Somewhere between the hustle and bustle of present shopping, after-school activities and never-ending to-do lists, your Christmas spirit can get swept away in a whirlwind of busyness. While it can be hard to slow down and find time to spend with your child at such a hectic time of year, there’s one festive tradition that will help you both relax and bond, all while helping to build the anticipation to 25 December.
We are, of course, talking about a good story. Whether you want to get into the Christmas spirit early by counting down the days with a different festive book each night of the month, or you prefer to save an extra-special yuletide tale for Christmas Eve, there are some incredible titles to choose from.
Snuggling up for a bedtime story with your child is perhaps one of the best ways to encourage them to lose themselves in the magic of the season without sitting in front of a screen or without costing you a fortune. But remember, silly voices are non-negotiable, so you best get practising!
When choosing a Christmas book, it’s important to consider the age and reading level of your child. While babies will love board books with clear images and anything that plays music, toddlers will go wild for pop up or lift-the-flap tales. For older children who can read independently, we’d recommend a story they can really get stuck into – perhaps something fantastically funny or a classic that they’ll want to revisit year after year.
Of course, there are countless festive-filled books to choose from, so to save you valuable present-shopping time, we’ve handpicked some of the very best reads that deliver an extra dose of Christmas magic.
How we tested
We read and turned the pages of countless Christmassy tales alongside our mini testers to find our pick of the best festive stories both you and your children will enjoy. The ones that made our final list are those that our little testers reached for again and again (and that we also didn’t mind reading for the umpteenth time). We looked for books that gave us that warm and fuzzy feeling, had beautiful illustrations, unforgettable characters and, most importantly, left us feeling excited for Christmas.
The best Christmas books for kids for 2023 are:
‘Luna loves Christmas’ by Joseph Coelho, published by Andersen Press
A special festive edition of the Luna Loves series, this book celebrates separated families at Christmas time and is a truly heartwarming tale that will charm any young reader.
The story follows Luna, a young girl who shares her time between two parent’s homes – sometimes at Mum’s, sometimes at Dad’s. This year though, Luna has a different Christmas, as she and her mum volunteer to distribute food bank parcels to people in need – from the Sandhu family, who live on the 12th floor of a tower block, to old Ms Pothers, who is so grateful to receive her box that she reads Luna a special Christmas story (which is included as an extra insert inside).
The story captures the spirit of the season perfectly and carries some incredibly important yet subtle messages about the power of community and helping those less fortunate.
The illustrations are bright, detailed and feature a diverse cast of characters who represent different cultures. Plus, we love how special the hardback feels, and the front cover comes complete with glittery red text and green foil detail on the Christmas trees.
An upbeat and positive story that feels warm and offers a much-needed depiction of different people’s realities during the festive period, Luna Loves has Christmas spirit in spades and is one we’ll be reaching for many years to come.
Buy now £11.35, Amazon.co.uk
‘How the Grinch stole Christmas!’ by Dr. Seuss, published by Harper Collins
A timeless children’s classic that can be enjoyed year after year, little readers will love taking a trip to Who-ville to hear all about the season’s most lovable villain.
A rhyming tale from the iconic Dr Seuss, this unforgettable story follows The Grinch, the meanest creature you’ll ever meet, who absolutely hates Christmas. But just as he hatches a dastardly plot to steal the big day, his cynical heart is changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit.
Written in amusing verse with themes of love and acceptance, this story has become a favourite for good reason and is perfect for reading aloud to your favourite little Whos.
We also loved the unique illustrations, which are the same as those found in the book when it was originally published in 1957, using just two different coloured inks, red and black.
Read the eBook now:
Buy now £4.50, Amazon.co.uk
‘The Night Before Christmas’ by Clement C. Moore, published by The Folio Society
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Clement C. Moore’s famed tale, but there’s something incredibly special about this edition in particular, which marks the 200th anniversary of the book’s original publication on 23 December 1823.
We all know the story, which captures the anticipation and wonder of Christmas Eve so well, and it continues to this day to be a book that delights readers of all ages for good reason. The poem is brimming with nostalgia and humour, and now, thanks to illustrator Ella Beech, the author’s magical tale has been bought to life with a whopping 42 pages of stunning full-colour visuals.
The book itself is beautiful with a hardback design that features a clever fold-out section, glow-in-the-dark binding and an extraordinary level of detail that, in our opinion, makes it the ultimate collectable edition that’s perfect for gifting.
Buy now £39.95, Foliosociety.com
Wonderbly ‘Your Night Before Christmas’
A personalised book can help make the festive season feel extra special and really help add to the magic of Christmas, which is why we loved this offering from Wonderbly. If you’re not already familiar, Wonderbly is an online publisher that makes personalised books for adults and kids, whereby you can edit key details such as names and even character’s appearances to create a truly bespoke tale. This particular book is perfect for Christmas Eve, as it’s based on the classic Night Before Christmas poem written by Clement Clarke Moore, but features your child as the star. There are myriad ways to personalise this book, from three colour options for the cover to a choice of characters who resemble your little one, right down to their hair colour, hairstyle and skin tone. It’s the perfect Christmas keepsake.
Buy now £29.99, Wonderbly.com
‘Dear Santa’ by Rod Campbell, published by Macmillan Children’s Books
A brilliant read for younger children, little tots will love this lift-the-flap book, which is perfect for introducing them to the concept of Christmas. Courtesy of the same author of the preschool classic, Dear Zoo, this book uses simple and easy-to-follow sentences as it follows Santa on his journey to find the perfect present.
Toddlers will love lifting the flaps on each page to reveal what Santa has wrapped, and the sturdy pages are ideal for little hands – plus there’s even an exciting touch-and-feel surprise ending.
A hands-on winner, we love how interactive and engaging this book is for younger readers, and think it would make a wonderful Christmas gift or stocking filler.
Buy now £4.00, Amazon.co.uk
‘Mog’s Christmas’ by Judith Kerr, published by Harper Collins Children’s Books
From the creator of The Tiger Who Came to Tea comes a delightful Christmas adventure following everyone’s favourite family cat, Mog. This special edition, which celebrates 50 years of the forgetful feline, is in a beautiful board-book format, making it ideal for small hands. Plus, it comes complete with a stunning foiled cover for extra festive sparkle.
A simple, funny and heartwarming story about a cat feeling overwhelmed by the changes Christmas brings, this is a great book for animal lovers big and small who will likely be familiar with Mog’s trepidation, particularly towards the Christmas tree.
A fun page-turner that’s become a firm favourite on our bookshelf, this is a great one for young readers to snuggle up with solo or take turns at reading with an adult.
Read the eBook now:
Listen to the audiobook now:
Buy now £7.35, Amazon.co.uk
‘Three Little Monkeys at Christmas’ by Quentin Blake, published by Harper Collins Children’s Books
Giggle along at this laugh-out-loud story that’s full of silly scenarios, and promises to give your little ones a serious Christmas spirit top-up.
Bringing together two giants of the picture book world – Quentin Blake and illustrator Emma Chichester Clark – this story follows Hilda Snibbs, who takes her three mischievous little monkeys to stay with her Uncle Gilbert whose home is full of amazing things, including his prized possession – an ancient golden teapot. But the holiday is soon filled with chaos as the monkeys behave badly and Hilda starts to regret bringing the three little monkeys with her. That is until, one night, their antics come in very handy… but we won’t give any more away.
Perfect for shared or individual reading, this is a genuinely hilarious story that leaves you with a big smile on your face, as well as feeling excited for Christmas.
Read the eBook now:
Listen to the audiobook now:
Buy now £7.99, Waterstones.com
‘Penguin and Pup: The perfect Christmas’ by Hazel Gardner, published by Macmillan Children’s Books
A lovely rhyming story that’s easy to read, this is a fun Christmas caper of a book that follows two best friends – Penguin and Pup. Like lots of friends, the characters like very different things, especially when it comes to Christmas, so can they figure out how to celebrate in a way that suits both of them? Guaranteed to deliver plenty of giggles, it’s a book the whole family will enjoy and is filled with vibrant illustrations. Plus, the storyline is great and shows your little ones the importance of listening to one another and compromising. Our mini testers especially loved the quiz at the back of the book too, which helps you decide whether you’re more Penguin or more Pup.
Read the eBook now:
Buy now £7.35, Amazon.co.uk
‘The Snowman/The Snowman and the Snowdog’ read by Matthew Macfadyen and Benedict Cumberbatch
No Christmas is complete without these Raymond Brigg’s iconic tales, which follow James, a young boy who wakes one day to find that the snowman (and snowdog in the sequel) he built has come to life.
A story experience like no other, the two tales are brought to life as a Tonie – a hand-painted figurine you place on top of a Toniebox audio player (£79.95, Amazon.co.uk), for the story to play. Voiced by actors Matthew Macfadyen and Benedict Cumberbatch, our little listeners sat quietly for the entire 17 minutes of story time and enjoyed the independence of being able to stop and start each tale as they wished.
We also found that the familiar tales provide a soothing background for bedtime. Our only grumble? We wish the Tonie included the magical songs from each film too.
Buy now £14.99, Tonies.com
‘The Dinosaur that Pooped a Reindeer’ by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter, published by Puffin
There’s something about toilet humour that kids find absolutely hilarious – add Christmas and dinosaurs into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a laugh-out-loud book that’s sure to be a hit with most kids. Written by bestselling author duo Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter (yes, of McFly fame), this festive tale is the perfect introduction to the Dinosaur that Pooped series. Set on Christmas Eve, the story follows Danny and Dino, who receive an exciting invitation to the North Pole and enjoy a festive tour of Santa’s workshop. However, Dino soon gets hungry and is swiftly tempted by all the tasty Christmas treats he’s surrounded by, but can he resist? This has become a firm favourite in our house owing to its utter silliness, fun illustrations and interactive lift-the-flaps that provide instant entertainment.
Buy now £5.00, Amazon.co.uk
‘The Christmas Bear: A Push, Pull and Slide Book’ by Ian Whybrow, published by Macmillan Children’s Books
If you have a pre-schooler who loves to get involved during story time, this is the ideal book to countdown to Christmas with. Designed with tabs they can push and pull on every page, it’s ideal for little hands that like to keep busy, and the narrative itself requires them to pay attention and look for clues. When poor Bear is left behind at the workshop after Father Christmas sets off to deliver the presents, your little one needs to figure out how he will make it to Tom’s house in time for Christmas morning. They need to slide the scenes on each page to find out and follow Bear as he chases Santa’s sleigh all the way from the North Pole. This was a big hit with our little tester, who not only adored being able to join in with the storytelling but also the witty rhymes and silly scenarios.
Buy now £6.49, Amazon.co.uk
‘The Christmas Owl’ by Gideon Sterer, published by Andersen Press
Truly heartwarming, this is a beautiful book based on the true story of a tiny owl that was found inside New York’s famous Rockefeller Christmas tree in 2020.
The tale follows Little Owl whose home is cut down by people saying it will make the perfect Christmas tree. When the bird wakes up, she finds that her tree has been transported to the Big City where she discovers the true meaning of Christmas.
Co-written by Ellen Kalish, caretaker of the real owl, this is a charming story of friendship and compassion, which is bursting with Christmas magic. A particularly special bedtime tale, we also loved reading about the real story at the end, and think this is a book that we’ll undoubtably revisit.
Buy now £7.99, Waterstones.com
‘The Nutcracker: and the Mouse King’s Christmas Shenanigans’ by Alex T. Smith, published by Macmillan Children’s Books
Make a new festive family tradition this year with Alex T. Smith’s whimsical Advent book, which has been designed to help your child count down to Christmas with 24 (and a half) chapters, one to be read each night. From the bestselling author of festive favourites like The Grumpus and How Winston Delivered Christmas, this book is a gloriously fun retelling of children’s Christmas classic The Nutcracker.
Set in a kingdom made from sweets, the story follows Clara, Fritz and Walter as they try to rescue the Sugar Plum Fairy from the mischievous paws of the Mouse King, who’s been causing some serious festive mayhem.
Beautifully imaginative, we love the idea of counting down to Christmas by reading a new chapter of this tale every night. It’s incredibly funny, filled with silly names and scenarios, and has heaps of holiday magic.
Read the eBook now:
Buy now £13.35, Amazon.co.uk
‘Peppa Meets Father Christmas’, published by Ladybird
This book is sure to become a firm favourite with any Peppa Pig fan. Following everyone’s favourite pint-sized piggy, the book follows Peppa as she prepares for her playgroup’s Christmas play. After a chance meeting at the supermarket, Peppa has invited Father Christmas to come along for the show but will Father Christmas make it? Ideal for toddlers, the illustrations are bright and bold with plenty of small details for little ones to point out. The story is easy to follow and the language is also simple, making it a great option for those learning to read, too. It also provides plenty of giggles and would make a lovely Christmas gift or addition to a Christmas Eve box.
Buy now £6.22, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: Christmas books for kids
While we think every one of these festive books is deserving of a place on your little one’s bookshelf this Christmas, if we have to pick one, we’d recommend Joseph Coelho’s Luna Loves Christmas. From its charming illustrations to the genuinely sweet messaging, inclusive illustrations and joyful story, it’s sure to delight children of all ages and help them get into the festive spirit. A special mention also goes to Dr Seuss’s How the Grinch stole Christmas!, which is a classic tale that every member of the family will love, thanks to its quirky rhyming versus. For a truly special gift, we also highly recommend Wonderbly’s Your Night Before Christmas, which guarantees to get your little one in the festive spirit.
Looking for more inspiration? Read our guide to the best toys for kids this Christmas
