Christmas books for children

[MsSquiz]

I'm sure I've seen a thread previously, but I tried to search and couldn't find it at all!

My DD will be 2 at Christmas, and a tradition I started for her was to get new festive books each year for advent or as Christmas gifts.

Can anyone suggest festive books they or their children have loved, and the ages you would recommend them for?

So far we have:
The night before Christmas (to read every Christmas Eve)
That's not my reindeer & that's not my robin
Little Miss Christmas
Santa's little helper - one of those personalised ones you get from a garden centre

And I've just ordered the picture book version of the Christmasaurus

My little girl loves is 2 1/2 and last Christmas she had these:

10 minutes to bed:little unicornsChristmas.
Spots first Christmas, which has flaps to lift.
We are going on an elf chase
Winter wonderland - it's is an usborne sound book, really nice pictures
Dear Santa

I did this for mine, my eldest is 19 and still expects a Christmas book.

Bear stays up
Peter rabbits Christmas wish
Touchy feely nativity
Were all hits here

We have one called Santa's Beard that my 2 year old loves, it's usually his first choice from the bookcase!

Not a traditional Christmas book but Stick Man is our traditional festive read. He just wants to get hime to the family tree for Christmas!

The Snowman and Father Christmas (two separate books) both by Raymond Briggs

The Jolly Christmas Postman

Lucy and toms Christmas Is a lovely one

Second vote for The Jolly Christmas Postman. I had it when I was young, and have bought for DD too - I still lobe it to pieces!

Mog's Christmas (DCs love all of the Mog books), and I'd third The Jolly Christmas Postman.
We also have some Christmas Where's Wally-type books that have proven popular. They came from The Works and are called 'Where's the Elf?' etc.

The jolly Christmas postman
Father Christmas needs a wee
The Christmas unicorn.
We too read the night before Christmas every Christmas Eve, my dcs are now 15 & 10 and we take turns reading a page each.

Raymond Briggs 'Father Christmas' and one we loved from the library and had to buy, 'How many sleeps till Christmas?'

For when DC is older -

JK Rowling has a new children's book out this year, The Christmas Pig. It looks gorgeous.

We had a lovely one from the library last year, it was written as a countdown so you read one chapter a day from Dec 1st til Christmas Eve (it tells you "read this chapter on..." ) and after each chapter is a Christmas craft or activity idea. So good! Called How Winston Delivered Christmas.

My little ones have just turned 4 and last Xmas we got them Ten Little Elves.

Not sure what we'll add this year!

My DS was 18 months last Christmas and I recycled The Works 10 for £10 Christmas books that I had for DSD when she was younger. Thomas and Mr Men Christmas books were a hit!
That's not my elf is a given, also Busy Christmas and Busy Santa are fab with all the slides and fiddly bits. Already have the Christmas Bear to add to the collection this year

Stick man and Mog’s Christmas are favourites in this house. I got some mr men Christmas books in a charity shop last year which the kids both loved (2 and 5 year olds). I have also picked up some good Christmas books in Home Bargains and The Works but they change their selection regularly so they will have different ones this year.

Two favourites with our lot are "Father Christmas Needs a Wee" and "Atul's Wonderful Christmas".

You HAVE to get christmas at Exeter Street. Lovely story. Bought after a lot of recommendations on mumsnet and a firm favourite.

We also love harvey schlumfenburgers present. In a couple of years the empty stocking would be good too.

Last year we discovered this one and fell in love with it. We must have read it 5 or 6 times during holiday.

@MsSquiz

I'm sure I've seen a thread previously, but I tried to search and couldn't find it at all!

My DD will be 2 at Christmas, and a tradition I started for her was to get new festive books each year for advent or as Christmas gifts.

Can anyone suggest festive books they or their children have loved, and the ages you would recommend them for?

So far we have:
The night before Christmas (to read every Christmas Eve)
That's not my reindeer & that's not my robin
Little Miss Christmas
Santa's little helper - one of those personalised ones you get from a garden centre

And I've just ordered the picture book version of the Christmasaurus

Definitely get the Mog series by Judith Kerr they are absolutely brilliant not just for Christmas. For 2yo Dear Santa and Lulu's Christmas are quite good as well as One Snowy Night.

If you like traditional story then I would recommend The story of Christmas.

Alfie series of books by Shirley Hughes are good for younger children too and so is Santa is coming to... (wherever you live there are plenty of varieties of this book).

Oh there's so many! I always buy books for my DC not just for Christmas and it's wonderful to snuggle up together to share a story

We have done this since my 13 year old was a baby and we have a fab selection now. I'm so excited to share some of the books with our two year old this year.

Anyway, family favourites for wee ones are:

Santa's Beard
Fancy Dress Christmas
Mog's Christmas
Dear Santa
Elmer's Christmas
The Christmas Eve Tree
The Jolly Christmas Postman

My older two love Santa's Beard even now. They insist on a family reading of it on the 1st of December every year which is lovely. We have lots of books for older children too and bringing them all out is one of my favourite parts of the season.

Apart from Santa's Beard, I love Mrs Scrooge by Carol Ann Duffy and we have a beautiful pop up version of the Snowman which is just beautiful.

I am planning to buy The Crayon's Christmas, Christmas with the Chrystals and a really nice version of A Christmas Carol this year.

Aargh, too many beautifuls in there.

Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs.
Alfie’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes.
Jesus’ Christmas Party by Nicholas Allen.

So many wonderful suggestions, I'm going to have to make a list and check them all out!

I can't believe I forgot about "Father Christmas" I had it on vhs as a kid and it was my most favourite video to watch!

We have 1 Mog story but I remember reading the one where Mog dies and was traumatised by it for years! I'll hunt out the Christmas one though

The Jolly Christmas Postman is absolutely essential Christmas time reading, I need to get a new copy this year as sadly we have lost some of the inserts.

We also have The Grinch which I adore, but my DC are very little so aside from that, we just have Christmas themed books so far like Very Hungry Caterpillar etc, so I'm following the thread with interest.

I actually find Christmas present books more special and they can come to be associated with Christmas but also have that broader appeal.

This year I'll be buying DD who will be 6 by then The Velveteen Rabbit, my 4 year old boy the normal Jolly Postman, and my littlest who will be nearly 2 Goodnight Moon.

@LoverOfLight we have The Velveteen Rabbit & it's so beautiful.
Sadly it was bought for DD's first Christmas 2019 (she was a week old) by MIL, so decided she should be the one to read it with DD when babysitting. Then due to Covid, and finding out MIL had terminal cancer in November 2020 and she passed in July. I think it's now going to be a very hard book to read with DD. But a gorgeous gift to keep.

I love buying DD books to grow with her as well as ones she can "read" herself now, like the "that's not my..." books and lift the flap ones.

I have just discovered nosy crow books, which have moving inserts and are based on songs, but have a QR code to scan to play the song. Not one of those that kids can just press the button and drive you mad with