Our favourite Christmas books to read
One of the very many things I love about this time of year, is pulling out the Christmas story books, to read with Noah. I do love a good Christmas story!
My favourite Christmas story is the birth of Jesus. As a family, this is why we celebrate Christmas. Having said that, we do also believe in Father Christmas and Christmas elves and magical reindeer with red noses. Jason and I both grew up in families where Father Christmas was real. And we loved it. So for us, it was only natural to raise Noah with the same traditions. It’s all about the imagination and magic behind Father Christmas that make it so wonderful.
At the same time though, it has been a priority for us that Noah knows the real reason that we celebrate Christmas. We encourage the fantasy and imagination of Father Christmas and his merry crew, while ensuring that Noah knows all about when Jesus was born, and what it means for us as Christians. It’s all about balance!
We have five books we have been reading almost daily since 1 December. Three books are about the birth of Jesus, and two are about Father Christmas. I’ve noticed that when Noah goes to choose his stories for the night, he will invariably pick a few, if not all of these stories!
Star of Wonder
A different way of telling the story of the birth of Jesus, this book tells the story of the star, and everyone who saw it that night. They use the the star and the journey the shepherds and the wise men took to see the baby Jesus, and tell the most beautiful story in a really beautiful way.
The Story of Christmas and The Christmas Story
These are our two other books, all about the birth of Jesus. Yes, we know we have a few different story books, telling the same story. But, Noah loves each of these stories. Plus, I really believe that the different ways of telling this special story have really helped him learn more about the birth of Jesus. Now, at bedtime when he chooses his books, he tends to choose at least one of these, and some nights he will choose all three!
The Polar Express
Aside from the actual story of the birth of Jesus, this is hands down, my absolute favourite Christmas story. Back in ’04, when the movie first came out, I took my cousin to go see it, and I fell in love!
It is the most magical story, where a young boy isn’t sure he believes in Santa anymore. On Christmas Eve, while he is lying in bed, he hears a noise. He goes outside and sees a train stop outside his home, and the conductor invites him on board. He climbs aboard, and goes on the most magical, adventurous train ride with other children, all the way to the North Pole. Once at the North Pole, his belief in Santa is restored through a special gift.
For me, this is a story that really captures the magic behind Christmas, allowing my child’s imagination and wonder to grow and develop, as he believes so strongly in Father Christmas.
I watch the movie every year at Christmas time, and when I saw the book last year, I had to get it. It is so beautifully illustrated, that it makes me even more excited to watch the movie with Noah, for the first time this year.
The Elf on the Shelf – A Christmas Tradition
This book came with our elf last year. I have written a bit about when and why we started reading it to Noah this year. Now that Noah has come around to our elf, Rudy, he makes us read him this book just about everyday!
It is so beautifully written, almost in a sing-song, rhyming kind of way. It tells the story of when an elf comes to visit you, what he/she may get up to while they are with you, and the rules you need to follow while they are with you too. Noah loves this book, and I am pretty sure he can tell us the story now on his own, we’ve had to read it to him so often!
Do you have any Christmas stories that you love reading with your kids, at this time of year? I’d love to grow the Christmas section of Noah’s library, so please share some of your favourite titles in the comments!
Happy reading!
