10 of the Best Children’s Books for Christmas

​Hi, I’m Melissa - writer and editor for Author Anita Frost at Green Bean Studios. In my regular features, I’ll be discussing everything from children’s development, to books and publishing, to living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.

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10 of the Best Children’s Books for Christmas 2021

Now is the perfect time for cosying up with the family and enjoying some great books to get into the festive spirit! But what are the best children’s books for Christmas 2021? From perennial favourites that have been loved for decades, to brand new children’s books from award-winning authors and illustrators, there’s plenty to read with your children and enhance the magic of Christmas.

1. The Toys’ Christmas - Claire Clement & Genevieve Godbout
A heart-warming tale of toys embarking on an adventure to help Noah find his missing toy elephant, Fanfan. The toys meet with Santa Claus to tell him what their child owners really want for Christmas. A charming story with plenty of festive magic enhanced by the gorgeous illustrations! Aimed at children aged 3+ years.

2. A Boy Called Christmas - Matt Haig
Award-winning author Matt Haig tells the true story of Father Christmas in this enchanting adventure tale aimed at older readers. This tale inspires hope and courage, showing that nothing is impossible and that magic is most definitely real! A lovely book for older children to read independently, or for parents to read aloud to their children.

3. Jingle Bells - Nicola Slater
This wonderful festive board book is full of sensory fun for young children, with push the button feature which plays different instruments including the ukelele and glockenspiel, and an exciting big-band rendition of Jingle Bells with superb sound quality. The interactive elements of this book combine with beautiful illustrations which have huge appeal for children from birth to toddlers.

4. Billy and the Mini Monsters - Zanna Davidson
A hilarious story with funny characters and lots of festive sillines that children will love. Billy’s mini monsters are very excited for Christmas, but they cause chaos when they accidentally knock the Christmas tree over when trying to decorate it! Will they be able to clean up the mess and make everything right again before Santa comes? Fun reading for early readers or parents to read with younger children.

5. The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List - Tom Fletcher
The Christmasuarus is back in this exciting tale from best selling author Tom Fletcher. The Christmasaurus is trying to find all the children on Santa’s Naughty List and help them right their wrongs to make it onto the Nice List! A fun tale of redemption and the true spirit of Christmas that parents will enjoy as much as the children.

6. That’s Not My Elf - Fiona Watt
Just one out of the many wonderful books from the That’s Not My… series by Fiona Watt, this book is perfect for children from 3 months to 5 years old. Different colours and texture patches on each page combine with repetitive wording to engage young readers and give a full sensory experience. If elves aren’t your thing, there’s plenty of other festive options including snowman, penguin, angel, reindeer, Santa and polar bear!

7. The Snowman - Raymond Briggs
A perennial favourite, nothing spreads the magic of Christmas quite like Raymond Briggs’ iconic board book. This wordless magical adventure is told purely through charming illustrations which captivate young children and delight parents. Perfect for enhancing the excitement of the festive season and encouraging young readers to help tell the story from the pictures.

8. Robin’s Winter Song - Suzanne Barton
A beautiful book featuring the much-loved Christmassy bird, the robin. Robin sees all the other animals preparing for winter, which sounded scary and bleak. But winter comes and Robin is amazed to see the snow covered landscape and how beautiful winter can be.A wonderful winter tale to snuggle up with for children aged 3-5 years old.

9. Pick a Pine Tree - Patricia Toht
Full of Christmas warmth, this tale follows a family as they look for the perfect pine tree to take home and decorate. Celebrating the traditions and merriment of Christmastime, and ending with the magical Christmas lights being switched on, this story will spread the joy and excitement of the festive season for the whole family. 

10. The Christmas Pine - Julia Donaldson
Based on a true story, this tale teaches a lesson in history as well as getting children excited for Christmas. For over 70 years, the Mayor of Oslo, Norway, has presented Britain with a huge Christmas tree, symbolising peace and friendship. This lovely story has the excellent rhyming text children know and love from Julia Donaldson, with wonderful illustrations that children will adore.

Looking for something that’s ideal for preschoolers?
Here’s 5 Fun Christmas Lift the Flap Books for children under the age of 5:

1. Green Bean’s Christmas - Anita Frost
Enjoy an exciting wintry adventure with Green Bean & Friends in this gorgeous board book! What will they find in the HUGE red sack? Children will adore the fun lift-the-flap feature and red ribbon tie for a wonderful sensory experience to treasure this Christmas and for many years to come!

2. Poppy and Sam’s Christmas - Heather Amery & Sam Taplin
A fun filled festive book following Poppy and Sam as they prepare for Christmas day. Children will love trying to find the missing cat, Ginger, with this interactive tale and charming illustrations.

3.  Dear Santa - Rod Campbell
A classic picture book where children get the excitement of lifting a flap to reveal a present on each page! Bold illustrations and the fun sensory experience make this a firm favourite to delight toddlers at Christmas.

4. Where’s Santa Claus? - Ingela P Arrhenius
From the award-winning felt-flaps book series, this festive edition is full of festive cheer and sensory delights for babies and toddlers to enjoy! The durable felt flaps are ideal for enthusiastic young readers, and there’s a special surprise on the final page - lift the flap to reveal a mirror panel that children will love seeing their reflection in.

5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Christmas Eve - Eric Carle
Celebrate the magic of Christmas with this brand new story from the children’s classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Children will enjoy exploring the colourful pages to reveal who’s hiding beneath each flap and find Father Christmas at the end!

We hope these wonderful books will get you and your family in the festive spirit! Are there any family favourites in your household that you would add to this list? If you’re looking for some Christmas magic with Green Bean & Friends, be sure to check out our Christmas Collection.

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Look out for Melissa's latest articles on Anita Frost's author website, where she'll talk about topics including business and publishing, author news and events, and giving back to communities. You can find her in-depth monthly feature on the News & Media page of the Green Bean Collection website, discussing children's books and reading, early years education, living a greener lifestyle and all things Green Bean!