This list of Old and New Christmas Picture Books is one of my favorite book lists to write each year.
To prepare, I start checking out Christmas books from the library in October. In November, I head to the local bookstores to read all the newly released Christmas picture books I can get my hands on. I separate the really stellar ones from the mediocre holiday books and start making a list and checking it twice.
Every year I wonder if I'll be able to find enough great books to fill another Christmas countdown list.
But, call it Christmas magic, somehow I always manage to find 25 more new and old Christmas Picture Books worth sharing. And I inevitably end up buying more to add to our absurdly large Christmas book collection at home. Tis the season.
This year's list has some really wonderful brand new Christmas Picture Books for 2020, as well as some new to me books from years past. My top five new favorites are at the top of the list.
You can also see last year's book list here, and 2018 here. I also have a general winter themed book list here.
Note: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links
This is my favorite Christmas book this year. I completely fell in love with this sweet Christmas story. With bright colorful illustrations, join Mistletoe, a very well dressed mouse, as she knits the best Christmas present ever for her elephant friend. The last page of the book charms me every single time! I'm already predicting that this will be our most read Christmas Picture Book this year! Santa is feeling old and tired but when he uses a little Christmas magic to feel younger again, he accidentally turns himself into a baby. Christmas is in big trouble! This is a beautiful look at all the colors of Christmas. Christmas isn't just red and green, it's also blue and brown and white too. It's a sweet, simple story with magical illustrations that really capture all the best feelings and experiences of Christmas. It's a must read! This book is pure magic! There's one new little snowflake that really doesn't want to fall from the sky, and one little girl who is longing for snow. They're destined to meet atop the most perfect little Christmas tree, but the journey there is delightful. It's the most famous Christmas story of all, but reimagined with a fresh take that is modern, diverse, and a pure joy to read. We love this one! This is a really sweet story about the gift of giving. Follow along with little Robin as she gives away all of her handknit sweaters to be rewarded with the joy of selfless giving in the end. I had an older version of this story as a kid and I'm delighted by this brand new edition! Santa Mouse is the sweetest Christmas character. We love Mother Bruce, so I added this Christmas version to our collection this year. The kids don't know yet, but we already love this grumpy soft-hearted old bear, so I'm sure everyone is going to be pleased. I hardly ever read books written by celebrities, but I picked this one up to flip through at the bookstore and found myself thoroughly enjoying the story. Kids know well how hard it is to wait for Christmas and they'll love this cute book. The rhyming text is very fun to read aloud. My kids love this song and it's so fun to see the lyrics paired with great illustrations. We sing-read this one every time. Harold isn't sure he believes in Santa anymore, but what Harold doesn't know is that Santa isn't sure he believes in Harold either. This is a great funny Christmas Picture Book and the illustrations are superb. This is a really touching story about a family traveling to the border between Mexico and California to see their Grandmother through the fence for Christmas. It's a beautiful story about family and the challenges of living on opposite sides of a wall. Highly recommend this one! One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the creativity it inspires in my kids. I will always treasure the precious homemade gifts they make for me and for each other every year. This darling book is about the special joy of being together for the holidays and giving homemade gifts from the heart. I added this one to our collection this year. It isn't exactly a Christmas book, but rather a multi-cultural celebration of all the different holidays that people celebrate. It's a great reminder to kids that not everyone celebrates Christmas. This is a beautiful poem by Katherine Patterson about the birth of Jesus from the perspective of Mary. Paired with gorgeous illustrations, this is a really moving story about the nativity. Long before Alec was born, his grandfather planted a sapling that grew into a great spruce. Every year Alec and his grandfather decorate the tree for Christmas. But this year, some men are coming to cut the tree down for Christmas in the city and Alec is determined to save it. This is a fun Christmas story with charming illustrations. This is an older book, but new to us when we picked it up from the library this year. It's a clever retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and it's been a huge hit at our house already. I will read any book illustrated by David Small, but this one is especially delightful. This Christmas Crocodile really doesn't mean to cause trouble, but he keeps eating all of the presents and decorations. Your kids will giggle through the whole book as the family tries to figure out what to do with the Christmas crocodile. This wonderful Christmas story combines all the fun elements of Christmas (the tree, the presents, the cookies), with the true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Christ. An excellent addition to your Christmas book collection! The text is the King James Bible version of the nativity story and it's paired with simple but stunning painted illustrations. It's a simple book, but very moving. Soon I won't be able to count on two hands all of the 12 days of Christmas books we own. And yet, I couldn't pass on this super fun version from Greg Pizzoli! Read it - you won't be sorry. This is a sweet and gentle book about the animals preparing the stable for Jesus's birth. The illustrations are magnificent. The text in this one is the second chapter of Luke from the King James Bible. The illustrations are so wonderful my kids pore over the pages every Christmas. It's a fantastic book! We love these Snowmen books and the fun rhyming text. This is a perfect Christmas read aloud. There's also fun hidden pictures to look for on every page. I'm a sucker for a beautiful bird book and this one checks all the boxes. A robin is lost and trying to make a long journey home in time for Christmas. The illustrations are phenomenal and the text is so lyrical and beautiful to read aloud. Christmas Picture Books
Mistletoe: A Christmas Story
Santa Baby
All the Colors of Christmas
The Snowflake
The Night Before Christmas
Little Robin's Christmas
Santa Mouse (A Santa Mouse Book)
Santa Bruce (A Mother Bruce book)
5 More Sleeps ‘til Christmas
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold
Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border
A Homemade Together Christmas
Our Favorite Day of the Year
The Night of His Birth
The Great Spruce
Santa Claus and the Three Bears
The Christmas Crocodile
Mortimer's Christmas Manger
Nativity
The 12 Days of Christmas
The Gifts of the Animals: A Christmas Tale
Christmas Is Here
Snowmen at Christmas
Coming Home
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