Books That Matter: 12 Holiday Books to Read With Your Child
In honor of the song “Twelve Days of Christmas” Blooming Twig Books presents twelve holiday books to read with your little one this holiday season!
Although reading to your kids is an important activity to engage in all year round, there is something extra-special about reading to your children around the holidays. Cuddling up with your child in front of a crackling fire, sipping hot chocolate (with marshmallows of course!), and reading a holiday book that brings back warm memories from your own childhood is one of the best parts about this time of year. So kick off your shoes, chose a comfy location, and enjoy witnessing the magic your felt as a child reading holiday books manifest itself on your own kid’s face as you read one of these 12 holiday #booksthatmatter!
12. For the child who requires a little more proof of Christmas magic: The Elf on the Shelf
A story about how exactly Santa keeps track of who has been naughty and who has been nice, this imaginative book even comes with your own “elf of a shelf.”
11. For the child who is a little too demanding in the gift department: The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving.
Part of The Berenstain Bears series that began in 1962, this title ends, as all of them do, with a lesson learned.
10. For the child who loves adventure stories (and the adult reader who loves Tolkien): J.R.R. Tolkien’s Letters From Father Christmas
Each December J.R.R. Tolkien’s children would receive a handwritten letter from “Father Christmas” bearing a stamp from the North Pole and an imaginative story about the goings-on in and around Santa’s workshop.
9. For the child who loves Curious George: Happy Hanukkah, Curious George
In this festive book, Curious George and his friends have gathered for the eighth night of Hanukkah to light the menorah, spin the dreidel, and much more!
8. For the child who may feel a little out of place (or loves Little Golden Books): Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The beloved classic about a reindeer with a shiny, red nose who ends up saving Christmas.
7. For the child who loves animals: The Mitten
Originally a Ukrainian folk tale, there a many versions of The Mitten, however, this one, by Alvin Tresselt, is my family’s favorite. From a single dropped mitten on the coldest day of winter an entire tale of friendship, sharing, and warmth unfolds.
6. For the child (and adult) who loves a classic: A Christmas Carol
What would a list of holiday books be without including this classic Christmas novella from Charles Dickens?
5. For the slightly older child: The Gift of the Magi
A classic, sentimental short story with a moral lesson The Gift of the Magi was written in 1905 by O. Henry about a young married couple and their struggle to buy each other a secret Christmas gift with very little money.
4. For the child who loves making snowmen (and the adult who loved the Oscar-nominated movie version): The Snowman
A children’s picture book without words, The Snowman will ignite any child’s imagination and tug on the heartstrings of all who turn its pages.
3. For the child who loves Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A holiday classic that has inspired two movie versions, How the Grinch Stole Christmas entertains while it teaches a valuable lesson about the true meaning of Christmas. (Fun Fact: I’ve often wanted to attach reindeer antlers to my dog’s head around this time of year in honor of Max.)
2. For the child whose dream it is to see the North Pole: The Polar Express
Winner of the Caldecott Medal and now a major motion picture, The Polar Express was and remains one of my absolute favorite books to read around the Holidays. With beautiful illustrations and an even more beautiful story, Chris Van Allsburg’s book will leave children straining to hear those bells on Santa’s sleigh for generations to come.
1. For every chid: Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day
Winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal, no book (whether written for children or otherwise) has so perfectly captured the feeling of wonder and possibility that the first snowfall brings.
