Over 30 Christmas Picture Books

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

— “We Three Kings”, John H. Hopkins Jr., 1857

Here in England, the evenings are ever darker, the warm glow of Christmas lights are emerging in the windows along our street, and the question I keep getting is, “what are you doing for Christmas this year?”. For families with young children, it is a busy month ahead, but in the midst of the preparations and plans, we need to take time to stop and pick up a book or two. I need this encouragement just as much as the next person. Reading stories makes us slow down and points us to bigger truths outside of the now.

Whether you’re a teacher desperately trying to get the children to learn their nativity lines, a homeschool parent who finds the winter days hard going, or a grandparent planning a visit in the holidays, we all need this moment of connection.

With Advent beginning this week, perhaps visit the library and borrow some Christmas themed books, or stock up on a few as Christmas presents. A few years ago I began collecting Christmas stories – short picture books – to share with the children. This weekend I dug them out of the attic, so I thought I’d share some of them here – a mixture of old and new classics.

For those of you with older children, I will posting Christmas chapter books ideas in due course. Watch this space.