We always put out our basket of advent and Christmas books by the tree in the beginning of December, and it still stirs all of the excitement for the kids. It started with just a few, but we slowly grew a stack over the years. I wanted to share an updated list of my favorite advent and Christmas books for kids.

1. Lucia Morning in Sweden – I love learning about different culture’s traditions, so this is a great book about the Swedish tradition of St. Lucia on December 13th.
2. The Night of Los Posadas – I come from a Spanish/Mexican background, and Los Posadas is a big tradition in the Mexican culture so I wanted my children to know and understand it as well.
3. Holly & Ivy – This one tops my list. The illustrations, time period, and story always captivates my children. It is an adoption story that will touch your heart.
4. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey – This story is so beautifully written and illustrated. Another personal favorite.
5. Apple Tree Christmas – This was a gift to one of my girls, and it is a really sweet story about a family living a simple life who makes the most of their beloved apple tree. Very Little House on the Prairie feel.
6. There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell – This series makes my kids giggle so hard, so of course they loved the Christmas version!
7. The Donkey Who Carried A King – A sweet story about the Donkey who carried Mary to Bethlehem.
8. Silent Night – A book about the night of Christmas through the song of Silent Night.
9. The Jolly Christmas Postman – Another all time favorite. Classic rhyme characters woven together through the jolly postman who delivers mail to someone familiar on each page. The pages have pockets with little interactive elements like a puzzle, look through book, etc.
10. Advent Storybook – 24 mini stories you can read daily leading up to Christmas about a little bear and his long journey to Bethlehem and the characters he meets along the way.
11. I Spy Christmas – Growing up my siblings and I would always do I Spy together, and it’s fun to see my kids start to do the same. This one is a more challenging one for older ages. Can You See What I see is great for the 4+ age.
12. The Mitten – I love Jan Beret as an author and illustrator, and this is just a sweet story about the mitten that grew enough to keep several animals warm from the snow.
    
    Additional Books we Love:
    Room for a Little One – Beautifully illustrated and captivating pages. My little ones love this book about Christmas night.
    A Christmas Wish for Corduroy – I’ve always loved Corduroy, and this is one that Azelie (3 yrs old) really loves as well.
    Secrets of Winter – This is more of a fun interactive book that story. You use a flashlight to find the hidden animals hibernating for winter.
    Maurice Sendak’s Nutcracker – Little Bear Forever! This book is by the same illustrator, so immediately loved this version of The Nutcracker.
    The Legend of the Poinsetta – This Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be in this story of a little girl, written by award winning author and illustrator Tomie DePaula.