Once Halloween is over, the countdown to Christmas begins! We put up our tree, get out the decorations, write letters to Santa, and plan our visit to see him. From hunting for the best Christmas lights to attending the holiday parade and tree lighting ceremony, December fills up quickly. Through it all, these Christmas books for kids capture the magic, wonder, and joy of the season that gets our family into the holiday spirit.
Little Blue Truck’s Christmas
By Alice Schertle, Illustrated by Jill McElmurry
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Little Blue Truck is delivering Christmas trees! Count the trees from one to five and back as he travels through the snowy countryside to each animal friend. The rhyming text is fun and catchy, and my boys are immediately drawn to the colorful, twinkling Christmas lights on the last page. Fans of Little Blue Truck will love this holiday adventure. We also enjoyed Little Blue Truck’s Halloween earlier this season!
Construction Site on Christmas Night
By Sherri Duskey Rinker, Illustrated by AG Ford
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The Construction Site crew works together to build a new firehouse for fire engines. As they finish their job, a Christmas surprise awaits each truck! My son delights in the trucks’ excitement when they receive their presents and see what they’ve built together. This heartwarming story celebrates teamwork, community, and the joy of giving. Fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site will love this festive addition to the series.
More from this series: Find Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site in our bedtime post and Construction Site: Garbage Crew to the Rescue in our garbage truck books post.
Deck the Halls with Elmo
By Sonali Fry, Illustrated by Random House
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Sing along with Elmo and his Sesame Street friends in their version of the classic “Deck the Halls” carol. Sesame Street fans will love seeing their favorite characters, dressed in festive holiday attire, celebrate the holiday season together. This cheerful board book is a fun read-aloud for toddlers who love music!
The 12 Days of Christmas
By Greg Pizzoli
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This hilarious take on the classic Christmas carol shows exactly how absurd the song really is when you add up all those gifts! The illustrations capture the increasingly crowded chaos as partridges, turtle doves, French hens, and everything else pile up on the pages. You’ll be out of breath reading this one, but you’ll be thoroughly entertained watching the madness unfold. It’s a fresh, funny perspective on a traditional song that the whole family will enjoy.
Buster and the Christmas Parade
By Dale Earnhardt Jr., Illustrated by Ela Smietanka
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Buster the race car’s rival, Scuff, is invited to join his team in the Christmas parade. Watch Buster navigate this challenge and discover the true spirit of Christmas through this experience. This story teaches important lessons about kindness and forgiveness. Young racing fans will enjoy this holiday adventure.
Richard Scarry’s The Night Before the Night Before Christmas
By Richard Scarry
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Mister Frumble wants to spread Christmas cheer by helping others, but his well-meaning efforts create chaos instead! Determined to be useful, he heads to the North Pole to become one of Santa Bear’s helpers. Santa Bear mistakenly leaves the night before the night before Christmas to deliver presents. Now it’s up to Mister Frumble to save the holiday. This story had us laughing out loud with its silly mishaps and humor. The detailed illustrations are classic Richard Scarry, with plenty to discover on every page.
These Christmas books for kids have made our December reading magical. From counting Christmas trees to rescuing the holiday with Santa Bear, each story brings its own special joy to the season. Whether you’re looking for silly adventures, heartwarming messages, or sing-alongs, these books capture the excitement and wonder of Christmas.
Have any of these Christmas books become holiday favorites in your house? I’d love to hear which stories your family loves reading during the season in the comments below.
Happy exploring!