Literary Pursuits

Christmas Picture Book Roundup

December 10, 2024 / No Comments

Did you know I’m a storyteller? In all fairness, you might say I’m a story reader. My “storytelling” is usually a hybrid of reading and telling. But I’m a good reader (if I do say so, who shouldn’t). In any case, for the past few years, I’ve been sharing a story with the children at church on Sunday mornings. And so, I’m always searching for great stories to share.

In recent weeks, I’ve been perusing many Christmas picture books. This post is a roundup of some of my favorites. You’ll notice I’m not a huge fan of the “Santa Claus at the North Pole” tradition. Rather, I love stories that point to the true “reason for the season.”

I will provide links to Amazon (where you can purchase the book) and the Internet Archive (where you can check out a digital copy of the book—but usually only for one hour at a time).

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble. “In 1881, when their apple tree is felled by a storm just before Christmas, a young farm girl and her family discover that the tree was important to each of them for different reasons.”
  • The Candymaker’s Gift by Helen Haidle. “The legend of the candy cane wonderfully proclaims the best gift of Christmas!”
  • Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck. “A boy surprises his father on Christmas morning by getting up early and milking the cows on their farm.”
    • Purchase at Amazon | Borrow at Internet Archive
  • Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. “A young pioneer girl and her family celebrate Christmas in their cabin in the Wisconsin woods. Text adapted from Little House in the Big Woods.”
  • Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant. “Cynthia Rylant returns to her Appalachian roots in this story of a young girl who lives with her grandparents in the country.”
  • A Christmas Like Helen’s by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. “Presents a descriptive list of all the things required to have a Christmas like the author’s grandmother had, including farm animals, stories of Scotland, ice skating in the moonlight, and joining friends, family, and neighbors at church on Christmas Eve.”
  • The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski. “The widow McDowell and her seven-year-old son Thomas ask the gruff Jonathan Toomey, the best wood-carver in the valley, to carve the figures for a Christmas creche.”
  • Christmas Oranges by Linda Bethers. “After being transferred to an orphanage where the director punishes children for disobeying rules they have never been told, Rose looks forward to Christmas, when she will taste her first orange.”
  • Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Palacco. “A tapestry that is being used to cover a hole in a church wall at Christmas brings together an elderly couple who were separated during World War II.”
  • If He Had Not Come by David Nicholson. “A captivating tale with timeless impact of a young lad who discovers what his world would be like if Jesus had never been born.”
  • Littlejim’s Gift: An Appalachian Christmas Story by Gloria Houston. “While hoping to convince his stern father that he will soon be a man, almost-eleven-year-old Littlejim uses his hard-earned savings for his sister’s Christmas gift.”
  • An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Palacco. “This is a holiday story close to Patricia Polacco’s heart. Frankie was her grandmother’s youngest brother, and every year she and her family remember this tale of a little boy who learned–and taught–an important lesson about giving, one Christmas long ago.”
  • Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegemeyer. “A retelling of the legend in which Saint Nicholas generously supplies the dowries for three girls from a poor family.”
  • What Nick and Holly Found in Grandpa’s Attic by Melody Carlson. “While searching for Christmas ornaments in the attic, Grandpa, Nick, and Holly find many old objects which remind them of Jesus.”
  • The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston. “Ruthie and her mother wonder how they will fulfill their obligation of getting the perfect Christmas tree to the town for the holiday celebration, since Papa has left the Appalachian area to go to war.”

I’d love to add to this list. Any suggestions for me?

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