25 Christmas Books About Christ

I love the Christmas season, don’t you? Yes, there is a fair amount of hustle and bustle as we scramble to find and wrap that perfect gift. Certainly that’s what we see in the iconic movies centered around the holiday. But, there’s also a fair amount of laziness and calmness, and plenty of time for celebrating the true reason for the season, if you make room for it. That’s why I love reading Christmas books about Christ to my children.

After all, ’tis the reason for the season, right?

But really, there’s nothing like stopping whatever you’re doing to sit on the couch with a fuzzy blanket to read Christmas books to your children. It’s even better with the Christmas tree lit and a fire going. Maybe there’s also cookies baking in the oven, or English toffee cooling on the counter?

Now, there are only so many ways you can retell the Christmas story, but the picture books I’m sharing with you today are from all different perspectives, and books your children are sure to love. Some do tell the traditional story, but in such an amazing and lovely way, while others tell the story from a completely new perspective. These are 25 Christmas books about Christ that have been tried and tested by my own kids.

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There are 25 books included in this list. I love that pin that’s floating around where you wrap up a book for everyday in December, opening one each day to count down to Christmas. Twenty-five books about Christ for 25 days counting down to Christmas. That means you get to remind your children of the true meaning of Christmas every single day.

And if you’re going to have 25 books about the same topic, Christmas is a great collection to have!

25 Christmas Books about Christ

Goodnight, Manger by Laura Sassi  tells the story of how Mary and Joseph try to lull Baby Jesus to sleep in the noisy stable after his birth. Mary and Joseph and the animals try everything they can think of to hush the noises of the stable. Who knew it could be so noisy on the silent night? This book offers the same rhythmic text of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and tells the classic manger story, mingling the routines of bedtime books and the Christmas story.

2. A Star for Jesus  by Crystal Bowman

3. Stable Where Jesus Was Born by Rhonda Gowler Greene

4. The Christmas Story by Jane Werner Watson

The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola is a beautifully written story about the signs of Christmas. All the birds have gathered to eat in the fields, however they soon notice changes in Bethlehem. People gathering, an angel in the night sky, a new star. The birds realize that something wonderful is about to happen and off they fly to find the stable and manger where the Christ child has been born.

6. Mary’s First Christmas by Walter Wangerin Jr.

7. The Wonder of Christmas by Dandi Daley Mackall

8. Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story Sally Lloyd-Jones

9. The Christmas Baby  by Marion Dane Bauer

Little One, We Knew You’d Come by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a lyrical text that speaks not only to young children but also to mothers is it retells the marvel of Christ’s birth. As you read along you find Mary and Joseph making preparations for their Little One. They are filled with anticipation and hope. The reader goes with them to Bethlehem where they make night in a lowly  and humble stable, delivering on the promise that a Savior would be born. The illustrations in this book are incredible. While the poetic nature of the text stands out, they do not stand without the beautiful and detailed illustrations.

11. Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale Martin Waddell

12. The Christmas Story for Children by Max Lucado

13. The Animals’ Christmas Eve  by Gale Wiersum

14. The Message of the Birds by Kate Westerlund

This Is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten is one of my all-time favorite Christmas books. Slightly reminiscent of the representative text of “This is the House that Jack Built,” this book is a captivating telling of the Christmas story. The book’s brief couplets introduce each part of the story–the manger, the watchful animals, the holy family–always returning to the refrain of the “quiet stable.” The illustrations are bold and beautiful, but rich in detail as each page encourages the creation of its own little story beyond the brief text.

16. The Very First Christmas by Paul L. Maier

17. One Shining Star: A Christmas Counting Book by Anne Vittur Kennedy

18. Santa’s Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas by Hisako Aoki

19. Itsy Bitsy Christmas: You’re Never Too Little for His Love by Max Lucado

Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer is a clever story about a camel named Humphrey who carried a wise man to see the Baby Jesus upon His birth. Several mishaps happen to poor Humphrey as he travels from afar, including loosing his blanket and scheming to get a new one. Once he arrives, Humphrey is so in awe of the love surrounding the Christ Child that he selflessly gives his new blanket to the Baby. His blanket becomes a symbol for the free nature of gifts from the heart.

21. Listen to the Silent Night by Dandi Daley Mackall

22. A Stable in Bethlehem by Juliet David

23. The Stars Came Out on Christmas by William Boniface

24. Who is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate

The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats is the classic tale of the song we all know so well. A joyous procession comes to Bethlehem at the birth of Christ, and the humble drummer boys comes too. However being too poor to give a luxurious gift like gold or myrrh, the boy plays his drums for the Savior. This is a simple story about giving from the heart, and a wonderful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.