Advent, Christmas and Winter Feast Day Books

One of the things that I like about this time of year is snuggling up with my children and reading picture books. A few years ago, I shared a list of picture books that we like to read during December and January. Below is an updated (and hopefully better organized) list.

Advent Books:

Celebrating Advent with the Jesse Tree (St. Joseph Picture Books) by Rev. Jude Winkler*
The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean
Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson
The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden*

Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Richard H. Schneider

Feast Day Books:


December 6:  The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Demi
Saint Nicholas by Ann Tompert
The Miracle of Saint Nicholas (Golden Key Books) by Gloria Whelan*
December 8:  Mary: The Mother of Jesus by Tomie dePaola*
December 12:  The Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie dePaola*
December 13:  Lucia, Saint of Light by Katherine Bolger Hyde
December 26:  Good King Wenceslas by John M. Neale, illustrated by Tim Ladwig*
January 6:  The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie dePaola
We Three Kings by Gennady Spirin*

The Little Drummer Boy illustrated by Kristina Rodanas*

We really like the illustrations in this book.

Christmas Books:

The Animals Christmas Carol by Helen Ward

The Christmas Bird by Bernadette Watts

The Christmas Coat by Clyde Robert Bulla
The Christmas Donkey by Gillian McClure
This is a beautiful story about a proud and stubborn donkey who learns a very valuable lesson from the Holy Family.
Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren*
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski*
Christmas in the Stable by Astid Lindgren

Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett

Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel by Shirley Climo
The Donkey's Dream by Barbara Helen Berger*
Father and Son: A Nativity Story by Geraldine Mccaughrean

The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen, adapted and illustrated by Bernadette Watts

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss*
The Huron Carol by Frances Tyrell*
Jingle the Christmas Clown by Tomie dePaola

The Legend of the Christmas Rose by William H. Hooks

Little Boys Christmas Gift by John Spiers*

The Little Donkey: A Christmas Story by Gerda Marie Scheidl, illustrated by Bernadette Watts

The Little Drummer Mouse by Mercer Mayer

Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola

Mousekin's Christmas Eve by Edna Miller

Night Tree by Eve Bunting

An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco*
Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell
My children (ages 6 and under) really like this book and will often ask for me to reread it.

Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Robert Byrd

Silent Night: The Song and Its Story by Margaret Hodges
A Small Miracle by Peter Collington
This is a beautiful, wordles picture book.

Take Joy! The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book by Tasha Tudor*
This Is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten
Cynthia Cotten uses lyrical verses to tell the story of the first Christmas.  The illustrations add to the beauty of the story.

The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston

Books that we own are marked with an asterisk*.

Dates indicate Feast Days when we make a point of reading or rereading a book.