5 of the best Christmas picture books to help your children get excited for the 25th

Regardless of religious belief, Christmas is a time when parents can give special attention to teaching their children about kindness, understanding, charity and joy.

Holiday traditions including sending letters to Santa, decorating the Christmas tree, giving out Christmas cookies and reading holiday stories inspire children to develop their senses of imagination and embrace the fantastic.

Neumann University added, “Besides the gift-giving, children also associate the reunion of family with positive and warm feelings that not only they themselves feel, but also those they are surrounded by as well.”

The 5 best Christmas picture books

A fantastic way to teach your kids about Christmas is through literature, and one of the best ways to do that for young children is through picture books. Here are five of the best Christmas books for children.

1. ‘The Gift of the Magi’

Author: O. Henry.

Illustrator:  P. J. Lynch.

Publication date: 2008.

“The Gift of the Magi” tells of a financially struggling couple who want to buy each other Christmas gifts despite being extremely poor. The wife sells her hair, and the husband sells his family’s watch to pay for the gifts. She buys a new chain for his watch, and he buys expensive combs for her beautiful hair. When they exchange gifts, they realize that their love for each other is more valuable than any material possession they could receive.

“O. Henry paints a masterly portrait of unfaltering love, a haven from the harsh world outside. The poignancy of his story is captured in P.J. Lynch’s eloquent art, wherein every glance, every gesture, tells a subtle truth,” Books a Million describes.

Notable quotation: “There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”

2. ‘The Polar Express’

Author: Chris Van Allsburg.

Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg.

Publication date: 1985.

Before it became one of the most iconic Christmas movies of all time, “The Polar Express” was a picture book.

Cover to Cover Children’s Books describes the plot, “A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical train to the North Pole. ... Through dark forests, over tall mountains, and across a barren desert of ice, the Polar Express makes its way to the huge city standing alone at the top of the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish.”

Notable quotation: “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

3. ‘Auntie Claus’

Author: Elise Primavera.

Illustrator: Elise Primavera.

Publication date: 1999.

This book is set in New York City, and focuses on two spoiled children, Chris and Sophie Kringle. Their fancy Manhattan great-aunt, Auntie Claus, always tells them, “It’s far better to give than to receive,” and when she makes her annual “business trip” around the holidays, Sophie decides to figure out what she does.

Sophie makes two discoveries on her trip: Auntie Claus is Santa Claus’ sister, and Chris has wound up on the naughty list. She replaces his name with her own, and expects a Christmas without presents. When she and Chris wake up on Christmas morning, they both have gifts, but more importantly, they’ve learned it really is better to give than to receive.

Notable quotation: “It had been suggested by their great-aunt, Auntie Claus, that maybe Sophie and her little brother were given too many presents. ‘You can never have too many presents,’ sniffed Sophie. ‘That’s my motto!’”

4. ‘Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect’

Author: Richard H. Schneider.

Illustrator: Elizabeth J. Miles.

Publication date: 1988.

Goodreads describes the plot of this picture book, “Long, long ago, in a land far away, lived a perfect little tree named Small Pine. Small Pine hoped to maintain its perfect form and be selected by the Queen as her Christmas tree. But as the warm-hearted little tree gave shelter to birds, rabbits, and deer in the forest, its branches became damaged.”

When the Queen’s men come looking for the perfect Christmas tree, they talk about how terrible of a Christmas tree it would make. The queen notices that its bent branches are from giving to others. She explains that this is the best kind of Christmas tree. They chop it down and put it up in the castle.

Notable quotation: “Out in the hushed forest every evergreen hoped for this honor. Each tree tried to grow its branches and needles to perfection. All of them strained to have the best form and appearance.”

5. ‘Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas’

Author: Jan Waldron.

Illustrator: David McPhail.

Publication date: 1997.

Barnes & Noble describes, “The pig family is distraught!! Christmas is coming, and they have no money to buy gifts!! Whatever shall they do? Luckily for them, Angel Pig pays them a visit, and shows them the true meaning of Christmas. The pigs set about making gifts, baking food, and embracing the holiday spirit.”

By serving each other, this family of pigs finds the true meaning of Christmas.

Notable quotation:

“We don’t have the money to buy any gifts. 
We’re fresh out of cash — no buts, ands, or ifs. 
We’ll have to miss out on this once-a-year day. 
We haven’t the credit or incoming pay.”