25 Days of Christmas Books

When The Littlest Apple was born 2 years ago, I knew I wanted to start some new family traditions for Christmas.  I’d seen this idea several places, and given my love of books and my love of Christmas, this new tradition is a perfect fit for us.  The idea is to collect 25 Christmas books, wrap them all up (and number them, though this is optional) then let your child unwrap a book each night during the month of December to read.  Since The Littlest Apple is only 2, this will be my first year wrapping the books.  Our collection is still growing.  We’ve got 20 books, with about half of those gifted from grandparents.  Right now I’ve got some books that are on the baby-ish side, and some that are probably a little over my guy’s head, but I’m excited to see which books are his favorites this year.  As The Littlest Apple gets older, the books will change to reflect his age and interests.

1.  My First Christmas,  by Tomie dePaola:  A beautifully illustrated boardbook with introductions to all of the basics of Christmas.

2.  Biscuit’s Pet & Play Christmas, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli: My son loves Biscuit.  This one is a very short touch and feel book.

3.  Counting Christmas, by Karen Katz:  Karen Katz is always a favorite here, and this one will be great for a little boy learning to count!

4.  Jingle Bugs, by David A. Carter:  This is a pop-up book with music (Jingle Bells) and lights at the end.  This is a current favorite, but the pop-ups are a little too delicate for my rough little 2 year old.

5.  Santa’s Special Day, by Janet Sacks:  This book teaches about colors.  Throughout the book, there are black and white pictures (like the one of Santa, below) that “magically” change to color pictures as you pull the tab.

6.  The Mitten, by Jan Brett:  Jan Brett’s illustrations are amazing in this traditional Ukranian tale, and I especially love the extra insight you get from the border illustrations.

7.  Gingerbread Baby, by Jan Brett: Another great book illustrated by Jan Brett.  The Gingerbread Baby has the whole village trying to catch him, and a little boy comes up with a smart way to do it!

8. I Spy Christmas, by Jean Marzollo: This book is new for us this year, but since The Littlest Apple is starting to enjoy searching for things in pictures, I think he’s going to love this one!  There is so much to look at!

9.  Curious George Christmas Countdown, by Tish Rabe: Also new for us this year.  The Littlest Apple loved his Curious George Halloween book, so I think this one is destined to be a favorite.

10.  Russell’s Christmas Magic, by Rob Scotton: Another new one for us this year.  I love the whimsical illustrations.

11. The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree, by Jan and Mike Berenstain.

12.  A Merry Little Christmas: Celebrate From A to Z, by Mary Engelbreit.  This was one of my son’s favorites last year.  An alphabet Christmas book with Mary Engelbreit’s gorgeous illustrations.

13.  A Scratch & Sniff Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore.  The scratch and sniff books were always a favorite of mine when I was little, so I’m happy to share this with The Littlest Apple.

14.  Ho Ho Ho, by Mary Engelbreit:  This is a short little book (no real plot) with Mary Engelbreit’s lovely illustrations.

15.  The Sweet Smell of Christmas, by Patricia M. Scarry: This was the scratch and sniff book my parents read to my brother and me growing up.  My parents bought a copy for the The Littlest Apple, and I am excited to pass along this wonderful book (and scents!) to him.

16.  The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg:  The Littlest Apple is probably a little young for this one right now, but this book is just so beautiful to look at!

17.  Santa Claus, by Rod Green.  I spotted this book at Target last year.  What a neat, interactive book, with many flaps and letters to open!  This book, as you can tell from the title, is all about Santa Claus.  I think this book is perfect for older elementary school aged children.

18.  The Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Mary Engelbreit:  The classic story with Mary Engelbreit’s colorful illustrations.

19.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss.  Need I say more?

20.  Dream Snow, by Eric Carle.  We love Eric Carle’s books, so it was great to find a Christmas one!

I’m sharing this post with Show Us Your Life: Christmas Traditions at Kelly’s Korner