By Guest Writer: Kate Voss
Kate Voss is an entertainment writer whose favorite part of the Christmas season is making sugar cookies and watching some holiday movie classics.
One of the best parts of the holidays is staying home on a cold and snowy night, cuddling next to the fireplace with your kids, and reading them a Christmas story from a beautiful picture book. From beautiful landscapes to 3-dimensional pop-up books that are basically works of art, the right holiday book is sure to enchant your children and possibly start a new family tradition. Below are ten suggestions for heartwarming Christmas books your children will be sure to love this holiday season.
1. The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition (Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell, illustrated by Coë Steinwart)
Many households have already introduced the “Elf on the Shelf” tradition to their children, where an adorable elf is hidden in various places for the children to discover in the morning. Based on this tradition, now comes the book version, which explains that Santa sends these elves to sit on your shelves in order to decide which children are naughty, and which are nice!
2. The Polar Express (Chris Van Allsburg)
You and your children can ride the magical train that Van Allsburg imagined all the way to the North Pole in the beautiful tale of The Polar Express. The book is special since it reinforces both the enchantment of Christmas time as well as Santa Claus for readers young and old. Plus, if you want to experience the wonder of The Polar Express in motion, you can check out the scheduled IMAX showing of the film adaptation in Richmond, or you can even watch it from the comfort of your home on DirecTV or Netflix.
3. The Wild Christmas Reindeer (Jan Brett)
Known for her detailed and wondrous Christmas books including Home for Christmas and The Mitten, Jan Brett now presents the story of young Teeka and Santa’s reindeer. You and your children will watch as Teeka discovers that gentleness and compassion is the best way to lead others as she trains the reindeer for Santa’s Christmas Eve flight. It is a great teaching tale on patience for young children.
4. Christmas Tapestry (Patricia Polacco)
A story which merges friendship, faith and the Christmas spirit, Polacco tells the tale of a young boy in Detroit who spends Christmas Eve searching for the perfect solution to hide a leak in his father’s church. He ends up finding much more, including the true meaning of Christmas. As with Polacco’s other books, such as Thunder Cake and The Keeping Quilt, this is a story that will stick around for generations to come.
5. Dream Snow (Eric Carle)
If your children read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, they will love Carle’s other story, Dream Snow, which tells the tale of a sleeping farmers dream of a white Christmas. When the farmer wakes up, he realizes that he dreamed the snow into reality! As your children turn each page, they will see different animals unveiled beneath the dazzling white snow in the classic Carle-style collage.
6. The Christmas Wish (Lori Evert, photographs by Per Breiehagen)
A unique twist on the classic picture book, The Christmas Wish incorporates exquisite photographs to help narrate this story about a young girl named Anja who wanted to be one of Santa’s elves. The story follows Anja as she straps on her skis and starts on a journey to find Santa.
7. Humphrey’s First Christmas (Carol Heyer)
You have probably told your children the story of the Three Wise Men, but what about the story of the camels who carried them? In Humphrey’s First Christmas, we get to see the Christmas story told through the eyes of a camel who journeys to Jerusalem and brings baby Jesus gifts. This is a great book for those who want to tell the story of Christmas in stunning and creative way.
8. Santa’s Favorite Story (Hisako Aoki, illustrated by Ivan Gantschev)
In this clever tale, Santa hikes into the forest in attempts to lose some weight before the big day. When he gets weary, he falls asleep underneath a tree, and when he awakes, he tells the animals that surround him that he is too tired to deliver presents this year. When the animals panic, asking if that means Christmas won’t happen, Santa tells the animals that Christmas is not about Santa and tells them the real story. Santa’s Favorite Story is a meaningful tale to tell your children.
9. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree (Colleen Monroe, illustrated by Michael Glenn Monroe)
One of the best parts of Christmas is looking for the perfect tree to display and decorate in your home. This story tells the tale of an old, overgrown pine tree who yearns to be placed in a loving home for Christmas. In the end, he realizes that he is truly appreciated. This book will definitely make your search for a Christmas tree have more meaning.
10. The Night Before Christmas: Peek Inside The 3D Windows (Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Lisa Alderson)
This story is a twist on Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem, The Night before Christmas. You and your child will discover the magic of Christmas as you explore pop-up pages, high-quality illustrations and 3-dimensional views of Santa coming down the chimney!
