Your favourite children's Christmas book?

[Moxiechick]

I've just started thinking about some ideas for this years Christmas Eve boxes for my dd and dn who will be 3.5 and 2.5.
Looking for Christmas books and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.
I remember having a personalised Christmas book when I was younger where I went in the sleigh with Santa and delivered gifts to my friends.
What's your favourite Christmas book?

The Night before Christmas - classic choice, we read it every Christmas eve.

Bear stays up for Christmas is a nice story too

The Night Before Christmas.

The Snowman is nice too, although I was a bit surprised to find out that they don't go to the North Pole to party with Santa in the book.

The jolly Christmas postman

www.amazon.co.uk/Dear-Father-Christmas-Alan-Durant/dp/1406351490

This is one of my favourites. It has little letters in envelopes that have been written to the little girl from Santa.

I often use it in school st Christmas. At the end the child is sent a holographic ticket for a ride on the sleigh.
One year a little boy came over when I'd finished reading and asked, with a mystified look on his face,
"How did Santa get the magic into that book?"
It is one of the moments in teaching that will always stay with me.

The Pirates' Night Before Christmas

They're a bit young for it yet but Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden is the best - a little orphan girl, a doll who thinks no one is going to buy her and a childless couple all get a perfect Christmas. Gets me in the feels every time.

Agree with Jolly Christmas postman, I love opening all the little letters and notes.

The Night Before Christmas without a doubt.

Christmas in Exeter Street I think. About a house where the doorbell keeps ringing with expected and unexpected guests on Christmas Eve, and how they are all accommodated. With a smashing cut away of the house with everyone asleep waiting for Father Christmas in the attics, the bath, the kitchen sink. I like it best because it's a grand romantic picture of Christmas hospitality and there's also something just slightly strange about it.

www.timothyknapman.co.uk/book/a-very-pirate-christmas

A very pirate Christmas! It's brilliant to read, a lovely rhyme / rhythm to it and very funny! My dd loves it!

We read Night Before Christmas every year. We also have one of those personalised Santa books and That's Not My Santa-good for toddlers.

I've got loads! I started collecting them when ds was a baby and he's now 10 - I think we've got about 80!! Maybe a bit excessive
Among my favourites are, Jesus' Christmas party, the smelly sprout and the sheep who saved Christmas.

Last year I got the empty stocking by Richard Curtis, that really is fabulous!

Twas Nochebuena is a really lovely rhyming one about how Christmas is celebrated in Spain/Mexico. It's in English.

A bit of an out there suggestion but I read it in schools and the kids love it.

Emma Chichester Clark Melrose and Croc Together at Christmas We obviously loved the Blue Kangaroo books by the same author, but this is just so simple and tender, and has a theme that applies year round.

Looks like Holly and Ivy is going to be reissued just in time for Christmas nine.

Another vote for the jolly Christmas postman. I loved it and my nieces and nephew do too.

Another vote for The Night Before Christmas

Slinki Malinki's Christmas Caper (think that's the right title!), Stick Man, and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas are all favourites here.

The night before Christmas

A child's Christmas in Wales, is sweet too

Mine love "Father Christmas needs a wee".

The Night Before Christmas, read every Christmas Eve to my two, freshly bathed and in their brand new pyjamas, bright eyes excited for Santa coming! Some traditions never die, and I've carried on H's tradition of a new toothbrush in the children's stockings, as well as a new toothbrush and jar of pickled onions in his stocking.

DS, DD and H all have a stocking but I'm the only one on Christmas morning without one, though no one has noticed yet.

Oh I forgot all about the jolly Christmas postman! I do love that book.
Thank you for all your suggestions, was so nice reading through them. Think I'll be buying a lot more than 2 books!