A Christmas book is a gift that comes back every year. Packed away with the decorations and brought out each December, it becomes part of the season, and children who grow up with one often read it to their own children.
These holiday stories won or were honored by the Caldecott and Carnegie juries, and they cover a wide range: magical, funny, tender and traditional, from Russia and Mexico to New England and the North Pole. There is something here for every family and almost every age.
One idea worth stealing: give one new Christmas book every year, with the date written inside. By the time the child is grown, they have a shelf of memories.
Chris Van Allsburg
Great for reading on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve a boy who is starting to doubt boards a mysterious train to the North Pole, where Santa offers him the first gift of Christmas. He chooses a bell from the sleigh, which only believers can hear. Dreamy, glowing paintings and a quiet magic that has made it a classic. Best for 4 to 9.
1986 Caldecott Medal winner
Winner1991
Allan Ahlberg
Great for little hands
The Jolly Postman rides his bike through fairy-tale land on Christmas Eve, delivering cards, letters and games to characters like Red Riding Hood and the Three Bears. Each one is tucked in a real envelope you can open, including a tiny board game and a jigsaw. Pure delight for 3 to 7.
1991 Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner
Winner1973
Raymond Briggs
Great for a family that likes a laugh
Father Christmas wakes up grumbling on Christmas Eve, complains about the cold and the chimneys, and delivers every present anyway. Told in comic-strip panels, it is funny, cozy and very British. Children love seeing his ordinary day at home. Great for 4 to 8.
1973 Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner
Winner1995
Susan Wojciechowski
Great for a quiet, tender evening
Jonathan Toomey is the best woodcarver in the valley and the grumpiest man, because of a sorrow he will not talk about. When a widow and her son ask him to carve a nativity set, the boy's questions slowly change him. A moving story with beautiful paintings, for 5 and up and the adults reading it.
1995 Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner
Winner1960
Marie Hall Ets
Great for learning about Christmas around the world
Ceci, a little girl in Mexico City, is old enough for her first posada, one of the nine nights of celebrations before Christmas, and gets to choose her very own piñata. A warm picture of a family tradition, and a Caldecott winner.
1960 Caldecott Medal winner
Winner1961
Ruth Robbins
Great for families who love old legends
On a winter night the Three Kings stop at old Baboushka's house and invite her to come with them to find the child. She says she will come tomorrow, and spends every Christmas since searching. A Russian legend, simply told, with striking stylized pictures.
1961 Caldecott Medal winner
Honor1925
Anne Carroll Moore
Great for collectors of old books
A Newbery Honor book from 1925 about a small figure named Nicholas and his Christmas adventures in New York. A vintage choice for families who love old books.
1925 Newbery Medal Honor Book
Winner1963
Ezra Jack Keats
Great for the first snow
Not a Christmas story, but a perfect winter gift for the youngest children: Peter's day in the new snow, with bright collage pictures. Many families read it every time the first snow falls.
1963 Caldecott Medal winner
Most children love it from about four to nine, though many adults read it every year too.
The Jolly Christmas Postman is a hit from about three, with real envelopes to open. For the youngest, The Snowy Day makes a lovely winter book.
Yes. Its question, whether you can still hear the bell, means more as children get older, which is why many families keep reading it into the teen years.
For more gift ideas, see our holiday gift guide with one pick for every age.