14 best Christmas books for kids, read by parents and children

With enchanting full-page illustrations and fun, rhyming text, this festive adventure completely captivated my testers when read aloud.

When the reindeer gets sick with Antler Flu, Santa fears they’ll be too poorly to pull his sleigh on Christmas Eve. When he arrives at Mr Pottifer’s Plant Shop – a plant shop like no other – Mr Pottifer and green-fingered Sarah set to work, using magical seeds to try and grow some replacements.

It’s fair to say that magical reindeers are somewhat unpredictable, and things don’t go quite according to plan. With Christmas just hours away, can determination, teamwork and an unlikely hero save the day?

While How to Grow a Reindeer is perfect as a standalone adventure, my testers loved spotting familiar characters from the rest of the series nestled among the illustrations – including a unicorn, dragon, and mermaid.

This chunky board book makes a brilliant festive gift for babies and toddlers. A winter-themed title in Usborne’s best-selling That’s Not My… series, each page features bold illustrations and sparkly gold and silver foils, combined with tactile patches for babies and toddlers to explore.

In addition to stimulating their senses, the repeated text in these books is excellent for language development, encouraging your little ones to join in and communicate as you read the words aloud.

My one-year-old tester loved turning the pages of this book independently, responding with excitement as he touched the different textures – from stroking the furry reindeer to smoothing Santa’s fluffy beard. I loved the little white mouse to spot on every page. While you do need to remember to turn on the switch, the ten colourful lights make a magical addition (these turn off automatically after a minute or two if you forget).

This beautiful Mr Men and Little Miss collection is a great way to build up excitement and anticipation during Advent.

Measuring just over 37cm tall, my testers were thrilled when they opened the outer hardback cover to reveal 24 bright envelopes inside, each containing a mini book to enjoy as a countdown during December. I loved the cleverly designed ridge in the pockets, allowing even the most enthusiastic kids to access the contents without them getting ripped or damaged.

Inside, you’ll find a mix of new festive fun and twists on traditional fairy tales, all featuring iconic Mr Men and Little Miss characters like Mr Nosey, Mr Bump and Little Miss Trouble. It’s worth mentioning that the contents are revealed on the back cover, so you may want to keep this hidden if your kids prefer a surprise.

I found these humorous short stories just the right length for bedtime, providing a welcome sprinkle of nostalgia for us parents. Once enjoyed, you can pop them back into their pocket, keeping the collection complete and ready to enjoy next year.

If you think your newborn is too young for Christmas books, think again. This delightful fabric book from Mamas & Papas makes a great introduction to the magic of Christmas for babies and toddlers.

Suitable from birth, this soft activity book can be easily secured onto a pushchair or pram for entertainment on the go. I loved the subtle festive illustrations, with adorable characters and candy canes to spot in each scene. While we initially overlooked the squeaker, my youngest tester loved grabbing hold of the pages and listening to the interactive rustles and rattles that triggered as he played.

This book is a lovely keepsake for your baby’s first Christmas, and I love how it introduces your baby to several Christmas traditions. I won’t lie, though, the white pages did make me slightly nervous – it could easily get quite grubby around a dribbly baby.

Ever wondered what Santa does once Christmas is over? While you may expect him to rest come Boxing Day, his diary is fairly jam-packed full of fun, as showcased in this unique mix-and-match board book.

Creating plenty of giggles from my younger testers, they loved switching up the 24 split pages to create funny Santa scenes – from a surfing Santa zipping through the trees to a skiing Santa merrily cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

With amusing, brightly coloured illustrations and more than 144 combinations to create, the opportunities are endless. The kids loved taking turns to find the funniest Santa personality and spotting the elves' reactions on every page.

It’s aptly named Holly’s first Christmas on Mistletoe Street, and with just three days until the big day, every house is lit up….except one – the home of Holly’s elderly neighbour, Ivy. Not wanting Ivy to miss out on all the fun, Holly reaches out to her, quickly becoming a much-needed companion and friend at what, for some, is the loneliest time of year.

When a snowstorm causes an unexpected power cut on Christmas Eve, Holly stops at nothing to bring Christmas right to Ivy’s doorstep, starting a new festive tradition for Mistletoe Street in the process.

My testers loved the striking illustrations throughout this heartwarming picture book – particularly seeing Ivy’s expression change as the story progressed.

This story actually made me quite emotional, capturing the spirit of the season perfectly. With some important messages about the power of kindness and community, it teaches children that presence, not presents, is truly the heart of Christmas.

My testers were already familiar with several of Rob Biddulph’s picture books (and his Draw with Rob sessions during lockdown), so they were really excited to read this winter-themed adventure.

A heartwarming story filled with stunning seasonal illustrations, this book features rhyming text that was a delight to read aloud. It quickly became a firm favourite with my testers, even my eldest daughter, who has long since moved on from picture books.

When a boy loses his favourite fox teddy in the park, he fears he’s lost his friend for good. That night, a real fox arrives outside his window and encourages him to follow. Can working with this ‘rusty red guide’ help him be reunited with his friend?

The perfect mix of emotional, sentimental and uplifting, it was an absolute joy to observe the kids’ reaction to this story – a journey from sad concern through to pleasure and relief. While my testers held their teddies a little closer at bedtime, Rob’s dedication to Ra-Ra One and Ra-Ra Two totally tugged at my heartstrings.

Having read a few of Helen Peters' animal adventures, my tester was delighted to see this festive edition, with inviting gold foil and glitter on the cover.

When Joy, a baby reindeer, escapes from the Christmas market, Jasmine stops at nothing to find her, searching high and low to bring her back home. With help from her mum, a vet, they work together to nurse Joy back to health, ready for the busiest time of year.

Thanks to the short chapters broken up by engaging monochrome illustrations, my nine-year-old tester absolutely devoured this book. She read it from cover to cover in just one evening, while younger independent readers may prefer to enjoy a chapter each evening before bed.

Ideal for animal lovers, the book provided fun and informative facts about reindeer and how to care for them, so it’s fair to say we all learned something new.

The Lone Husky is the latest title from best-selling author Hannah Gold. While it features the same lead character as her previous award-winning title, The Last Bear, it’s perfect to enjoy as a standalone adventure. Although you should never judge a book by its cover, the gold-foiled design hiding under the dustcover was a very welcome surprise.

Thanks to the Arctic setting and April’s polar bear best friend, The Lone Husky hooked my animal-loving nine-year-old tester right from the outset.

When a nervous purebred Siberian husky arrives at the dog yard, April does everything she can to build his trust. Volunteering for The Polar Race may provide the adventure April longs for, but can Blaze the husky handle the competition?

This story is truly captivating, with immersive scene setting, strong character building and themes of bravery and courage throughout. With manageable chapters and a scattering of striking illustrations, this is a great independent read for children aged eight and above. That said, some of the Norwegian names may prove tricky for less confident readers.

Featuring a large bow on a crimson red cover, this beautiful hardback book is ideal for gifting, with full-page illustrations and magical melodies to discover on every page.

Pip and Sammy are excited when they find a box of unfamiliar objects under their tree on Christmas Eve.

Soon after, they’re whisked off on a magical Christmas adventure, learning more about Christmas festivities all around the world. From releasing Christmas lanterns on an Argentinian beach to visiting the calm and peaceful Festival of Light in Sweden, my testers loved learning more about festive traditions and celebrations across the globe.

While they do require quite a firm push to trigger (younger readers may need a little help), my testers loved pressing the musical notes on each page to hear crisp audio of tunes like Tchaikovsky’s The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride.

I love how the book encourages kids to explore their emotions as they re-listen to all the audio tracks at the end.

While it’s more of a toy than a traditional Christmas book, this weighty tome has an engaging and interactive design that really impressed my testers.

Inside are four beautifully illustrated scenes, showcasing Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve. There is short text to read aloud and items to spot on each page – encouraging your child to seek and find specific items like decorations and cats.

With only 10 pages, the story itself is relatively short; however, the four interactive tracks inside are really something special.

A great way to entertain excited kids in the run up to Christmas Eve, my testers (of all ages) loved removing Santa’s sleigh from the cover and winding it up by turning the dial. With the book opened on a flat surface, they added the sleigh to the start point and watched in fascination as it whizzed around the pages, changing direction as it raced off on its delivery mission.

There’s nothing better than an advent calendar for building anticipation, but they don’t all have to be toys and chocolate. This fun audiobook from Yoto splits a delightful festive story into 24 bite-sized chapters, with engaging audio to listen to every day during December. You can listen to it via the Yoto Player (£89.99) or the Yoto Mini (£59.99), or on your phone using the Yoto app.

When Winston the mouse finds a letter that didn’t make it to Father Christmas, he sets off on a very important mission. He races against the clock to ensure it's delivered before Christmas, meeting plenty of new friends along the way. We listened to a track of this audiobook each evening, and while some tracks were less than five minutes long, the kids really looked forward to their daily updates on Winston’s escapades.

I loved how you receive a PDF link with your purchase, allowing you to print off optional seasonal activities. Some of the activities required a bit of preparation for a non-Pinterest parent like myself; however, you can easily pick and choose the tasks that appeal, with simple, step-by-step instructions to bring them to life.

This hand-painted magnetic Scout Elf Zippy holds 54 minutes of content – a combination of festive jingles, magical stories and Christmas-themed activities.

Compatible with both the original Toniebox (£76.99) and the new Toniebox 2 (£99.99) audio players, this engaging content whisked my testers off to the North Pole and Santa’s workshop, with high-energy jingles and lively American narration.

While recommended for all ages, I’d suggest this is best suited to younger listeners who have their own elf on the shelf during December.

While it’s not technically a Christmas book, I just had to include this fold-out + play doll’s house, which makes a beautiful gift to pop under the tree this Christmas. With short paragraphs of rhyming text to read aloud, this hardback book quickly unfolds to become a stunning 3D doll's house, including a bathroom, kitchen, living room and bedroom.

While younger children may need some assistance, my nine-year-old tester loved removing the press-out pieces from the drawer and slotting the thick cardboard together to create furniture and accessories. She also enjoyed decorating each room with the included stickers, adding rugs, plant pots and photo frames, before some imaginative play with the characters.

While there’s a risk the pieces may get damaged over time, they’re pretty robust, withstanding significant play and showing minimal signs of use. From a parent’s perspective, I love how the pieces can be stashed back in the drawer when not in use – handy when visiting family over the festive season.