Grab your hot chocolate and a cozy blanket, and cuddle up by the fire and enjoy these fantastic Christmas books with your children.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Dr. Seuss’ classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch is one of the crankiest Christmas grumps of all time, right up there with Ebenezer Scrooge. “The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas Season! Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.” Don’t dismay, just enjoy this rollicking story with the Grinch and the children of Whoville, and rejoice as the ”Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes that day”.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg is a beautiful, timeless Christmas classic. The winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1986, The Polar Express has sold more than seven million copies and has become a classic holiday movie. For everyone who believes in the magic of Christmas, this beautifully illustrated book will become a beloved Christmas favourite. “At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for most of them… Though I’ve grown old the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.”
Dream Snow by Eric Carle is a simple, well-told story of a farmer who settles down for a nap wondering how Christmas can come if there is no snow. In his dream, he imagines a snowstorm and awakes to discover that it has really snowed. He puts on his red suit and goes outside to put gifts under the tree for his animals. Like Carle’s popular The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this simple story is illustrated in a colourful collage style. There’s even a little music at the end.
Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood is the sequel to the award-winning classic The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and The Big Hungry Bear. This beautiful picture book brings back the same delightful characters. The timid little mouse and the unseen big hungry bear and ends with a wonderful Christmas surprise. Beautifully illustrated in acrylic paintings, this gorgeous book will be a Christmas favourite for many years to come.
Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town by J. Fred Coots is a rollicking depiction of the all-time favourite Christmas song. Steven Kellogg’s incredibly festive illustrations will have you “singing through the pages.” Santa has never come to town with such style “with elephants, boats, and kiddie cars, too!” In the words of Kellogg, “I want the time that the reader shares with me and my work to be an enjoyable experience-one that encourages a lifetime association with pictures, words and books.”
Have you ever wondered what snowmen do at Christmas? Snowmen At Christmas by Caralyn and Mark Buehner is a wonderful companion to the New York Times bestseller Snowmen At Night. Something is stirring outside! The snowmen are preparing to celebrate! Told in rhythmical, rhyming verse, this whimsically illustrated book is sure to become a Christmas favourite.
No list of Christmas favourites would be complete without the eternal classic The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore. This lighthearted Christmas poem has become a favourite Christmas tradition in homes all over the world, best known for its opening lines, “Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”
If you are looking for more great titles for you and your children, don’t hesitate to ask at your local public library. We are always very happy to recommend books for you to read.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Dianne Allan works at Port Coquitlam’s Terry Fox Library.
