The best christmas book you can recommend

[stilletoe]

I'd like to get my 3 year old a really nice book on christmas. One that I can keep and being out every christmas for my lo to look at and enjoy.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Girl or boy?

this is lovely

and this

can't beat this

We have a collection of Christmas books that we've built up over the years from charity shops, etc. This is the absolute favourite though.

www.amazon.co.uk/Lucy-Toms-Christmas-Picture-Puffin/dp/0140504699/ref=sr_1_29?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286115625&sr=1-29 anything shirley hughs is lovely]]

We have a lovely pop up copy of the poem Twas The Night Before Christmas. I read it every Christmas Eve.

This is our favourite one. When we were given it I didn't expect the kids to like it, but they love love love it!

Waiting For Noel

If thier are younger than you need The Jolly Christmas Postman. :)

Whatever you get you should also get a copy of Mog's Christmas to go with it :)

Try a bible

mog's christmas also v good.

Santa Mouse here I had this as child and loved it so much - read it all through the year - my mum gave it away when I was a bit older - she stills feel guilty!! So when I was pregnant with my first DC I found an a copy online and have read it every Christmas since. It is rhyming and a great little story would recommend.

I Spy Christmas has been brought out every Christmas in our house for the last ten years!
Gorgeous photos.

Jolly Christmas Postman a firm favourite here.

We also have some Nativity story books as our childrens' Bible is too adbridged to satisfy my boys' desire to soak themselves in the whole story. Some are better than others but sadly can't remember which are good and which aren't as they are locked away in the attic until 1 December!

A good illustrated version of The Night Before Christmas is essential, IMO. Once they are older Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales is good to read aloud as well.

For reception and up, when they are doing nativity plays and so on, Shirley Hughes' Angel Mae is very sweet. But my all-time favourite (also nativity play related) is Wombat Divine by Mem Fox.

This Paddington one is a classic too.

Mine loved this one www.amazon.co.uk/Jesus-Christmas-Party-Nicholas-Allan/dp/009972491X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286204827&sr=1-1

We also brought a book of short stories and read one every night on the run up to Christmas.

Wow, thanks everyone, so many suggestions. I will have a look at all of them, but I can see that she will end up with more then one!

Father Christmas and Harvey Slumfenburger by John Burningham (Mr Gumpy, Borka, Oi Get off our Train etc). It is just brilliant, all about the journey FC goes on when he gets home only to discover he's not delivered Harvey Slumfenburger's present, so he sets out again and finally delivers present. I normally have to hide it from Feb to Aug else it's out every night year round.

We like this one.

Lcuy & Tom's Christmas - Shirley Hughes

And Angel Mae, as well.

Also, when he's a tiny bit older, if this is something you're okay with, faith-wise -

Haffertee's First Christmas -

www.amazon.co.uk/Haffertees-First-Christmas-Haffertee-Perkins/dp/0745920705/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286274860&sr=1-12

Diamond Yo's toy hamster learns about Christmas with the Diamond family (who are Christians, so there is a gentle focus on the nativity and its meaning, as well as Christmas traditions - tree, cake, decorations etc).

I love this one - it's a lovely warm bedtime read, re-telling the Christmas story from the point of view of the animals. Amazon only seem to have used copies though.

www.amazon.co.uk/Room-Little-One-Martin-Waddell/dp/1843620138

www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Miracle-Jonathan-Toomey/dp/0744554020

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is for an older child but very moving.