Christmas Books

I love traditions. I love Christmas traditions most of all - and this is one of my favorites. Each year on Christmas Eve the kids get to open one present after our dinner & program. It always contains new pajamas to wear to bed that night & a Christmas book.

When Rebekah was a baby one of the first traditions I implemented was to buy a new book each Christmas and to give it to her on Christmas Eve.

Years later when Emily was born I bought two copies of the same book and decided to put a bookplate with a message in it to each of them, which would also make sure their name was in it & they wouldn't get mixed up. That continued for several years - even until after I had Jane. I kind of thought that I would keep buying the kids each a copy of the same book and then when Bek left home I would buy the younger kids the one's I had bought for Bek before they were born....

Then a few years ago I thought to myself - "Am I not going to buy Bek books for Christmas Eve just because she turns 18? She's going to come home for Christmas & I'll have a book for the younger kids & not for her?" I realized that I would probably always carry on this tradition - eventually buying books to give to their families - to be read to my grandchildren. I also realized that our children were going to leave home and take most of our collection of Christmas books - why hadn't I been buying a copy of each for myself?

So I went back & ordered more of each of them - to ensure I had 5 copies of every book. One for each of the kids and one for us. It took some work (& I don't think Rick loved the credit card bill) but I got most of them. Now it's fair. They will all start their own families with a great collection of Christmas books - one's they will have enjoyed at each Christmas of their childhood.

I try to choose books that will be uplifting and teach them about Christ, goodwill to men, increase their Christmas Spirit, etc. But sometimes I just choose book that are fun. We read these each night in December. I count back & start to read them so we will read the last one on the 23rd and then they'll get the new one on the 24th. Only a couple more years & we'll have to start in November!

Here they are -

1993 – The Littlest Angel

I bought mostly because of the title. Rebekah was a baby - my little angel. It's the story of a little angel in heaven who wants to join the choir, but is not really such a good singer. Cute.

 1994 – Wombat Divine
(Mem Fox)

Purchased for their Australian heritage! Actually who doesn't love Mem Fox? This is a really sweet story about Wombat trying to find a role in the nativity play where all the characters are Australian Bush animals.

1995 – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
(Dr. Seuss)

I am actually not a big fan of Dr. Suess but who can resist the line

"What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

Here's to hoping that this one will grow our hearts 3 sizes!

1996 – The Tale of the Three Trees
(Angele Elwell Hunt)

Definitely my biggest "crying" book. Actually, I am usually sobbing so hard by the end of this one that I have to have one of the girls finish reading it for me. This year Bek read it and also got teary - I warned her she's on the path to being as weepy as me!

A really beautiful story which is also appropriate for Easter.

Every home should have this book.

1997 – When Jesus was Born In Bethlehem
(Joseph Brickey)

 Scriptural text of the Nativity with Beautiful illustrations. Also a big "crying" book for me. (Crying when reading their books is another of my Christmas traditions.)

1998 – The Last Straw
(Frederick H. Thury)

A story of a camel who is chosen to carry the Wise Men's gifts to Bethlehem. The camel is boastful about his strength. Along the way people add to his burden and ask him to take their gifts too. Right as he arrives at the stable he falls on his knees because he is too laden down. Others follw his example and kneel before the Baby. Then he realizes that he has been proud and is humbled. A cute and simple story for small children - can lead into a great discussion about why we give gifts at Christmas.

This one I could not find anywhere, I think it's probably out of print - so we only have one copy of it.

1999 – The Nativity
(Mem Fox & Julie Vivas)

The  only thing better than Mem Fox books are Mem Fox books that have been illustrated by Julie Vivas. Lovely illustrations with more or less scriptural text for the Nativity story. Illustrations of the Infant Jesus that will melt your heart. (I frequently also cry in this one.)

2000 – The Polar Express
(Chris Van Ahlsburg)

The classic. The bookplate for this one says that we hope they always "Hear the bell." I love Santa & that magical (too fleeting) part of childhood and that this book celebrates it.

2001 – The Legend of the Candy Cane
(Lori Walburg)

The storyline for this book seems to me to be a bit contrived (there are several others in this series that I have not bought because of that.) However, it has sweet sentiments (no pun intended), is one of Emily's favorites and the kids enjoy it each year.

2002 – Christmas Day in the Morning
(Pearl S. Buck)

Another "cryer" for me. A beautiful story about a son who gives service to his Dad on Christmas morning and learns more about giving and the true spirit of the season. I used this one for a Family Home Evening lesson on service this year. We are trying hard to scale back our Christmas and give service to those we love. We also decided as a family to ask for mosquito nets to be donated to children in Africa instead of gifts for ourselves from all our extended family (cousins, Grandparents, etc.) The kids gave ME a gift by readily agreeing to that idea. This is a wonderful book to help teach the joy of service.

2003 – The Christmas Candle
(Richard Paul Evans)

This is a "Christmas Carol-esque" story of a young man who learns compassion for others on his journey home for Christmas with his family through a special candle. My kids like it and it does give a good message of "love thy neighbor." I get a sense that the author was trying hard to make it meaningful yet the story seems to me to be underdeveloped.

2004 – Snowmen at Night
(Caralyn Buehner)

Comes in the "fun" category. A whimsical story of what snowmen get up to while we are sleeping! My kids love this book and search each illustration to see all the mischief & mayhem of the individual snow people and find the hidden pictures in illustrations. Then when our snowman looks a little "worse for wear" in the mornings we know what he's been up to!

2005 – A Christmas Dress for Ellen
(Thomas S. Monson)

 It's the true story of a family so poor, they will not only be unable to provide Christmas for their children but are also continually cold and hungry with a bleak winter in front of them. One daughter (Ellen) hopes for a dress. In the end the love & service of family members & the mailman save the family. I love this one - but have to be careful. It can prompt questions about why Santa didn't just bring them what they need. There are a few years (around ages 7 - 8 or 9) when my kids get "cluey" enough that I skip reading this one for a while.

2006 – The Innkeeper’s Wife
(Lynda M. Wilson)

The story of the Nativity told from the point of view of Hannah, the innkeepers wife as she takes pity on the young couple in need & helps them. The story ends with Luke stopping at the Inn many years later and Hannah relating the story to him - he then saying he will tell it to all the world. It's a sweet book.

2007 - The Gift of the Magi
(O. Henry)

I have loved this story since I was a little girl - so ironically tragic, yet so beautiful. If you happen not to know it, I won't give the ending away - but go get it!

Set at Christmastime, a lovely tale of a couple's love & devotion to each other.

2008 – Christmas in New York / The Other Wise Man

 I got 2 books in 2008. It had been 10 years since Bek & I moved to New York & we all became a family, so I wanted something about New York, hence the pop-up book. It shows many of the places we love to visit during Christmastime in New York.

The pop-up book is fun, but not really a story so I also got another tale I have loved for years. "The Other Wise Man" was originally written in 1896 and is the story of Artaban one of the Magi who sells everything he owns to buy 3 jewels to give to the Christ child. On the way he stops to help an injured man. It takes 33 years and all his jewels before he finds his King.

This is an abbreviated version of the story. When my little kids are older, I'd love to get the full version for them all.

2009 – God Bless Your Way
(Emily Freeman)

A weary old man (Micah) travels to Bethlehem and sees Mary & Joseph along the way. Once he reaches Bethlehem he also finds there is no-where to stay. The innkeepers wife gives him a blanket and a poor family gives him some bread. He then comes across the stable with Mary, Joseph & the Newborn Jesus.  They invite him in and he gives them the bread & blanket. For some reason I find this story really touching. That those with almost nothing to give (the Innkeepers wife, the family, then Micah himself) gave what little they could. Also, the illustrations of the baby Jesus are just beautiful.

2010 – The Mitten
(Jan Brett)

SSShhhhhh - don't tell my kids that this is the book for this year. Not really a Christmas story as much as a winter one, but one that is beloved by our family.  We love all of Jan Brett's books and she made a visit to Emily's school last year - so now Em in particular loves her even more. We love Jan's beautiful illustrations, not to mention I fully plan on being a Grandma who knits mittens for her grandchildren!

I have  list of a few that I plan on getting in the future - for example the full version of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol", and I'd love to find one that is out of print called "A Night Without Darkness; A Nephite Christmas Story." I often keep my eyes out just after Christmas for books on sale. I always get a nice hardcover book for these and have often got them just after Christmas for a deal & put them away for the next year.

What are your favorite Christmas books? I'm always on the lookout for new great one's.