Holiday Books to Read with Kids

Celebrate the season by reading one of these festive children's books.

‘Tis the season for family time! Get your kids into the spirit by reading one of these magical books together. From tales about Santa Claus to stories of celebrations around the world, we’ve rounded up our favorite holiday books for kids.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Snowy Hide & Seek, by Eric Carle

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 1-3

Toddlers can go on a snowy adventure with these adorable lift-the-flap board book. Polar bears, Santa Claus, reindeer and penguins are a few of the creatures The Very Hungry Caterpillar encounters throughout the story.

Little Blue Truck’s Christmas, by Alice Schertle 

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 1-3

In this adorable addition to the popular Truck series, Little Blue Truck is spreading holiday cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his animal pals. Toddlers can practice their number skills by counting each green tree, plus the book’s short rhymes keep them engaged. There’s a fun holiday surprise waiting at the end of the book, too!

Little Red Sleigh, by Erin Guendelsberger

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 2-7

This sweet tale tells the story of The Little Red Sleigh, who has always dreamt of becoming Santa’s big red sleigh. Despite being told she’s too small, too young and can’t fly, The Little Red Sleigh is determined to make her impossible dream come true.

Meet the Latkes, by Alan Silberberg

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 3-5

Lucy Latke and her family are celebrating the Festival of Lights. What sets them apart from other families is that the Latkes are all potato pancakes. Even sillier? Grandpa Latke keeps getting the details of the Hanukkah story completely wrong, including calling the Maccabees the “Mega Bees” and turning the dreidel into a Trojan Horse.

How to Catch an Elf, by Adam Wallace

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 4-7

This elf version of the “How to Catch” book series is a fun addition to your holiday book collection. A mischievous elf is on the loose in your home this Christmas Eve. So how exactly do you go about catching him? The book is filled with silly ideas for traps and STEAM concepts to entertain and delight your child.

The Giving Snowman: A Children’s Bedtime Story About Gratitude, by Julia Zheng

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 3-8

Teaching children to be grateful is so important, and this book helps little ones with that lesson.  A friendly Snowman assists a Bird, Rabbit, Farmer and Traveler when they are in need. Then, when the sun melts the Snowman, the same crew comes together to help rebuild him.

Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa, by Donna L. Washington

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 4-8

Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa is not going very well. His Granna Rabbit is feeling ill and his family is canceling their big feast, called Karamu. Since Karamu is Li’l Rabbit’s favorite part of the holiday, he goes searching for a treat for his Granna so she’s still able to celebrate.

A World of Cookies for Santa, by M.E. Furman

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 4-8

Travel across the globe on a culinary adventure to see all of the delicious treats that children leave for Santa on Christmas Eve. From the Philippines to Russia and Malawi, your own children will enjoy learning about Christmas traditions, complete with cookie recipes.

Green is for Christmas, by Drew Daywalt

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 4-8

The colorful characters from the bestseller The Day the Crayons Quit have returned in another sweet tale. This time around, the Green Crayon tries to convince the others that green is the only color for Christmas, but the rest of the crayons prove him wrong. From red for candy canes to white for snow, the crayons bring their hues together to make the holiday complete. 

Sparkles of Joy, by Aditi Wardhan Singh

Photo courtesy of Amazon

  • Best for ages: 5-9

When new neighbor Caleb joins a Diwali playdate, Riya and her friends hope they are able to make him feel comfortable. The pals compare Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas and are able to find surprising similarities. This book will no doubt spark conversations about diversity with your children.

Brave Blondie: A Not So Merry Christmas, by Diane Mizwicki and Roksana Barwinska

Photo courtesy of
Diane Mizwicki

  • Best for ages: 3-8

This holiday mash up throws the tooth fairy into all sorts of holiday chaos! Blondie the tooth fairy has just been assigned the best job ever: collecting teeth from the North Pole!

Blondie prepares for everything, but when she drops one elven tooth and loses another, she has to hunt across packages and ornaments, in every country she can think of to get those pearly whites back where they belong.


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Metro Parent Editorial Team
Metro Parent Editorial Team
Since 1986, the Metro Parent editorial team is trained to be the go-to source for metro Detroit families, offering a rich blend of expert advice, compelling stories, and the top local activities for kids. Renowned for their award-winning content, the team of editors and writers are dedicated to enriching family life by connecting parents with the finest resources and experiences our community has to offer.

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