Baby Loves Christmas by Workman Publishing, Illustrated by Becky Paige

Baby Loves Christmas comes from the Indestructibles line, which immediately tells me what its real superpower is: this is a Christmas book designed to survive the baby reading process. It is rip-proof, waterproof, washable, lightweight, and made to handle hands, mouths, drool, travel bags, spills, and whatever else the youngest member of the household decides constitutes literary criticism.

The Christmas content itself is wonderfully simple. Baby sees familiar parts of the season such as decorating the tree, making a gingerbread house, and wishing family a Merry Christmas, with bright illustrations and minimal text encouraging the adult to talk about what is happening on the page. That makes this less about performing a perfect read-aloud and more about pointing, naming, noticing, and letting the child lead the interaction.

This would be my pick for a baby’s first Christmas book because practicality matters at this age. A beautiful board book nobody is allowed to touch is far less useful than a book a baby can actually explore. I also like that it is portable enough to live in the diaper bag through December, because Christmas reading does not always happen in a carefully styled nursery chair.

Best for: Babies and young toddlers, especially families who need a Christmas book that can survive enthusiastic handling.

My read-again verdict: This is less about the parent loving the prose on the tenth reading and more about having a book you will not mind handing over for the tenth round of chewing, pointing, and page grabbing. At this age, that absolutely counts as a win.

You can get a copy of Baby Loves Christmas by Workman Publishing, Illustrated by Becky Paige on Amazon.

Cookies for Santa by Workman Publishing, Illustrated by Grace Habib

Cookies for Santa is the toddler book I would choose for the child who wants to touch everything. The spin-and-slide format turns the familiar tradition of making Santa’s cookies into a sequence of physical actions, with children sliding the rolling pin, mixing the dough, closing the oven, adding frosting and sprinkles, and spinning the platter to fill it with finished cookies.

What appeals to me here is that the interactive elements are connected to the actual story instead of feeling randomly attached to the page. Young children already understand actions such as stirring, rolling, decorating, and eating, so the movements reinforce what the book is showing them. There is also the lovely little payoff the next morning when a bite is missing and everyone knows exactly who must have visited.

This feels like the kind of book that could easily become part of the cookie-baking ritual itself. Read it before baking together, bring it back out when you leave cookies for Santa, and suddenly the book is tied to something the child actually did. Those are the Christmas books I think children remember best.

Best for: Babies and toddlers who love lift-the-flap, slide, pull, and spin books.

My read-again verdict: Very strong for repeated toddler reading because the child is doing part of the storytelling. When I am going to hear the same book repeatedly, I am always grateful when somebody else has a job.

You can get a copy of Cookies for Santa by Workman Publishing, Illustrated by Grace Habib on Amazon.

A Christmas to Remember by Patricia Casasola, Illustrated by Xiana Teimoy

A Christmas to Remember is the most keepsake-like choice in this younger group. Fox has decorated for Christmas, but something still feels missing. Looking back at memories of earlier Christmases helps reveal that the thing giving the season its real meaning is not the decorations or feast but the time shared with the people we love.

That message is familiar, but the format is what makes this one stand out to me. The oversized board book unfolds and stands upright as a holiday decoration, turning the book itself into something that can remain visible throughout Christmas rather than immediately returning to the shelf. I love objects that blur the line between book and tradition when there is a real reason for the format, and this feels like one of those cases.

This is the book I would give when I want something that feels more substantial than another cute Christmas story. I can imagine a grandparent gifting it, a family displaying it every December, and the child gradually associating the physical book with the arrival of the season. That is exactly how a newer book begins earning its way toward becoming a family classic.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers, grandparents looking for a gift book, and families who like interactive or displayable books.

My read-again verdict: More sentimental than silly, so I would use it as one of the calmer books in the rotation. The display format also means it has value beyond the reading itself, which helps it earn shelf space.

You can get a copy of A Christmas to Remember by Patricia Casasola, Illustrated by Xiana Teimoy on Amazon.

Hide-and-Seek with Santa Claus by Carolyn Fabris, Illustrated by Yen Abis

Hide-and-Seek with Santa Claus begins when a brother and sister arrive at Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Christmas Eve and become convinced Santa is hiding somewhere inside. Naturally, they begin searching.

This is exactly the kind of premise I like for preschoolers because the child listening to the story has an immediate job. Instead of passively waiting to find out what happens, they can scan the illustrations, look for hints, make predictions, and try to find Santa before the characters do. That participation tends to hold up much better on repeat readings because the pages become a game as well as a story.

I also like the grandparents’ house setting. Christmas picture books understandably return again and again to home, Santa, and presents, so changing the household slightly gives this one a warm extended-family feeling. It would be an especially cute book for grandparents to keep at their own house and bring out when grandchildren visit for Christmas.

Best for: Ages roughly three to seven, children who love seek-and-find books, and grandparents building a Christmas shelf at their house.

My read-again verdict: One of the stronger tenth-reading candidates because children can keep searching the artwork even after they know the answer. Knowing where Santa is rarely stops a preschooler from wanting to find him again.

You can get a copy of Hide-and-Seek with Santa Claus by Carolyn Fabris, Illustrated by Yen Abis on Amazon.

What Does Santa Want for Christmas? by Sahar Shams

What Does Santa Want for Christmas? caught my attention immediately because it flips the usual Santa question around. Instead of wondering what he will receive, Dorim starts wondering what Santa might want for Christmas and sets out with his friends to create the perfect gift for him.

That small change gives the story a completely different emotional direction. Children spend much of December being asked what they want, making lists, and anticipating presents, so I like a book that gently turns their attention toward the pleasure of giving without making the lesson feel like a lecture. Dorim has a problem to solve, his friends become part of the solution, and generosity emerges through action.

This would be one of my choices for reading earlier in December, especially before children begin choosing or making gifts for family members. A good picture book can sometimes introduce an idea more naturally than an adult announcing, “Now we are going to discuss generosity,” which is rarely the sentence that fills a preschooler with holiday enthusiasm.

Best for: Ages roughly four to eight and families looking for a Christmas story about kindness, creativity, teamwork, and giving.

My read-again verdict: I think the reversed premise helps it stand out. It has an actual question driving the story, and the humor in the artwork should give families more to notice after the ending is already familiar.

You can get a copy of What Does Santa Want for Christmas? by Sahar Shams on Amazon.

It’s Christmas, David! by David Shannon

It’s Christmas, David! is not a brand-new story, but the current board-book availability makes it worth putting back on the Christmas shelf, particularly because this guide is about books I think families may actually want in circulation now rather than only books with the newest publication date.

David is trying very hard to behave because Christmas is coming and Santa is watching. Unfortunately, Christmas contains approximately eight thousand opportunities to make poor decisions when you are David. There are hidden presents to peek at, decorations to interfere with, formal dinners to survive, and all the other parts of Christmas that become considerably more chaotic when seen through his eyes.

I would reach for this on the nights when everybody needs to laugh rather than settle immediately into a soft, meaningful lesson about the true spirit of the season. Children understand the tension of trying to be good when everything exciting is happening around them, and adults understand exactly what it feels like to watch a child make a choice that seemed inevitable from three rooms away.

This is also a good reminder that not every Christmas picture book has to lower the room’s energy. Sometimes the right book makes everyone louder for ten minutes and sends them to bed laughing.

Best for: Preschool and early elementary readers, especially children who already love No, David!.

My read-again verdict: Very high if your family enjoys chaotic read-alouds. Humor is one of the best protections against the dreaded tenth reread, especially when adults can perform the story rather than simply recite it.

You can get a copy of It’s Christmas, David! by David Shannon on Amazon.

Countdown for Nochebuena by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

Countdown for Nochebuena brings something important to this shelf because Christmas Eve does not look the same in every family. Inspired by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom’s Cuban American heritage, the book celebrates Nochebuena through a rhythmic countdown from twelve to one, moving through food, music, family, celebration, and the moment Christmas Eve becomes Christmas Day.

The text moves between English and Spanish, with the illustrations giving context that helps children follow along naturally. I especially like that the counting structure gives younger readers something concrete to participate in while the story also reflects a specific cultural tradition. That makes it useful both for families who recognize their own celebrations on the page and for children learning that “Christmas traditions” are much broader than one standard picture-book version.

This is the one I would choose when I want energy, family, and celebration rather than a sleepy bedtime mood. It belongs on a Christmas Eve stack, particularly in a household where people are still very much awake at the hour some books assume every child has been tucked into bed.

Best for: Babies through preschool in the board-book format, older picture-book readers in the expanded edition, bilingual families, and anyone looking for a joyful Nochebuena story.

My read-again verdict: The counting pattern and bilingual language make repetition part of the appeal rather than a drawback. This feels like a book children can begin anticipating and joining in with, which is exactly what repeated Christmas reading should do.

You can get a copy of Countdown for Nochebuena by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom on Amazon.

’Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore, Illustrated by Jon J Muth

There are so many editions of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas that a new version has to give me a reason to care, and Jon J Muth’s 2026 edition has one: the illustrations.

Muth brings the familiar poem to life through sweeping watercolor artwork, rich Christmas color, foil and embossed details, and a gatefold finale. There are also little mice hidden throughout the spreads for children to find, which is exactly the kind of detail that helps a beautifully illustrated book survive repeated readings rather than becoming something adults admire while children wait for the next page.

I already think of The Night Before Christmas as a ritual book rather than a suspenseful story. Nobody is reading it on December 24 because they have forgotten whether Santa arrives. You read it because the familiarity is the point. That means the edition matters enormously.

This is the one on the list I would consider as a Christmas Eve keepsake. The watercolor artwork gives adults something to appreciate, the hidden mice give children a reason to examine the pages, and the poem itself already has generations of repetition behind it. If I were choosing a new edition to become “our copy,” this is exactly the sort of version I would look at.

Best for: Ages roughly four to eight, family Christmas Eve reading, collectors of illustrated classics, and anyone looking for a gift edition.

My read-again verdict: This may be the strongest repeat-read book here because repetition is already baked into the tradition. The question is not whether the poem holds up; it is whether the artwork gives your family a reason to choose this edition, and Muth’s version makes a strong case.

You can get a copy of The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore on Amazon or Bookshop.

The Gift of Words by Peter H. Reynolds

The Gift of Words brings back Jerome from Peter H. Reynolds’s The Word Collector, this time with a holiday problem. Jerome wants to collect words filled with hope, love, and joy to share with the people around him, but finding those words proves harder than he expects. Eventually, his search grows into something communal, turning language itself into the gift.

This appeals to me because I spend so much time thinking about words anyway. Christmas books frequently focus on gifts as objects, so I like the idea of asking children to consider how words can be given too. Encouragement, kindness, reassurance, gratitude, and telling somebody what they mean to you are all forms of generosity that cost nothing but still require attention.

I would especially like this as a bridge between story and family activity. After reading it, everyone could choose one word for another person, write a note, make a paper ornament with a meaningful word, or collect words the family wants to carry into the next year. That makes the book feel less like a one-night message and more like something capable of starting a tradition.

Best for: Ages roughly four to eight, classrooms, families who already love The Word Collector, and readers who enjoy thoughtful books about kindness and community.

My read-again verdict: This is more reflective than laugh-out-loud, so I would not expect a child to demand it every night purely for entertainment. But as an annual Christmas book with an activity or family tradition attached, I think it has strong staying power.

You can get a copy of The Gift of Words by Peter H. Reynolds on Amazon.