Children’s Books about the Christmas Story

Last year I totally dropped the ball in the Christmas book department. We went to the library the Monday after Thanksgiving, ready to fill our bags with good reads. Instead, we found every Christmas book checked out except a questionable chewed on board book. Yuck!

This year, I’ve learned my lesson.

In fact, I kept my eyes peeled all last year as I pursued thrift stores and traverse book shops. Thanks in part to generous grandparents, we now have a nice collection to supplement what we grabbed from our library in NOVEMBER! 

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Books about Christ’s Birth

The Christmas Story illustrated by James Bernardin You can’t go wrong with the text of this book. It’s straight out of the Bible (Luke’s account specifically). Its the King James translation of the Bible, so a little wordy, but beautiful and classic. The illustrations are happy and captivating!

Mary’s First Christmas by Walter Wangerin Jr. Great for grade schoolers and preschoolers who love being read to. There are four short chapters, each one is a different portion of the nativity story from Mary’s perspective. And here’s the lovely part, she’s re-telling it to her son, the five year old Jesus on the eve of his birthday. Maybe it’s because I’m the mother of a young boys, but I LOVE this whole concept!

Mary, Did You Know?: The Story of God’s Great Plan by Mark Lowry I’m sure you’ve heard the powerful song, “Mary, Did You Know?” playing on the radio this Christmas season. This book puts captivating pictures to the mind-boggling lyrics. Great way to get your kids thinking about who this baby really grew up to be!

See and Say! Christmas Story by Victoria Tebbs Perfect for the baby/toddler crowd! Engage your wee ones with this fun version of the Christmas story that highlights all the sounds that must have coincided with the story. Clip-clop with the donkey, la la la with the angels, and watch your child’s face light up with delight!

The Christmas Story by Igloo Books  This is a sweet book with bold engaging pictures. My youngest loves flipping through its pages. It a simplified version of the nativity story with a dove as a narrator.

Silent Night: A Light and Sound Book by Smart Kids Publishing Cuteness all around with this book. And of course anything that lights up and makes sounds is a hit around here!

The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg Very cool story for preschool through grade school children. When a candy maker moves into a sleepy old town, he explains the symbolism behind the candy cane and reminds the villagers of the real reason Jesus came to earth. Terrific read!

The First Night by B. G Hennessy Great for little ones who can’t follow the whole narrative of Jesus birth. Very simple and to the point. Sweet drawings that remind me of wooden carvings.

Christ the Savior Is Born by Tim Wesemann Lovely illustration and rhyming prose make this a good read. The deep truths of who Jesus is and why God set Him make this a GREAT read!

What God Wants For Christmas: An Interactive Nativity for Children (Book and CD) This is way more than a book! It’s a nativity set and a mini advent calendar too! Each night for seven nights, you open up a new box to reveal a small figurine. There is a small chapter that corresponds with each character. We’ve used this since Loopy with just one year old and did it over and over so he’d learn the names of those involved in Jesus coming to earth.

Check back later this month when share our favorite Christmas books that feature animals!

Wanting some fun festive frolicking to go along with your Christmas books for preschoolers? Thess have been a hit with my kids!