Every year when I pull out our bin of Christmas decor, one of the parts the children are most excited about is the stack of Christmas books that have been stored away, eager to be flipped through under covers once more. I keep these books in a little basket by the couch, and they get looked through and read each day throughout the month of December. There’s something extra cozy about curling up with a holiday themed book, it makes the hot coco all the sweeter, and the simple memories kept in our hearts, shine all the brighter.
I wanted to share a handful of my favorite holiday books, both for mamas, and for children, that we get excited to pull out year after year, as well as a few new ones I got for myself this December to peruse in the quiet hours of the morning before my household rises, or in the late afternoon before heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Here are the books we have for the children…
I know there can be a lot of debate over whether or not those who believe Christmas is about the birth of the Savior should then also bring Santa into the mix. Although I am a firm believer that yes, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, and our children know that first and foremost, I also don’t mind a bit of whimsy. I think God wants us to experience the joy and wonder of this season as the anticipation of his Son, but I also think He wants us to be joy filled as well. I think often these days, we as believers can sometimes get so hung up on what being righteous truly means, that we can forget about the joy and peace found in being filled with the love and light of God. So it’s my personal belief that adding fun, whimsy, and wonder to this season, is part of bringing the light of the Lord into our home and to others!
I also haven’t forgot about us mamas! I think that returning to ways of old, flipping through paper pages, drinking a hot drink, playing board games with the family, and using our hands to create something special, are all ways we as tired and often emotionally drained mothers, can begin to recollect our offered energy. We can recharge our weary hearts and minds by quieting them in the presence of something good, honorable, and calming. So I have also compiled a list of books that not only offer the time honored joy of flipping through pages and reading the written word, but that also offer something of substance and peace to our noise filled minds.
And to offer a little thank you for being here, I’m GIVING AWAY a copy of The Little Book of Cottagecore, as well as THIS stone honey pot in the first image of this post! To enter, all you have to do is comment below with your favorite cozy holiday book for either children or mothers! Winner will be randomly chosen from the comments below and announced here on Saturday! Good luck and THANK YOU for being here!!!
Oh, we love Mortimers Christmas Manger as well! It’s so sweet. It makes me teary-eyed each time we read it — love love love it.
Another one of my favorites is The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Tasha Tudor!
Oh I love it!! Yes the absolute sweetest!
Our favorite holiday book right now is also the little blue trucks Christmas! 🎄 and of course alllll the cookbooks, especially PIE cookbooks.
I love the nutcracker book.
Such a fun story!
I loved the Polar Express as a child and just read it to my 3 year old for the first time. She loved it 😍
I love The Little Book of Hygge!
Bear Stays Up for Christmas
Thank you 🙂
one of my absolute faves… my kids like it too ha!
We love The Night Before Christmas!
Ohh – my children’s fav is Little Blue Truck’s Christmas. But we LOVE all little blue trucks!
Yes! Us too!! So sweet! Our lights are broken on our book though so I think I will order a new one this week!
I look forward to rereading Ann Voskamp’s advent book, The Greatest Gift, every year!
A newer one we love is Snowmen At Night. We love talking about what we think snowmen would do at night when we are sleeping.
Not exactly Christmas, but I love the book Reedeming Love by Francine Rivers. Great book to cozy up with in the cold winter months!
I need to read that one because it is recommended often!
I’ll be honest that I don’t have one just yet. I have ordered some Christmas books to use during advent and hoping we find one that just really feels like home.
These are great recommendations! We love the grinch and our soft books about Christ’s birth my mom has sewn for my children from craft store patterns.
oh how special!! I love that!
Hey! Our favorite family book is The Night before Christmas! We’ve always loved cuddling up together on Christmas Eve and reading it together! Love our traditions! Thank you for the suggestions on other books to read!
Such a classic! We love reading that one as well!
Oh, I love your recommendations and will be adding the books we haven’t read to our library list! There are so many sweet books. Our favorites this week are The Sweet Smells of Christmas and Christmas in the City.
Oh I will have to check both of those out! Thank you for sharing!
I like to pull of the shelf and re-read Braiding Sweetgrass this time of year. Its by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Incredible book!
I need to read that one as well! I have it and have started it a few times but I need to commit to just reading it fully!
The Candy Maker’s Gift has always been a favorite for us! But I’ve had my eye on Mom Heart Moments for a while. Love your list!
I just love Christmas time coziness! Right now I’m enjoying rereading Sally Clarkson’s The Lifegiving Home and loving the reminders as this year draws to a close and a new one is ready to begin. And for my kids I adore The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado! It was a favorite of mine growing up, too!
Aw such a sweet giveaway! I just got the This is Home book and it’s very cozy and gives me lots of home inspo. If you had a book I’d buy it 😉 love your cozy inspiration so much!
My mom has the Hetherington grandkids read The Christmas Pageant by Jacqueline Rogers (has songs throughout) aloud when we get together. Excited for my little to join in on the fun!
The year of the perfect Christmas tree by Gloria Houston
Thank you for the recommendations, I can’t wait to check them out!
A favorite of mine since childhood is A Christmas Carol. I love the book, as well as just about any of the movies. I’m excited to share this story with my littles now!
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
We love God Gave Us Christmas!! I’m excited to read the books on your list!
I adore the velveteen rabbit! I just got it for my son this year for Christmas! I’m so excited to expand his shelf and memories over the holidays throughout his childhood!
Oops I think I replied to someone else’s post as my response 😆.
Love the Polar Express and just read it to my 3 year old daughter for the first time ❤️
My favorite cozy Holliday book is Christmas at fireside cabin by Jenny Hale
the night before Jesus. first year buying christmas books for our baby, thank you for the recommendations.
Mom heart moments by sally clarkson is on my list!! I have been loving her podcasts lately on car rides. Thanks for sharing these favorites!! ❤️
My boys love Snowman all year!
We love Sally Lloyd-Jones’ book “Song of the Stars”!
I love going through Cindy Rollins’s Hallelujah advent book with the family. But one of our favorite Christmas picture books is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey!
Love this! Thank you for sharing. My oldest two are just 2 years old, but reading special books over the holidays is already a tradition I have cherished with them! One of my favorites that we added last year is Song of the Stars by Sally Loyd-Jones.
Hi Mel! Thank you so much for entering the giveaway! You are the WINNER!! Please send me an email with your mailing address and I will have this in the mail Monday for you!
Yay! Thank you so much. I sent an email. 🙂
Yay! This made my day! Thank you so so much. Sending an email. 🙂
We love the book, Together! I’m so glad you are recommending it! I absolutely love that it focuses on experiences rather than things. The illustrations are also so beautiful! It makes a great gift to a friend, neighbor, or anyone really.
I love Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates!
I have an 18 month old and his favorite right now is Christmas Parade by Sandra Boynton! We love to say “Boom-biddy! Boom biddy!”
Wombat Divine- my kids love it. Their aunt is from Australia and it’s the cutest book that she gave them.
WOW! That book looks amazing and we’ve been searching for a honey pot. What a win this would be 🙂 Cozy holiday book for children? Definitely The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. As a person who often struggles with insecurities, I’m grateful to know that God sees me and how my insecurities are even a part of His gracious plan towards me. Something I want my children to grow up knowing and believing.
As for moms, my husband and I read the book of Luke as our advent devotional. I love how reading scripture together makes us closer, but also how each year allows for a deeper reading and understanding of the greatest miracle of all time.
The cutest book ever! Would love one for my home. I love reading how the grinch stole Christmas with my kiddos and those watching the movie together. So nostalgic for me!
Not truly a Christmas book, but I love to re-read Little Women this time of year. It’s so nostalgic and Marmee is so wise and inspiring. Thanks for these recommendations!
Can’t imagine just picking one, but Apple Tree Christmas has always had a special place in my heart!
Oh such a tough decision… but if I had to choose one I would say Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree. It is cute story with great illustrations and I love that it’s a little longer of a book for the older kids that keeps their attention.
The elves and the shoemaker was always my favorite as a kid, I’m pretty sure my copy was from a happy meal but it was my favorite story!
I can’t wait to read all these lovely suggestions! I cherish snuggling with my sweet Katherine and reading books, I’m so happy she enjoys it as much as I do. We love 5 more sleeps till Christmas, the night before Christmas, and snowy hide & seek.
I love Sally Clarkson’s “Lifegiving Home” and find myself reaching for it this time of year now for several years. For my little boys, they were gifted the beautifully illustrated book “Silent Night” by Lara Hawthorne. I’m a bit of a book junkie and Mortimer is my maiden name so “Mortimer’s Christmas Manger” is one we’ll be adding this year! Thanks for making this list.
Love the sweet story of Holly & Ivy, as well as The Family Under the Bridge
The Spirit of Christmas
I adore “apple tree Christmas” for children.
I love the little blue truck Christmas book! My kids and I love to spend time before bed reading all of the little blue truck series.
When my grandparents were alive we got a book from Hallmark that recorded them reading The Night Before Christmas. My Children did not get to meet both of them or remember them so it’s a precious sweet memory. I love listening to their voices.
Every year I read Little Women during the Christmas season. It’s such a great read late at night or first thing in the morning with a cup of tea or warm hot chocolate by the fire.
I think our family (of six daughters and three boys) would choose Little Women … such a cozy read!
Favorite holiday book so far is The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling! Reading a couple chapters a night to my littles and we are loving it. Might easily become a new Christmas tradition!