kid’s holiday book guide
I created this mini guide for those of you with kiddos who love their books! Whether your little one loves being read to, learning to read or is already an avid reader, you’ll find something perfect for them in this guide.
We love to get into the spirit of the holidays in any and every way we can so themed holiday books are just one way we sprinkle in a little extra spirit during this time of year!
I know books can be quite the investment so this is a list of our favorite seasonal books complete with age guidance, short synopses + hyperlinked titles for quick finding so you can be sure you’re getting books that are perfect for your family. You can also simply download the guide by pressing the button below + you’ll find the books hyperlinked there as well. I always link the most affordable place I can find each book but they also may be available through many different retailers.
I hope you + your babes find a couple good books to add to your own collection or find at your local library!
Happy holiday season, enjoy!
autumn books
hello harvest moon (age 4-8) a little girl + her cat’s glimpse into nature after bedtime complete with interesting harvest moon facts and eye catching illustrations
fletcher and the falling leaves (age 2-8) a sweet book about a little fox that learns about the changing of the seasons
bring me some apples and i’ll make you a pie (age 5-8) this is the best true story about edna lewis, the first widely known female african-american chef who specialized in farm-to-table cooking with the most beautiful watercolor illustrations
because of an acorn (age 3-5) an autumn themed book about the awesomeness of the ecosystem accompanied by lovely die cut illustrations
the roll away pumpkin (age 2-6) a sweet story about a little girl whose giant pumpkin gets away from from her + the townsfolk who offer a helping hand, get ready for your little one to starting asking “diddle-dee-doo, oh what shall I do?” ;)
the happy pumpkin (age 0-3) the cutest board book with a story of a sweet pumpkin looking for it’s perfect happy home, perfect for little ones
how big could your pumpkin grow (age 5-8) a unique book about giant pumpkin contests, with silly ideas of what you could do with giant pumpkins and all the cool places around the country you could decorate pumpkins with
thankful (age 2-6) a rhyming story all about being thankful for the little things in life, low word count per page
mr.pumpkin’s tea party** (age 3-5) a themed counting book of mr.pumpkin’s autumn soiree complete with rich watercolor illustrations
goodbye summer hello autumn (age 2-5) a story of a little girl on a walk through the forest as she welcomes the changes of the seasons
the scarecrow’s hat (age 4-8) the story of a little chicken who finds herself on a journey to get scarecrow’s hat by trading around items between the farm animals, a great story of determination + resourcefulness :)
sweep (age 7-10) a book about a little boy whose bad mood spreads through his whole town and how he gets ahold of his emotions, a great story but a pretty complex message so definitely better suited for older kids
fall leaves (age 5-8) part poem, part silent pictures, this book boasts brilliant illustrations and includes digestible information about seasons changing
s is for school (age 0-4) an alphabet book all about school, awesome for introducing the idea of school to your little ones
**does include some halloween-type elements
halloween books
ghost (age 9-12) a collection of 13 eerie stories for middle schoolers
the little kitten (age 2-6) the perfect fall book with a touch of halloween for little kitty lovers, super cute greyscale illustrations with pops of fall color
the little ghost that was a quilt (age 4-8) the sweetest story about how being different is a positive thing :)
bonaparte falls apart (age 3-6) silly story of a skeleton who keeps losing limbs but figures it out with the help of friends, good for younger ones as there is a low word count per page
ronald dahl’s book of ghost stories (age 12+) a collection of 14 classic spooky stories to read in the dark
los gatos black halloween (age 4-8) the cutest halloween tale chock-full of all your favorite spooky essentials, written in a bilingual poem that helps introduce spanish words
ghost afraid of the dark (age 4-8) a book about learning how to be brave, also has a glow in the dark cover :)
the little ghost who didn’t like to be scary (age 2-6) a charming story about being true to yourself + always being kind, book is fully black + white
the gashlycrumb tinies (age 3-8) a halloween alphabet book with + awesome drawings but beware of some dark humor
the world’s favorite ghost stories (age 12+) a collection of ghost stories from around the world with some creepy illustrations
how to make friends with a ghost (age 3-8) a halloween themed book about friendship with the cutest illustrations ever
bones: an inside look at the animal kingdom (age 7-10) all about the biological history of animal skeletal systems, awesome book for all year round too!
pumpkin heads (age 2-7) book about carving jack-o-lanterns, good for younger ones as there is a low word count per page
mother ghost (age 1-6) silly halloween twists on nursery rhyme classics :)
the little old lady who was not afraid of anything (age 2-8) absolutely love this book about a little old lady who experiences the scare of her life, lots of noise sounds to make so children will love to interact with this old classic
christmas books
12 days of christmas (age 2-8) the classic poem you know + love with the most stunning illustrations
dasher (age 3-8) the sweetest story of a circus reindeer with dreams of leading santa’s sleigh who leaves home to make her dreams come true
the donkey who carried a king ** (age 7-10) a beautiful and well written story of the outcast donkey who was chosen to carry mary on her journey to bethlehem, told by a sweet grandpa consoling his grandson struggling with feeling left out at school, a bit wordy so definitely would recommend for older kids
snow (age 1-4) a book about how a little snow can amount a beautiful + whimsical city, to easy to follow + low word count per page
the christmas tree who loved trains (age 2-6) a story about a little boy + his chosen christmas tree that find they have something very special in common; their love for trains
little red sleigh (age 5-8) this story is a little bit of a twist on rudolph, as little red sleigh dreams of being santa’s sleigh leads her on a inspirational journey to do the impossible
the polar express (age 3-8) the classic story you know + love of the magical train that transports children to the north pole on christmas eve to make their christmas wishes
nativity** (age 6-10) this book sticks very close to the bible as it tells the story of the night jesus was born, beautiful, bold + unique painted illustrations
the little reindeer (age 3-6) a heartwarming story about a little girl who finds a lost reindeer who set out on a magical adventure
silent night ** (age 3-6) a beautiful adaptation of the classic christmas carol, incredibly illustrated, same author + illustrator as the 12 days of christmas
red & lulu (age 3-8) this book follows two little birds during christmas time in new york city who get separated and the christmas miracle that reunites them
‘twas the night before christmas (age 3-5) a modern take on the classic with bold illustrations and fun colors, this book actually has not been released yet but can be preordered, release date is nov, 9th 2021
the nutcracker (age 6-10) the classic nutcracker story but with incredible eye catching pop up illustrations your child will absolutely love, this version is a bit wordy so I would recommend for older kiddos
**includes religious stories and/or allusions