A short time before Halloween, my niece, Kelly’s friend asked if I had a list of Halloween titles appropriate for preschoolers. I created one, and both she and my niece were delighted. In fact, Whitney liked it so much she asked if I had a list of preschool Christmas titles! My reply was “no”, but I promised to compile one before Christmas, and here it is! It may seem a little early to be talking about Christmas books, but if you want to have the chance to get these at your library, now is the time to put them on hold! Of course, you may also find some you’ll want to add to your family’s library, so I’ve included links to the Good Reads summary to help you do that.

Please know many of these titles are fun for all ages, not just preschool. In fact, I’ll have most of these on my coffee table for the entire month of December! And there are so many more titles which I love. I just didn’t want to exhaust you with a crazy, long post! I hope you find some stories which become family classics you’ll look forward to sharing year after year.

What are your family favorites? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Snow Bunny’s Christmas Wish

By Rebecca Harry

Oh, this is such a sweet story about friendship, kindness, Santa and of course a bunny. (This is chosen especially for my nephew, Zeke!)

The Christmas Baby

By Marion Dane Bauer; illustrated by Richard Cowdrey

These delightful illustrations describe the animals’ and angels’ celebration on the night Christ was born,

Twas the Evening of christmas

By Glenys Nellist; illustrated by Elena Selivanova

Oh how I wish we had this beautiful book to read on Christmas Eve when my boys were growing up! This is the story of the first Christmas, but it is told in the pattern of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, which makes it a perfect companion to the traditional book. (more)

santa’s story

By Will Hillenbrand

Does your family share The Night Before Christmas every year? Well, Santa and his reindeer ALSO share that much loved tradition. All goes well until Santa forgets! The cozy illustrations allow us to witness the reindeer antics and Santa’s puzzlement and add so much to this delightful story.

when it snows

By Richard Collingridge

Magic happens when snow covers the ground and a little boy and his teddy bear follow footsteps into a wondrous, glowing world. The luminous illustrations help you imagine the magical night that all began with a story.

Construction Site on Christmas Night

By Sherri Duskey Rinker and Ag Ford

Playful, rhyming text tell us the story of the five construction trucks who work all night long on Christmas to create a a very special project. Happily their hard work is rewarded when each receives a thoughtful gift.

Room for a Little One

By Martin Waddell; illustrated by Jason Cockcroft

It’s a cold winter’s night in the stable and so many stray critters are looking for a warm, safe place to rest. One by one they arrive and one by one they hear, “There’s always room for a little one here.” This includes a tired donkey carrying a weary woman and a very cold man.

Harvey Slumfenburger’s christmas present

By John Burningham

I’ve read this special story to children of all ages for many, many years. I’ve given copy after copy as gifts. It tells the story of Santa forgetting to deliver one gift to one little boy and Santa’s determination, kindness and selflessness as he tries his best to fulfill his promise.

arthur’s perfect christmas

By Marc Brown

This has to be one of my favorites! Arthur wants everything to be perfect this year – the snow, the tree and the turkey, but he’s not sure this is possible. His friends all have different traditions and and different ideas of what makes a perfect celebration. This story is about thoughtfulness, traditions and learning friends and family are what truly make a perfect Christmas.

the wild christmas reindeer

By Jan Brett

This Jan Brett classic leads us on a countdown to Christmas as a little girl helps Santa get the reindeer ready to fly. What’s so memorable about Ms. Brett’s books are the enchanting and detailed illustrations which border each page. There’s a lot of text in this story, but the pictures tell us so much. You’ll have a great time creating your own story about what Teeka discovered about kindness.

the berenstain bears’ christmas tree

By Stan and Jan Berenstain

Papa Bear is determined to find the most perfect Christmas tree in the forest, but he and Brother and Sister Bear experience one crazy adventure after another before they find the true meaning of Christmas.

the animal’s merry christmas

By Richard Scarry

Unfortunately, this gem is out of print, but if you’re lucky you’ll find a used copy online. This was a must read every Christmas when my boys were small. The stories are short and full of love and fun. You won’t want to miss it!

Dasher

By Matt Tavares

The gorgeous, dreamy illustrations in Dasher will first capture your attention and then the story will delight you.

This enchanting story is sure to become a family Christmas favorite you will look forward to bringing out each year. It’s one for young and old alike; for anyone who would like a little bit of magic in their lives. I know it’s going to be added to my holiday book collection!

the polar express

By Chris Van Allsburg
I’m certain you all know the movie, but do you know the book, The Polar Express? Chris Van Allsburg’s glowing, dreamy illustrations bring this favorite story to life. I hope you’ll share this with your family and consider it as a part of your family’s holiday book collection. Even if you just own a few, this needs to be one of them!

14 FAVORITE CHRISTMAS BOOKS