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Our Favourite Children’s Books for Christmas
Bringing the magic of Christmas to life for young children is what this time of year is all about and bedtime stories are the perfect way to do just that. Reading to your children brings with it a whole host of benefits, from bonding and cuddling to building upon their creativity, imagination and vocabulary. Filling their heads and their hearts with Christmas cheer is such a wonderful way to spend December so we have selected our top five Christmas books for children for you to read together this festive season.
For our youngest audience we have chosen the best Christmas books to get them excited about the celebrations and also to teach them what the holiday is truly about and, in doing so, introduce an early lesson on that all-important Christmas spirit. For older children who enjoy reading more independently, we have chosen a fun-filled and adventurous comical tale about those well-loved (and seemingly mischievous) Christmas characters – the elves. We also have our favourite new festive release from award-winning author, Tom Fletcher.
8 Dec 2021
The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman
Ages 2-5 years
A beautifully written story with a poetic rhetoric, The Spirit of Christmasis a timeless classic that promises to bring that warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling to even the youngest of readers. Centered around the message that it is love that makes Christmas truly magical for each and every one of us, the story puts family at the heart of the celebration and is the perfect introduction to Christmas books for young children.
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The Christmas Department Store by Maudie Powell-Tuck
Ages 2-5 years
New release, The Christmas Department Store, has already won the hearts of readers across the world with its heartwarming storyline and poignant message about what it really means to give to others at Christmas. A young protagonist desperately wants to be able to give his family presents but they cannot afford any at all. On Christmas Eve, a magical Christmas Department Store pops up and shows Benji how the best gifts at Christmas cannot be bought, and that, in fact, the best gifts cost nothing at all.
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Dasher by Matt Tavares
Ages 5-8 years
Sweet and uplifting, Dasher, is the story of how Santa acquired his team of reindeer to guide his sleigh every Christmas Eve night. A captivating and imaginative story, it focuses upon the most important element of Christmas: love. Beautiful illustrations really bring this tale to life, supporting the emotional and heartwarming narrative seamlessly and making this a popular Christmas book for young children everywhere.
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The Christmasaurus and The Naughty List by Tom Fletcher
Age 6+ years
Glancing over this year’s Naughty List, Father Christmas is surprised to see so many names on there – and some of children he only knows to be good. Fortunately, the Christmasaurus is on hand to help them to turn their negative actions around and make amends for their wrongdoings. The story acknowledges that there is good and bad in all of us and that everyone deserves the chance to right their wrongs. An uplifting and festive tale filled to the brim with Christmas spirit, The Christmasaurus and The Naughty List is the perfect title for this magical season.
Read our full review, including a Q&A with the author, here.
Diary of a Christmas Elf by Ben Miller
Ages 8+ years
Brilliantly fun and from bestselling author Ben Miller, Diary of a Christmas Elf, follows the tale of an elf who has always wanted to be recruited onto Santa’s team. When he finally receives the letter inviting him to work in Santa’s workshop, he finds that it isn’t all that he hoped for. He has been wrongly accused of the crime he is determined to solve – the mystery of the present thief. Can his valiant attempt save Christmas for all the girls and boys?
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