Christmas book advent calendar

Messy Little Monster November 19, 2019 No Comments
With the lead up to Christmas upon us, it's time to start preparing our Christmas book advent calendar. This is one of our favourite Christmas traditions, I know a lot of families do something very similar and now that the start of the Advent is just a couple of weeks away, I'd love to share some of our favourite Christmas books for children. 



This "magical" Christmas tradition is something we all look forward to. Each year we wrap up 24 Christmas books and place them under the Christmas tree or near the fire. 

Having beautifully wrapped books around the tree looks so festive and always get's us feeling Christmassy! Some years we have used Christmas wrapping paper, other years brown paper and ribbon. The kids get so excited seeing all the Christmas books wrapped up wondering what is in each parcel.

Some years we have added numbers to the wrapped books so we know which one to open each day, other years we have left them without numbers so we can take it in turns to choose a book. 

Each evening we take it in turns to unwrap a Christmas story and snuggle up to read it together. It is the ideal way to celebrate each night of advent! I love finishing our story book advent calendar with the story 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'!

Scroll down to see our list of 24 Christmas books for children



This Christmas book advent tradition is just one way we like to prepare for Christmas. Check out these other fun Christmas advent traditions: 



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Christmas Book Advent Calendar


Here are some of our favourite Christmas books for children. 

(TIP: If you don't want to buy 24 Christmas books maybe borrow them from the library or from family and friends.)

  1. Elmo's 12 Days of Christmas -- Curious to know how all of your favourite Sesame Street Characters celebrate the holidays? Well, for starters you can expect to see three French friends, two cookies and a red monster in a tree. Your little ones will love learning the words to this new spin on an old holiday carol, all the while spending time with characters like Elmo, Big Bird and more!
  2. It's Christmas David -- Naughty David is at it again, causing mischief just in time for the holidays. As with other children, David knows that Santa is always watching and is always wanting to know what is inside those wonderfully wrapped boxes under the tree! Join David this Christmas in his naughty shenanigans that are sure to cause lots of laughter from your little ones and anticipation for the big upcoming holiday.
  3. That's Not My Snowman! -- Building snowmen is something that grownups and children alike look forward to when snow is due to arrive. While your kiddos are eagerly awaiting the morning that the snow sticks enough to build their own, entertain them with this touchy feely story from Fiona Watt. They'll adore looking at the brightly illustrated pages as well as exploring the different textures that help promote language and sensory skills.
  4. Dream Snow -- Have little ones who are obsessed with tales of farmers and their animals? Dream Snow is the perfect title to have on your shelf for years to come. The story follows a farmer who is settles down for the night, only to dream of a giant snowstorm that blankets his precious animals. Eric Carl, the beloved children's author from childhood days gone by, does a wonderful job telling of how the farmer dons a red suit and gifts his animals with presents for the morning. Kids will even love the surprise ending with a musical treat.
  5. Llama Llama Jingle Bells -- Have I ever mentioned how much I adore Llama's and their fleecy coats? No? Well then, I feel confident that if you don't love them too that you will after reading Llama Llama, a tale with engaging rhyming sentences and a little llama that loves giving gifts, singing songs and decorating yummy cookies.
  6. Who is Coming to Our House? -- In this retelling of baby Jesus and the Wisemen, it isn't the point of view as told by humans but rather by the animals that were also present at the birth of Jesus. Lamb cleans up, pig makes room and goose stacks the hay to prepare for the arrival of Mary & Joseph and their soon to be born son.
  7. Thomas Counts on Christmas -- A favourite of our youngest and perfect for those who are between the ages 2-5, this lift-a-flap book will be a fun new way to help count down the days until everyone's favourite jolly holiday and features a classic childhood character; Thomas the Train.
  8. Construction Site On Christmas Night -- Whether boy or girl, I've never met a little one who didn't go through the construction truck phase at one point or another. Construction and the holidays merge in this tale about Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer and the special gift they're putting together for the holidays.
  9. The Christmas Elf Countdown -- Santa might be the one in the spotlight every Christmas but if you ask me, the real stars are his elves! I mean, Santa does deliver but elves work their little fingers to the bone all year to make sure the toys are all ready to go by Christmas Eve. That being said, in this book the elves are as busy as ever. There are toys to make, decorations to make and goodies to bake. With 35 different flaps to lift and surprise your little ones, this Christmas tale is a must have for the Christmas countdown!
  10. Holiday Helpers! -- Sky, Chase and the rest of the Paw Patrol gang band together to help save Christmas in this story about getting Santa out of some trouble during the holidays. Printed for kiddos ages 3-7, not only is it a cute Paw Patrol classic but it's also a picture & sticker book to boot!
  11. Bear Stays Up for Christmas -- Bear's friends are determined to keep him awake for Christmas and will do anything to do so, including enlisting him to help decorate, bake, and sing carols. Parents and little ones will enjoy reading through this charming story, looking upon the illustrations and learning, along with Bear, that the best gift during the holidays is the gift of giving.
  12. Biscuit Gives a Gift -- Growing up with characters like Pokey the Little Puppy and Spot, I grew to love stories about dogs & other animals. This makes 'Biscuit Gives a Gift' an instant favourite and it doesn't hurt that the pictures have endeared my kiddos to it instantly. Sharing with others is a wonderful gift and we've loved reading about how Biscuit is on a mission to find the perfect gifts for everyone he loves for the holidays.
  13. The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish -- I loved this book from the first time I saw the cover, even before reading the story itself. Mr.Fish looks just so..pouty that I couldn't help loving him right away. Aside from the main character himself, my family loved the moral of the story: that the best gifts don't have to be the biggest, shiniest, most expensive, etc. The best gifts come from the heart and Mr.Fish learns this along with young readers who are following along.
  14. Pinkalicious: Merry Pinkmas -- Decorating the tree has always been a favourite tradition of ours but Pinkalicious has decided to make it extra special this year by going PINK. Her mommy and daddy are firmly against the idea, insisting that the family tradition is always to have a real tree for the holidays and although Pinkalicious is disappointed, she stays cheerful for her family. That is until the day before Christmas, when her parents surprise her with a delightfully pink Christmas tree! This story is about learning to be grateful despite disappointment and the sheer joy of an unexpected surprise, which is another great lesson for little ones. We may not always get what we want but being grateful for what you do have is more important now than ever but you also never know what surprises might be coming your way!
  15. Pete the Cat Saves Christmas -- A new favourite among school age children, Pete the Cat stars in this retelling of The Night Before Christmas and shows young readers that giving your all in the spirit of Christmas is the totally groovy thing to do. If you have a school age little one who has latched onto Pete's stories, you'll definitely want to add this one to your Advent gift list.
  16. Christmas Cookie Day -- If you don't have a holiday baking tradition, I highly recommend making one to share with your family this holiday season AND pairing it with this adorable little story about creating delicious Christmas treats & building new memories.
  17. Clubhouse Christmas -- It doesn't get more magical than celebrating the holidays with Mickey and his clubhouse pals. Join Donald, Daisy, Goofy and everyone's favourite mouse couple as they get help from Toodles to make sure Christmas is as magical as ever, decorating the trees, hanging mistletoe, and more as they celebrate the coming of Christmas.
  18. The Berenstain Bears' Night Before Christmas -- One of my favourite childhood classics meets another, in this retelling of Clement Clarke Moore's Christmas tale. It's the night before Christmas and Mama Bear, Papa Bear and the cubs are celebrating the coming holiday with good cheer. 50 years of illustrated books is now joined by another old favourite and the retelling is one you won't want to miss out on.
  19. Santa's Toy Shop -- Inspired by the 1932 Walt Disney Silly Symphony, Santa's Toy Shop features Santa and his wish that he be able to play with all of the toys he & the elves have created all year long but finding he doesn't have the time to do so. That is, until Mrs.Claus gives him a brilliant idea!
  20. The Grinch's Great Big Flap Book -- The green scrooge is back in this board book version of the old Christmas classic. With shortened text, and over 60 flaps for little hands to lift, it's an ideal way to introduce one of the Seuss classics to the younger members of your family!
  21. Dear Santa -- Even Santa sometimes has a hard time finding the perfect gift for little girls and boys. This delightful lift the flap book depicts Santa's dilemma as each flap lifts to reveal possible gifts. It's not until Christmas Eve that he finally finds the gift he's been searching for.
  22. That's Not My Reindeer -- Another touchy feely book that is great for developing sensory skills, little ones will love exploring the feel & texture of reindeer on the board books pages. The text is short and sweet yet engaging in conjunction with the touch and feel features.
  23. The First Christmas -- We've covered a nontraditional version of the First Christmas, celebrated by animals, but The First Christmas tells the traditional story of Baby Jesus. With lift up tabs that reveal the story, little ones will delight in learning the origins of one of the most popular historical stories.
  24. Twas the Night Before Christmas: Edited by Santa -- We've all read the classic book a dozen times over the course of our lives but this new spin on an old favourite is certainly new to our generation and is a delight for young readers. In this tale by Clement C. Moore, Santa joins in with a special commentary just for little ears and explains several new policies that he and the elves at the North Pole have put into place for the new generation, talking about topics such the faux lining of his coat to protect the reindeer species, giving up his yucky smoking habit and more. Parents and kids alike will love the direct approach Santa takes to Christmas! 

As a family of avid book lovers, we've collected dozens of Christmas books over the last few years. The 24 I've listed above are just a small sampling of some of our most beloved Christmas books for children.

 Making a Christmas book advent calendar is such a fun Christmas traditions for all the family to enjoy! 


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