Best Book for Christmas Eve

[Ningnang2000]

Every christmas eve my daughters have a bath and just before they get out a cheeky elf knocks on the door and hands a present to the adult that answers and then runs away. He's so quick the girls don't have a chance to see him. The present is usually a new pair of pjs and a Christmas book for bedtime.

In the past we've had...
The Night Before Christmas
Stickman
Rudy's Windy Christmas
The Christmas Bear.

I'll looking for suggestions on behalf of our Christmas eve elf for this year. Our DDs are 4 and 7.

I was going to suggest Quentin Blake's A Christmas Carol but see that the recommended reader age is 9+. Might be ok for your 7 yr old though if she's still awake after the 4yr old.

Other suggestion is Lucy and Tom at Christmas by Shirley Hughes.

The Christmas mog book from sainsburys
The jolly Christmas postman

We've gone for a musical Christmas book for our one year old and the jolly Christmas postman for our three year old this year.

We love Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs. It has great detailed pictures and a grumpy FC with his heart in the right place, like most of us.
Highly recommended.

I really like the Santa Claus is Coming to [hometown] books.

We always read On Angel Wings by Michael Morpurgo

Or The Fourth King is also funny with lovely pictures.

I was coming on to add Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs. It's a picture story book but I remember it being very magical as a child

The Jolly Christmas Postman is lovely if you can find a copy (not sure if it's still in print)

It is Sadik I got it last year (and got the original, The Jolly Postman, for this year) :)

I wanted to recommend the Grinch. Big Seuss fans here :)

Jesus's Christmas Party.

The nativity as told by an increasingly grumpy overworked and frequently woken innkeeper.

Here

Also by the same author Father Christmas Needs A Wee .

The Snowman? Ds has a lovely copy with audio CD.

The Polar Express? If you're reading it to them.

Have to add the actual Christmas Story too, it's a Christmas Eve must in this house!

Ds loved Shhh Santa! too

I collect vintage children's Christmas books. For the 24th I recommend...

Shirley Hughes, any of the Christmas ones. Angel Mae, The Christmas Eve Ghost, Lucy and Tom's Christmas, The Snow Lady, Alfie's Christmas.

Christmas on Exeter Street.

The Tomtes' Christmas Porridge.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.

The Polar Express.

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

The Empty Stocking is a good one for Christmas Eve.

I absolutely love The Polar Express too, it's quite long for a picture book.

Christmas Eve at the Mellops is quite special.

This edition of The Night Before Christmas is a pretty special one.

Some great suggestions. I want them all! Thank you to all who contributed. The elf should really bring two shouldn't he? ;-)

I always recommend this one, but when your younger dd is a wee bit older my absolute favourite Christmas book is The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden.

We have got olafs night before Christmas xx

Would also recommend The story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden. Perfect for your 7 year old, if your 4 year old doesn't need pictures she would probably enjoy it too.

Another Christmassy one by Rumer Godden is The Fairy Doll.

My dds used to love Angelina Ballerina's Christmas. Also little Grey Rabbit's Christmas.

We have a tradition of reading Father Christmas The Truth by Gregoire Solotareff, which is out of print now but usually lots of affordable copies knocking around on amazon. I can't tell you how magical it is. It's an alphabetical book full of lovely drawings and wisdom and gently funny. And don't worry - despite the title it absolutely doesn't blow the myth apart. My favourite page is the Mummy page.