4 Delightful Picture Books for Christmas

Hello friends!

Today I’d like to share the sweetest new Christmas books.

They’re not brand new, as in 2021, but they’re all new to me and were published between 2016 and 2020, so they’re all fairly recent.

I hope you love them as much as I do!

Please note, I’ve used Amazon affiliate links throughout this post. If you decide to purchase a book I’ll receive a very small commission (no extra cost to you).

Christmas Is Joy by Emma Dodd, 2020

I was initially attracted to this book by the sparkles and sweet snowy wildlife scene on the cover.

This is a story, written in rhyme, about a young reindeer who learns all about the meaning of Christmas. It completely ignores all the commercial aspects of Christmas and instead focuses on love, family and peace. It’s a short book at 24 pages and would be perfect for preschoolers up to Kindergarten.

Reading Christmas is Joy is a such a peaceful and calming experience that I plan to share it with my 5 year old granddaughter.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention, every other page has a very sparkly effect — so beautiful! I’m sure Ivy will be touching and oohing and aahing at the glitter.

♥ Click here to see Christmas is Joy on Amazon

 

One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland, 2019

The bear, the moose and the beaver are at it again. This time they’re preparing their home for Christmas. They have the presents, the lights, the stockings and the food. The only thing missing is the perfect Christmas tree.

But when bear realizes his friends mean to cut down the tree, they have a big problem. Bear LOVES trees and there’s no way he’s going to let moose and beaver cut it down.

After a hilarious altercation with his friends, bear figures out a way to celebrate Christmas without harming the tree.

I love this book. It’s sweet and funny, it features a problem and solution, and illustrates how sometimes even the best of friends have to learn to compromise. This book is good for ages 4 to 7.

♥ Click here to see One Wild Christmas on Amazon

 

Meerkat Christmas by Emily Gravett, 2019

This is the story about Sunny the meerkat who leaves home to find the perfect Christmas. There must be snow, decorated fir trees, a huge pile of presents, a turkey dinner with sprouts, and Christmas carols.

He leaves the Kalahari and travels around the world to places like Australia, the Phillippines, Antarctica and more! While he enjoys himself at each location he has difficulties finding the perfect Christmas; there’s always something missing.

While he gets closer and closer to his ideal vision he finally realizes that things and food don’t make a perfect Christmas; it’s family, of course.

This is a very sweet story with a real “home is where the heart is” vibe.

There are lots of little Christmas cards scattered throughout the book; cards you can open and read, reminiscent of The Jolly Postman. Remember that one?

I think kids from 5 to 7 will really like this charming book!

♥ Click here to see Meerkat Christmas on Amazon

 

The Christmas Boot by Lisa Wheeler, 2016

My last book is this beauty from Lisa Wheeler. The gorgeous and detailed pencil and watercolour illustrations by Jerry Pinkney are so luscious and warm and absolutely perfect for this tale.

The story begins on Christmas morning when Hannah, an old woman who lives alone in the forest, stumbles across a lovely warm boot. She doesn’t have her own boots so she’s very appreciative of this lucky find.

As she goes to bed that night she wishes for the boot’s mate and sure enough it’s there waiting for her the next morning.

Hannah goes about her usual chores and finds herself wishing for some toasty mittens and later a beautiful house with lots of delicious food.

And wouldn’t you know it? All her wishes come true.

But soon an old man in a red suit and a white beard appears at her door. He’s missing a boot and wonders if she has it. She does, of course, and as soon as she returns it her mittens and fancy house disappear.

But Hannah is a kind and practical woman and isn’t bothered about this at all, because as wonderful as the house was it just didn’t feel like her.

The old man leaves Hannah with three lovely gifts that feel EXACTLY like her. I won’t give away what they are, but trust me when I say they’re perfect!

I highly recommend this book to all ages (although officially it’s meant for 4 to 8 year olds). It’s such a satisfying tale and will surely fill your heart with warmth and happiness. I especially loved it because despite Hannah’s lack of riches, she’s a kind-hearted soul who understands what’s most important in life.

Enjoy!

♥ Click here to see The Christmas Boot on Amazon

 

Brand New Christmas Paper Bag Puppets

Before you go I’d love to show you the new paper bag puppets I made. If you’ll be reading your kids books about Santa and/or gingerbread, then these little cuties will be fun to make afterwards to act out the stories!

Just click the images to see them on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Be sure to check out all my other Christmas posts. I have lots of ideas and free stuff!