When the weather is frightful, there’s nothing my family loves more than sitting by the fire with blankets, hot cocoa, and a good book. This is especially true during the holiday season; it becomes more of a nightly ritual.
If you have young kids, reading together is probably already a part of your daily routine, but there’s really no age limit on picture books. From toddlers to teens, reading together is an activity that children truly enjoy. If you’re looking for new books to add to your family’s holiday reading list, here are some of the books on our bookshelf this season.
An Otis Christmas by Loren Long
It’s Christmas Eve on the farm and everyone’s favorite tractor, Otis, and his animal friends are excited. One of the horses is about to give birth to a foal, but when a snowstorm hits the farm, Otis knows the horse is in trouble. He sets off to find the doctor and comes to the rescue just in time for a Christmas miracle.
The Hat by Jan Brett
As Lisa prepares for winter and hangs up her clothes, a sock flies off the clothesline and ends up getting stuck on Hedgie’s head. All the other animals laugh at his new hat, but one by one the rest of Lisa’s clothes start to disappear. Lisa helps Hedgie get unstuck and, in a funny twist of events, it’s the clever hedgehog who has the last laugh.
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Madeline’s Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans
On the night before Christmas, all the girls in Miss Clavel’s school are sick in bed except for one—the smallest of them all, Madeline. Even Miss Clavel is feeling ill, so Madeline is left to care for the girls herself. But with the help of a magical merchant, Madeline and the girls set off on an enchanting Christmas journey.
The Great Spruce by John Duvall
Like many young boys, Alec loves to climb trees, and his favorite is the great spruce. But one day, a few curious men from a nearby city stop to look at the tree and ask to take it away for their Christmas celebration. Instead of cutting it down, Alec comes up with a plan that lets everyone enjoy his favorite tree.
The Biggest Smallest Christmas Present by Harriet Muncaster
Clementine is a teeny-tiny girl who lives in an ordinary house with an average-sized family. Most days, it’s fun to be tiny, but Christmas is always tricky. Santa doesn’t know how small Clementine is, and her gifts are always too big. Every year, she tries to tell Santa, but he never gets the message. Then, one year, her family comes up with the perfect plan, and Clementine finally receives the perfect gift.
Maple & Willow’s Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols
Maple and Willow, two nature-loving sisters, are excited to get their first real Christmas tree. After a snowy trek, they finally find the perfect tree and take it home to start decorating. But whenever Maple gets close to the tree, she starts sneezing—turns out she’s allergic to the tree! With a lot of imagination, Willow comes up with a solution to make it the best Christmas after all.
The Christmas Boot by Lisa Wheeler
Hannah lives all alone in a small cabin in the mountains. One day, while gathering kindling in the forest, she finds a black boot that miraculously fits her foot just right. All of Hannah’s wishes seem to come true thanks to that one magical boot. But when a jolly old man in a red suit knocks at her door looking for his lost boot, she kindly returns it and all the magic then disappears. Much to Hannah’s surprise, the man gives her something that’s better than she could ever wish for, a friend.
North Pole Ninjas, Mission: Christmasby Tyler Knott Gregson and Sarah Linden
Do you know the legend of the North Pole Ninjas? This team of special elves helps Santa carry out top-secret missions about helping, caring, giving, and listening—and they”re looking for recruits. Read about the legend, find out how ninjas are chosen, and complete your own North Pole Ninja mission with a series of tasks that share kindness and holiday spirit.
