Best Christmas Books for Kids

Looking for the best Christmas books for kids? Check out this awesome selection of Christian Christmas books: Advent, board, activity, and picture books!

Best Christmas Books for Kids

When my kids were younger, I loved reading Christmas books to them! It was such a wonderful way to teach them about the Christmas story, complete with beautiful pictures and funny voices.  It was such a precious time, and we made sure we incorporated that time throughout the month of December. Well, to be honest, we started reading Christmas books the day after Thanksgiving, when we decorated the house together.

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Teach your kids to give thanks to God with this fun, free Thanksgiving devotional calendar!

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Most of the books we loved reading together are no longer in print, but there are some wonderful, biblically faithful books about the Christmas story available now that I know you’ll want to know about! I love that so many emphasize the gospel. The incarnation of Christ is a miraculous event that should ultimately point us to Christ’s majesty and his love for his people.

There are many, many Christmas books available. However, your family library only has so much space, and these valuable resources get my vote!

I’ve divided the Christmas books into categories: Advent books, Christmas board books, activity books, story picture books, and a really unique book on the history of Christmas.

PSST! There are TWO giveaways in this post!

Best Christmas Books for Kids: Advent

Advent is a special time of expectancy. As we think about what it was like for God’s people to wait for the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, we now wait patiently for his second coming, when all will be made right in the world. There are some really neat books out to help you prepare your kids for Christmas by teaching them about the coming of Jesus.

Journey to the Manger Advent Calendar (Adventures in Odyssey Misc)All Is Bright: A Devotional Journey to Color Your Way to ChristmasIshtar’s Odyssey: A Family Story for Advent (Storybooks for Advent)Tabitha’s Travels: A Family Story for Advent (Storybooks for Advent)Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent (Storybooks for Advent)Bartholomew’s Passage: A Family Story for Advent (Storybooks for Advent)

• Journey to the Manger Advent Calendar from Focus on the Family ~ This daily family devotional includes puzzles, a poster with stickers, and a parent’s guide.
  • “Take your family on a fun-filled journey to the manger this Christmas season! Learn more about Bible characters related to the Nativity and help teach your children about the true meaning of Christmas. Dive into each day of Advent with devotions and activities that will engage the entire family. Packed full of fun activities, Journey to the Manger Advent Calendar includes an Advent poster, Bible character stickers, readings, kids’ puzzles, and more!”
• All is Bright: A Devotional Journey to Color Your Way to Christmas by Nancy Guthrie ~ This looks so neat to me! The coloring pages are perfect for a teen (or you!), but it says there are kid-friendly coloring pages and activities available too. I read the first three pages in a sample file and really liked the devotions.
  • “This Christmas season, celebrate the birth of our Savior through beautiful design and devotion. Grab your colored pencils, cozy up with your favorite blanket and a cup of tea, and settle in for a night of peace and wonder with All Is Bright. For lovers of the Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest coloring books, All Is Bright is the perfect way to transform the Advent and Christmas seasons for your whole family, re-centering the holidays on the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Combining 31 days of rich content by the beloved and inspirational Nancy Guthrie with intricate designs that will reconnect you with the heart of Christ, this coloring book devotional journey reminds us all of what the season really calls us to: worship.”
• Advent Storybooks by Arnold Ytreeide ~ I haven’t read these storybooks myself, but I have friends who LOVE this series and they’ve purchased a new one each year to go through as a family. Each book in the series has daily readings and family devotional reflections.
  • Ishtar’s Odyssey – “A new Advent family devotional from the author of Jotham’s Journey! Fourth in a set of Advent adventure books for families, Ishtar’s Odyssey follows the ten-year-old son of a Persian wise man as their caravan follows a star across the desert. Ishtar would just as soon stay in the comfort of the palace, but slowly he learns that there’s much to see, do, and learn in this world that can’t be experienced in school. He eventually meets Jotham, Bartholomew, and Tabitha as he follows his father and uncles in their search for a newborn king.”
  • Bartholomew’s Passage – “Bartholomew’s Passage is an engaging story that guides families through the Advent season. Young Bartholomew’s adventures start when Roman soldiers destroy his village and disperse his family, continue through his enslavement to a tyrannical master and his escape with his new friend Nathan, and end with a reunion with his family in Bethlehem. Along the way Bartholomew makes a new friend, a young boy named Jotham!”
  • Tabitha’s Travels – “Curious, competent, and courageous Tabitha is the daughter of a shepherd who is taking his family on caravan to his birthplace. Along the way, she meets and becomes friends with Jotham and Bartholomew, watches as Romans take her father prisoner, spends time with Zechariah and Elizabeth, helps Mary and Joseph just before Christ’s birth, and ends her travels at the stable in Bethlehem.”
  • Jotham’s Journey – “In this widely popular, exciting story for the advent season, readers follow ten-year-old Jotham across Israel as he searches for his family. Though he faces thieves, robbers, and kidnappers, Jotham also encounters the wise men, shepherds, and innkeepers until at last he finds his way to the Savior born in Bethlehem.”

Best Christmas Board Books for Kids

Board books are a wonderful way to teach your youngest kids about Jesus, and to let them have some hands-on time with their favorite Christmas books. These two books are a great place to start.

Jesus: The Best BabyJesus: The Best StoryJesus – the Best FriendM Is for Manger

• Jesus: The Best Baby by Catherine MacKenzie ~ Catherine MacKenzie’s board books are always awesome and Christ-centered. With just a couple lines per spread, and a related question, Mackenzie tells the Christmas story. I love that she ends with the gospel: “Jesus grew up. He died for sinners. But he came back to life. The best baby is the best Saviour. He loves you so you can love him. Do you trust Jesus? Is he the very best? Yes he is!” The illustrations by Lia Frassineti are adorable, too.
• Jesus: The Best Story by Catherine MacKenzie ~ Catherine MacKenzie continues her series on Jesus, explaining why his story is the best story. She begins: “Jesus’ story is the best story. He is God. He made you. He even died so that people like you and me could be forgiven for the wrong things we do.” MacKenzie takes your young children through Jesus’ life on earth from birth to resurrection, explaining why it’s the best story on earth.
• Jesus: The Best Friend by Catherine MacKenzie ~ While this book doesn’t touch on Christmas, it does explore the friendship between Peter and Jesus, explaining why Jesus is the best friend we can ever have, and how Jesus loved Peter. This set of board books by Catherine MacKenzie is really sweet. You may want to add Jesus: The Best Love to your collection as well!
• M is for Manger by Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley ~ This super cute board book is also available as a picture book for your older children.
  • “Travel through the alphabet with this beautiful rhyming storybook that tells the story of Jesus’ birth. Begin with the angel who tells Mary that she is God’s chosen vessel and follow along until you reach the zillions of stars that paled in comparison to the star that announced the birthplace of the newborn King. Beautifully illustrated and written, this book will be a classic for parents to read to their children every Christmas season.”

AWESOME Christmas Resources for Kids

FREE Advent Calendar with Bible VersesChristmas Bible Verses for KidsPrintable Advent Calendar with 24 Advent ReadingsJesus’ Birth | Write, Color, and Memorize Set

Best Christmas Activity Books for Kids

These two activity books will give your children plenty to do as they think about the coming of Jesus.

Away in a Manger Story + Activity Book (Faith That Sticks Books)My Christmas Activity Book: 25 Days to Celebrate Jesus’ Birth

• Away in a Manger Story and Activity Book by Martin Luther (the hymn) ~ Teach your kids the hymn Away in a Manger with stickers, activities, and discussion questions.
  • “The beloved Christmas carol comes to life in this storybook that includes activities and stickers. Your child will love to read and sing along as they get ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth.”
• My Christmas Activity Book: 25 Days to Celebrate Jesus’ Birth by Catherine MacKenzie ~ This fun activity book would have been a favorite for me when I was a kid!
  • “It’s the countdown to Christmas. There are 25 days to go until we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In this book there are puzzles and codes, activities and crafts to help you remember the real reason for Christmas – the fact that God sent his Son to the world so that people could become God’s friends once more. Look out for the full colour pull out advent calendar! Something you can use each day as you go through the book and as you count the days until the big day itself.”

Best Christmas Story Picture Books for Kids

There are so many picture books about the Christmas story. Here are four of my favorite.

I Spy At Christmas: Jesus is More Important than Crackers and TinselThe Christmas Story: The Bible VersionThe Very First ChristmasThe Very First Christmas

• I Spy at Christmas: Jesus is More Important than Crackers and Tinsel by Catherine MacKenzie ~ This really neat book talks about a fun aspect of Christmas on every page, then relates it to a deeper spiritual meaning. For example: “I spy a fancy festive Christmas card. So I think of how God wrote me a letter – the Bible. Why did he do that? He wants to tell me about my sin and his love.” I love that the book tells the story of the gospel through common things we all see at Christmas. I think it would be neat to practice “spying” one thing a day and talk about attaching significance to that traditional Christmas sight. What a cool way to make the Christmas season more meaningful and memorable for your children.
• The Christmas Story: The Bible Version by Carine MacKenzie ~ This beautiful retelling of the Christmas story explains our need for salvation, and how Jesus came to save sinners. Read my full review here.
• The Very First Christmas by Catherine MacKenzie ~ This sweet book for little ones contrasts the little reader’s first Christmas with the very first Christmas in history, explaining that the real gift of Christmas is Jesus. This is perfect for your kids up to age 5. Read my full review here.
• The Very First Christmas by Paul L. Maier ~ If you are looking for a wonderful, in-depth retelling of the first Christmas with historical context for your older elementary-aged children, I highly recommend this book. I read this beautiful book to my children every year they were old enough to understand.

Best Christmas History Book

The History of Christmas: 2,000 Years of Faith, Fable and Festivity

• The History of Christmas: 2000 Years of Faith, Fable, and Festivity by Heather Lefebvre ~ This book is a wonderful journey through the traditions and ideas that have informed our celebration of Christ’s birth. More than that, it’s a study of people and events over the last 2,000 years that impacted the way we think about Christmas. LeFebvre has written an engaging story of the way Christians have chosen to remember the Incarnation, complete with discussions, activities, and recipes for families to consider.This book is a great way to study Christian history, do some fun hands-on activities, and focus on the incarnation of Jesus as a family!

Giveaways ~ End 11/19/19 at Midnight PST

You’ll want to enter both of these great giveaways for Christmas books! The first giveaway is for two board books: Jesus: The Best Friend and Jesus: The Best Story. The second book is for the awesome family read aloud with fun activities: The History of Christmas.

Must be 18 to enter. Available only to US residents. Giveaways ends 11/11/19 at midnight PST.  This giveaway is not related in any way to Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. No purchase necessary.

Whatever you choose, you’re bound to be pleased with these wonderful Christmas books for kids.

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