Surprisingly, I had to wander the Christmas books at the library to find enough picture books to fill our days. I hope to continue this tradition in future years, filling out our collection enough to use our own books (and no library books) and to keep it up through the Epiphany. Some of the books this year, too, were more "fillers" than "my favorite Christmas books" so I'll be looking to replace some of the selections with others. A few longer ones I do like I didn't include because First Son wasn't very interested in them yet like The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
and The Birds' Christmas Carol
. We'll have room to shuffle things around and include them in later years either as part of our "unwrapping books" or as a family read-aloud. I really need to read A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas
for myself this year, too. I may add it to our family celebrations next year. (Can you believe I haven't ever read it? Especially since the Mazzucco family recommended it last year. But I was pregnant and then I had a baby.)Some of this year's books are more for the younger children and some (I must admit) are mainly for me. Please tell me I can continue this tradition long after my youngest child is as old as First Son is now! So many of these books are so wonderful! Surely picture books are good for all ages...
Anyway, here are the books we're reading this year. (We have a few others lying around as well like Jingle the Christmas Clown
and Gingerbread Baby
, as well. I couldn't wrap them all!) Please comment or email with any other recommendations for next year's list.- The Last Straw
by Frederick Thury (My children adore this book. Second Son is receiving a copy as his Epiphany gift so we'll have our own copy next year.)
- A Christmas Story: Mini Edition
by Brian Wildsmith (Oh, how I love his illustrations!)
- The Night of Las Posadas (Picture Puffins)
by Tomie dePaola
- Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey
by Robert Byrd
- A Small Miracle
by Peter Collington (This is a fabulous wordless book. Please check it out if you've never had the pleasure of reading it.)
- A Christmas Like Helen's
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
- A Gift from Saint Francis: The First Creche
by Joanna Cole
- The Gift of the Magi
by O. Henry
- Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend
by Julie Steigemeyer (for the feast of St. Nicholas)
- The Christmas Story: From the King James Version
illustrated by Gennady Spirin
- To Whom the Angel Spoke
by Terry Key
- The Legend of the Poinsettia
by Tomie dePaola (for the feast day of St. Juan Diego)
- A Christmas Tree in the White House
by Gary Hines
- The Donkey's Dream
by Barbara Helen Berger
- The Lady of Guadalupe
by Tomie dePaola (for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, of course)
- The Legend of the Christmas Rose
by William H. Hooks
- Bear Stays Up for Christmas
by Karma Wilson
- The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story
by Gloria Houston (and illustrated by my most favorite illustrator Barbara Cooney)
- Christmas Day in the Morning
by Pearl S. Buck
- Lucy's Christmas
by Donald Hall
- Merry Christmas Mom and Dad (A Golden Look-Look Book)
by Mercer Mayer (This one is for the day of Kansas Dad's birthday.)
- The Crippled Lamb
by Max Lucado
- The Huron Carol
by Frances Tyrrell (I'm also requesting some CDs from the library to see if I can find a good version of the carol for us to hear on the same day.)
- The Friendly Beasts
illustrated by Tomie dePaola
- Christmas in the Barn
by Margaret Wise Brown
- The Miracle of Saint Nicholas (Golden Key Books)
by Gloria Whelan
- Bethlehem: Revised Standard Version Of The Holy Bible, Catholic Edition
illustrated by Fiona French and The Night Before Christmas: A Victorian Vision of the Christmas Classic
illustrated by Anita Lobel (two for Christmas Eve)
- All for the Newborn Baby
by Phyllis Root
