Despite the reason that we celebrate Christmas being Christ, there seems to me, to be a lack of good Christmas picture books on the subject. Here is a list of a few CHRIST-mas books I have found that I really like:
This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten and Delana Bettoli – I love the illustrations in this book, they are absolutely beautiful. The repetitive phrases and rhyming draw children in and when read aloud, the words are soothing like a lullaby. Definitely a five star book for me.
A Christmas Goodnight by Nola Buck and Sarah Jane Wright – I’m all about reading bedtime books to my kids at night, they’re like subliminal messages. This book takes readers through all the scenes of the nativity, saying goodnight to each one of them. I have long been a fan of Sarah Jane Wright’s illustrations so I was very excited when I heard she had illustrated her first picture book. I was even more excited when I got my hands on the book and found I liked the story as well.
This is the Season Beloved of the Year artwork by Simon Dewey – This picture book is primarily for an LDS (Mormon) audience. This is because in addition to quotations from The Bible, it also has quotations regarding the Savior’s life from Latter-Day Saint Prophets and from The Book of Mormon. Dewey’s illustrations are beautiful. This is a very family-friendly book as it has content for all different age levels.
The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman – I usually need a tissue whenever I read one of Tillman’s beautiful picture books. She just has the ability to pull at a person’s heart strings. The illustrations are an interesting, creative mix of art techniques. The message of this book is great in the way it incorporates how we often get wrapped up in the bustle of the season and need to remember the real reasons that we celebrate Christmas.
The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt and Tim Jonke – Many people are familiar with this beautiful story. It’s not exclusively a Christmas book, but is such a wonderful story about Christ that I’ve included it in this list. It could definitely be used at Easter as well. The story follows the life of three trees, dreams of what they hope to become, and how they are present in the Savior’s life in simple, but important ways.
Who is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff – I’ve only seen a board book version of this book. The illustrations are just okay, but it’s a sweet story about all the animals preparing the stable for Jesus to come and be born there.
Do you have a favorite CHRIST-mas picture book not mentioned here? I’d love to hear about it so I can go check it out.
