For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved learning and for me, learning often comes in the form of a book I can actually hold. While my attention span for long chapter books has shrunk over the years (thanks, adulthood), my love for beautifully illustrated, thoughtfully written children’s books has only grown. I may not have children of my own, but that has never stopped me from wandering into the children’s section, pulling a picture book off the shelf, and losing myself in its artwork and simplicity.
So, with the Christmas and Advent season upon us, it felt like the perfect time to begin something I’ve been dreaming up for a while: Adventures in Reading, a monthly series where I share the children’s books that capture my heart and feel just right for each season.
And in that spirit of beginning a new adventure, let’s dive into the books that have brought me joy this December.
December Book List Recommendations
All Creation Waits – Gift Edition
by Gayle Boss
All Creation Waits – Children’s Edition
by Gayle Boss
All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings
by Gayle Boss
The Christmas Book Flood
by Emily Kilgore
Christmas Farm
by Mary Lyn Ray
Peter Rabbit Christmas is Coming
by Beatrix Potter
A Charlie Brown Christmas
by Charles M. Schulz
Red & Lulu
by Matt Tavares
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King: A Graphic Novel
by Natalie Anderson
The Carpenter’s Gift
by David Rubel
The Legend of the Poinsettia
by Tommy dePaola
The Nutcracker
by New York City Ballet
The Nutcracker Comes to America
by Chris Barton
The Little Reindeer
by Nicola Killen
Pick a Pine Tree
by Patricia Toht
Silent Night: The Christmas Choir
by Lara Hawthorne
‘Tis the Season
by Richard Jones
A World of Cookies for Santa
by M.E. Furman
Letters from the North Pole
by Annie Atkins
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney
by Mac Barnett
Night Tree
by Eve Bunting
Last Stop on the Reindeer Express
by Maudie Powell-Tuck
Madeline’s Christmas
by Ludwig Bemelans
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
by Robert Barry
The Night Before Christmas
by Clement Moore
Christmas Day in the Morning
by Pearl S. Buck
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
by Dr. Seuss
The Little Fir Tree
by Christopher Corr
The Greatest Skating Race
by Louise Borden
The Story of Holly & Ivy
by Rumer Godden
The Snowy Day
by Era Jack Keats
The Lights that Dance in the Night
by Yuval Zommer
As I begin this new series, Adventures in Reading, I hope you feel inspired to start a little adventure of your own …whether that’s savoring a sweet picture book for yourself or finding the perfect story for a child in your life. May these pages bring a touch of wonder and warmth to your December.
xx, ej
