehension, making them the perfect books for introducing the story of Jesus’s birth. Young toddlers will love them too! They have become some of our favorite Christmas books!
If you are interested in snuggling with your toddler and a few good holiday reads this season, then this list is for you! Grab a cup of hot cocoa and dive in!
Here are 12 Best Christmas books for toddlers:
1. The Night Before Christmas
Of course we have to start off with a true classic- The Night Before Christmas. I love to save this story for, well, Christmas Eve! It sets a magical tone for what’s to come that night if you are a household that has Santa come to visit. What more could you dream of other than a picturesque, cozy home with the stockings hung just so, a visit from Santa Claus, and reindeer on the roof?! Does anyone else instantly think of The Santa Clause movie when they read the line, “Arose such a clatter”? The classic, cozy illustration style is the cherry on top of this read. A tried and true Christmas classic, this story is sure to delight all ages- moms, dads, and grandparents included!
2. Christmas in the Manger
This Christmas board book is a great story to introduce your 1 to 3 year olds to the characters starring in the Bible’s Christmas Story. With singsong rhyming text, it tells your little ones about baby Jesus, the animals at the manger, Mary, and more! We read this to our little one that very first Christmas and it did not disappoint!
3. The Christmas Promise
Next is The Christmas Promise by Alison Mitchell. This is another great title to add to your little one’s Christian Christmas book collection. It tells the story about the promise that God made to us when he said He would send us a Savior. Mitchell teaches about how Jesus’s birth was God keeping that promise- what an important message to share with our babies!
4. Santa Mouse
The story Santa Mouse is as cozy and precious as Christmas books come! I am a total sucker when it comes to Christmas mice and this book is chock full of beautifully illustrated holiday mice! It tells the sweet story of a mouse who wins over the heart of Santa himself and is gifted with a special opportunity. Fellow Christmas mouse fanatics, this one’s for you.
5.Mice Skating
This precious story is about a Mouse named Lucy who absolutely loves the winter. She tries to win over the hearts of her fellow mice (who all prefer to be cozied up) by showing them something she loves to do in the frosty weather. It is such a beautifully illustrated book full of cozy, comforting scenes your little ones will love. Try reading this one when the temperatures begin to drop to set a magical wintry tone!
6.Sounding Joy
Next we have Sounding Joy. It is authored by Ellie Holcomb (anyone a Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors fans?) and is such a sweet Christmas book. It asks the question , “What does joy sound like?” Throughout the book, the concept of joy is explored and slowly but surely all things point to the birth of Jesus! It’s such a perfect way to explore the meaning of Joy in the Christmas season. There are plenty of teaching opportunities with this read as well. Try asking your little one what joy sounds like or means to them.
7. Song of the Stars
Teach your little ones about Advent season and build excitement for the night of Jesus’s birth with Song of the Stars. This beautiful story is told from the perspective of God’s precious creatures and really helps set the scene for the nativity story in a fun way! It may be a bit advanced for young toddlers, but with a little guidance I think that little ones and older children both can benefit from this sweet book.
8. God Gave Us Christmas
Our favorite little bear is back at it again, asking her mama all of the big questions about Christmas. This is a wonderful read that really puts what matters most about Christmas into perspective for little ones. Is Santa the most important character of the season? Are presents the whole point? Questions that all little ones are bound to ask are answered with Jesus being at the center of it all.
9. All Is Bright
The book All is Bright is a wonderful take on the traditional nativity story. It paints the picture of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem in a fun, age appropriate way with rhyming words and colorful illustrations. This is a perfect addition to any Christmas library!
10. Bear Stays Up For Christmas
This story by Karma Wilson is such a great book for little ones! Bear usually hibernates all winter long. His friends gather around and try their hardest to keep him awake for Christmas. Bear does all sorts of fun Christmas activities like getting a Christmas tree, having a visit from Santa, and staying up late preparing Christmas gifts to share. This fun tale is sure to inspire your little ones this holiday season and get them in the giving spirit. There are plenty of animals to identify and holiday activities to discuss to keep things engaging!
11. Little Blue Trucks Christmas
Of course Little Blue Truck’s Christmas had to make it on this list! All of the Little Blue Truck books have been such a big hit with my little one. Little Blue is back with all of his fun animal friends during the enchanting Christmas season. He and toad help out in a fun, Christmas tree fiasco. The familiar illustrations of the Little Blue Truck books take on a new level of magic with all of the winter scenes! There are many engaging opportunities to initiate like counting out Christmas trees, naming each farm animal, making their farm animal sounds and more. Not to mention, there is an exciting twinkle light surprise for your little love at the end!
12. Llama Llama Jingle Bells
Finally, we have Llama Llama. Llama Llama Red Pajama has been my little one’s very favorite book. If your toddler loves Llama Llama like mine does, adding this book to your 12 days of Christmas reading list is a no brainer! Little Llama engages in all sorts of holiday fun. Singing Christmas songs, decorating Christmas cookies (my personal favorite), gift giving and more. It’s a shorter book and it comes in board book form making it the perfect little read for your one to three year olds.
I hope that you and your little ones enjoy this 12 Days of Christmas reading list. I can’t wait to start all the holiday reading with my baby!Reading with my little one is something that gives me such a feeling of comfort and coziness. When I was a little girl, I loved when my mom read to me. Part of me hopes that my child feels the same. That cozy feeling is one that I hope to pass along to you with this little tradition as well! It may not seem like much, reading to our toddlers those few weeks leading up to Christmas, but this is how memories are made and traditions are established.
How wonderful would it be to have our little ones look back on these days with us! We make childhood magical for our little ones. It isn’t about money or gifts, it’s about letting our children know how loved they are. It’s about teaching them the true meaning of Christmas and what matters most.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
