Christmas Book Advent
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One of my favourite traditions is our Christmas book advent that I do with my nephews. I collect children’s books so it’s only natural for me to have a large selection of books for my favourite season. This year, one of my nephews was so excited for the advent that he helped me wrap the books.
We read the same book every Christmas Eve so that gets wrapped in a different paper and then we open up a surprise book each day. I select a new book to add to our collection each year.
This year we’ve added the newly released Dogger’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes.
Shirley Hughes is one of our favourites for traditional British stories. In our eyes she really is a national treasure. My Mum loves the book Lucy and Tom’s Christmas because it portrays Christmas as it was when she was a little girl.
Here is a list of our favourite Christmas stories to include in our advent. Some of them mention the Nativity story (marked with an *), others embrace the season of winter and the spirit of giving:
Emily’s Perfect Christmas Tree by Catherine Christensen* (my childhood best friend) - Emily is on the hunt for the perfect tree to make sure Christmas is perfect, but every tree is not quite right.
Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell* -Animals seek shelter in the stable one by one.
The First Christmas by Rod Campbell* - A simple retelling of the Christmas story.
Nativity by Sam Taplin* - A lift the flap retelling of the Christmas story.
Refuge by Anne Booth* - Published in support of refugees, this book tells of the flight of Joseph, Mary and Jesus into Egypt.
Dear Santa by Rod Campbell - from the Author of Dear Zoo, but a Christmas version.
Ten Little Elves by Mike Brownlow - Ten elves are trying to save Christmas. A counting book from ten to one and back again.
Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht - From the snowy outdoors to the warm glow of a decorated tree. The art work in this is beautiful.
Mince Spies by Mark Sperring - The Christmas treats are being destroyed in supermarkets. The Mince Spies arrive to investigate. A fun rhyming book about being nice.
The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg - The postman is delivering all the festive greetings to our favourite fairytale characters. Complete with games, books and jigsaws, this is one of my nephew’s favourites. He loves all the goodies inside the envelopes.
Stick Man by Julia Donaldson - ‘Stick Man lives in the family tree’, but he soon finds himself away from the tree and facing the perils of being a stick, will he get back to his ‘Stick Lady Love and their stick children three’?
Snowflake in my Pocket by Rachel Bright - Snow is coming but Bear falls sick and can’t go and play. Squirrel tries to bring some of the magic of snow home for Bear to enjoy.
We’re Going on an Elf Chase by Martha Mumford - A lift the flap book, four bunnies seek ten little elves.
Ollie’s Christmas Reindeer by Nicola Killen - Ollie discovers a lost reindeer in the forest and goes on an adventure, there’s beautiful foil and red touches to the art work with cutout elements in the pages.
Just Right for Christmas by Birdie Black - I adore this book it feels so Christmassy to me. It has always been a tradition to make gifts for loved ones. This charming book shows how from the grandest home to the humblest home, hand made gifts demonstrate our love.
One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth - This is such a classic. Percy the Park Keeper is settling down for a cosy night when there’s a knock at the door. My nephews love the pull out poster at the back.
Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck - Mia misses her Dad and wants her card to reach him in time for Christmas, she has an adventure with the help of a reindeer and a mysterious post box. Beautifully illustrated with window pages and lift the flaps. A beautiful reminder that not all families can be together at Christmas.
Alfie’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes* - Alfie and Annie-Rose celebrate Christmas with their family. Shirley Hughes captures the simple but magical everyday stories of family life.
Lucy & Tom’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes* - Lucy and Tom get ready for Christmas. I love how Shirley Hughes portrays the relationships with older relatives that come to visit. A reminder of simplicity. There are no lavish, expensive gifts, just the joy of being together as a family.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss - Another classic, the Grinch hates Christmas and tries to stop Christmas from coming.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Susanna Davidson - A beautiful pop-up, abridged version of the traditional poem.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg - To the North Pole! A story about believing.
Spot’s First Christmas by Eric Hill - Spot is helping his Mum get the house ready for Christmas. A fun lift the flap book that is a favourite because there’s a part where I pretend to shout “It’s CHRISTMAS!”
The Perfect Gift by Tim Bugbird* - Little mouse loses the perfect present, his parent teaches that love is the greatest gift.
Dogger’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes - With all the excitement of Christmas and new toys, will Dogger be forgotten?
Father Christmas Needs a Wee by Nicholas Allan - A funny counting book, with all the drinks left out for him, Father Christmas is desperate for a wee. Will he finish delivering presents and get to the bathroom in time?
Christmas Around the World by Anna Claybourne - Learn about the different Christmas customs around the world.
These books can be found here.
I am always on the lookout for new books so if you have some absolute classics not on this list, please let me know in the comments below so I can expand my library using your recommendations.