Christmas Picture Books List | Not Just a Pretty Family

Our library is like our home away from home and we usually have no less than about 40 checked out at any one time (and yes, we definitely have the fines to show for that habit!). Since it’s December, we have a big stack of Christmas picture books that have taken up residence in our living room. All of my kids love to be read to and picture books never disappoint, even for the 9-year-old who reads big ol’ chapter books all on his own, and so every night we usually read at least 3 or 4 before bed time. It’s a sweet ritual and one I hope continues even until they are much, much older.

I have a huge list of Christmas picture books here for you, so I’ve broken it up into sections. Some just for fun, some classic touching stories, some about Jesus, and some that include that jolly old elf Santa. We found all of these at our library, but I’ve included Amazon links for those of you who don’t have a library close by or would like to add these to your permanent treasury.

Fun Christmas Stories

Who doesn’t love a new take on a classic? Or a silly story with absolutely beautiful illustrations? Or involving dinosaurs into just about every aspect of life? If you answered, well, duh, to those questions, this list is for you. And we should be friends.

Christmas in the Big Woods (Little House Picture Book) is part of the “My First Little House Books” series and pulls tales from the ‘Little House’ series with delightful illustrations and fun pioneer traditions.
Gingerbread Christmas involves our favorite little gingerbread baby who causes mayhem wherever he goes, complete with the amazing illustrations of Jan Brett.
A Pirate’s Twelve Days of Christmas is a super silly revamp of the 12 days of Christmas song. Get your voice ready for this one, friends. You’ll be in it for the long haul.
Christmas In The Country is a sweet story about a family’s Christmas traditions.
Another Jan Brett (I seriously love her books), Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? is a delight. Polar bears and thieving Christmas elves. What’s not to love?
The Dinosaurs’ Night Before Christmas is a fun take on the classic.
A Creature Was Stirring is another retelling of the night before Christmas, but with a little boy in the role of the stirring creature.
And I Spy Little Christmas is one of the ‘I Spy’ series and good for at least 15 minutes of quiet time enjoying the tree lights.

Touching Christmas Tales

These books are tales that will make you go, ahhhhhh, and may even evoke a few years. I love all of these and each are definitely books that could become family traditions to be read each year.

Christmas Farm is about a family who decides to start a Christmas tree farm and is just lovely.
Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel is an adorable fable about how tinsel came to be a standard Christmas tree decoration.
Baboushka: A Christmas Folktale from Russia (Christmas & Hanukkah) is a folktale about the importance of giving and sharing the Christmas season.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story (Picture Puffin Books) definitely made me sniffle a little, as a daughter waits for her father to return from war so they can provide their town with the chosen Christmas tree, but her mother decides to make magic happen in the meantime.
In Night Tree, a family decorates a tree in the woods with animal friendly ornaments to share Christmas with their furry friends.
The Christmas Eve Tree is a sweet tale of a cast aside tree that finds a home and brings so much joy.
An Orange for Frankie should be a Christmas classic and if you haven’t experience Patricia Polacco yet, this is a good place to start.
Another Polacco, Christmas Tapestry is all about the miracles that happen this time of year.

Tales of Santa

Dream Snow is a gorgeous Eric Carle book with a Santa reminiscent character.
Little Santa tells the tale of how Santa came to be after his family moved from the North Pole to Florida.
Santa Claus and the Three Bears is exactly what you think it is. And totally enjoyable.
[ [ [ The Night Before Christmas [With DVD][ THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS [WITH DVD] ] By Brett, Jan ( Author )Nov-01-2011 Hardcover is the classic illustrated by Jan Brett with all of her typical remarkable details.
My Pen Pal, Santa is an adorable series of letters between Santa and Ava, a little girl who wants to get to know Santa better.
Auntie Claus deluxe edition is one of my kids’ favorites, and tells about Santa’s extended family and their fabulous NYC penthouses.

Tales of the First Christmas

Each of these has a slightly different spin on the original Christmas story, one taking place in a toy manger set in a modern house with a cute little mouse.

The Night of Las Posadas (Picture Puffin Books) tells of Mexican tradition around the very first Christmas.
The Clown of God is a really touching story of how one man learns about the true meaning of Christmas and the plan God had for him.
The Legend of the Candy Cane[ THE LEGEND OF THE CANDY CANE ] By Walburg, Lori ( Author )Sep-30-1997 Hardcover is just that!
The Christmas Fox is so sweet and so beautiful and my 2-yo-old adores this book.
Christmas in the Barn is a Margaret Brown (a la Goodnight Moon) and just a delightful addition to any bookshelf.
In Hurry Hurry Have You Heard the animals are rushing to greet the new baby.
The Little Drummer Boy is a Keats classic illustration of the Christmas carol.
A Christmas Goodnight would be a sweet story to read on Christmas Eve to make the night even more magical.
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger involves Mortimer Mouse kicking baby Jesus out of his manger in the nativity scene in his house, followed by him finding out who that baby actually is.