Book picks similar to
Little Star by Anthony DeStefano


christmas
picture-books
children-s
children

Gingerbread Mouse


Katy Bratun - 1998
    Then…crack! A tree branch falls and destroys her house!It’s up to Mouse to find a new place to live in time for her to enjoy the season. With determination, resourcefulness, and a good amount of Christmas wonder, Mouse finds not only another house but also a place she can truly call home.Katy Bratun’s detailed and vivacious illustrations capture the warm yet festive innerworkings of Mouse’s possible homes. Little ones will want to snuggle up with this story over and over again throughout the holiday season.Includes a delicious recipe for gingerbread cookies.

Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem


Maya Angelou - 2005
    “Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers, look heavenward,” she writes, “and speak the word aloud. Peace.”Read by the poet at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House on December 1, 2005, Maya Angelou’s celebration of the “Glad Season” is a radiant affirmation of the goodness of life and a beautiful holiday gift for people of all faiths.

How the Crayons Saved the Unicorn


Monica Sweeney - 2019
    In his sadness, his colors start to fade away until they are gone completely. Worrying that he may never get back his colors or make true friends, the unicorn finds himself lost and alone. It is not until he comes across a group of spunky crayons that his world changes. The crayons band together to help their new friend get back his colors, and in the process play and have fun. The crayons’ helping generosity and friendship may just be what the unicorn has been missing!  How the Crayons Saved the Unicorn is the all-new, colorful friendship book from the plucky crayons who brought you How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow. How the Crayons Saved the Unicorn teaches the importance of friendship and self-confidence through seven crayons with unique personalities and their hopes to help a friend in need.

Mingo the Flamingo


Pete Oswald - 2017
    Mingo is injured and loses his memory when he faces a bad storm during his first migration, but he makes friends who will do whatever it takes to help him heal and get back where he belongs.

Jingle Bells, Homework Smells


Diane deGroat - 2000
    Byrd gives the class homework for the weekend, Gilbert just can't seem to find the time to do it. That's because it's almost Christmas, and Gilbert has other important things to do, like decorating Christmas cookies, ice skating with his friends, and helping his family find the perfect Christmas tree. What will Gilbert do when Monday morning comes?The joyous holiday feeling around Gilbert's house comes alive in this funny, festive story that's perfect for anyone who's ever put off a chore.

Santa's Twin


Dean Koontz - 1995
    Winner of an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition while he was just a senior in college, Koontz today is a world-famous author whose books have been published in thirty-eight different languages and have sold more than three hundred million copies.Lavishly illustrated with spectacular paintings by Phil Parks, this thoroughly modern masterpiece breathes new life and warmth into the world's most beloved legend.

Nine Days to Christmas: A Story of Mexico


Marie Hall Ets - 1959
    Ceci's first Christmas posada party and pinata have made her Mexican town come alive for generations of readers. "The youngest child will be completely transported by this lovely story".--The Atlantic. Three-color illustrations.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas


Russell Hoban - 1971
    Both Ma Otter and her son, Emmet, hope to win the $50 talent show prize and surprise each other with a special Christmas present.

Here Comes Santa Claus


Gene Autry - 1948
    Now artist Bruce Whatley has created a curious North Pole puppy who stows away on Santa's sleigh for an unforgettable Christmas Eve adventure.

Stinky Santa: A Very Smelly Christmas E-book for Kids


Otto Fishblanket - 2012
    It is illustrated by celebrity childen's book illustrator, Gerald Hawksley.If you are searching for a Christmas ebook, particularly a Christmas ebook that rhymes and has pictures, and is about a smelly Santa, then you have come to the right place.(Any similarity to any real Santa is purely coincidental)

How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas?


Jane Yolen - 2012
    With ornaments on the branches and carolers singing at the door, the spirit of Christmas is finally here and filling the hearts of families everywhere. But when the stockings are hung on the chimney, and the cookies are left out for Santa, how can little dinosaurs go to sleep? It's so exciting! How can they possibly calm down and behave?Children will laugh out loud as dinosaurs secretly lick candy canes, take sneaky peeks at gifts, and disrupt the traditional family feast.With holiday surprises around every corner, the award-winning team of Jane Yolen and Mark Teague create an engaging, fun gift sure to be read again and again, year after year. How do dinosaurs say Merry Christmas? The same way they say Happy Chanukah: With an abundance of love, joy, memory, and gratitude.

The Smallest Gift of Christmas


Peter H. Reynolds - 2013
    Reynolds’s whimsical holiday storyyoung Roland learns that more isn’t always better -- and rediscovers the magic of home. Roland can’t wait for Christmas Day, and when the morning finally arrives he races downstairs to see what is waiting for him. What he sees stops him in his tracks. Could that tiny present really be what he had waited all year for? It has to be the smallest gift he had ever seen! So Roland wishes for something bigger . . . and bigger . . . and bigger. But he’s still convinced there must be a bigger gift somewhere in the universe. Will he know it when he sees it? Peter H. Reynolds’s spare, free-spirited illustrations and heartwarming text make this be-carefulwhat-you-wish-for story the perfect holiday gift.

When Santa Was a Baby


Linda Bailey - 2015
    and has an unusual interest in chimneys. The adorably funny portrait of an oddball kid who fulfills his destiny - and two very proud parents.

Everybody's Tree


Barbara M. Joosse - 2020
    As the tree grows from sapling to magnificent evergreen, the child matures as well, becoming a father and then grandfather. Now at the end of its life, the glorious tree is chosen to be the centerpiece of a city's holiday celebration. The tree journeys from rural countryside to big city center, where everyone, young and old, comes together to celebrate a tree for all; everybody's tree.

The Legend of Saint Nicholas


Demi - 2003
    As he grows he is deeply saddened by the sickness, suffering, and death that he witnesses every day. Looking to use his special gifts to affect change in the often desperate world around him, Nicholas dedicates his life to worshiping the Lord and helping those in need. Through his good works, Nicholas becomes the youngest man to ever become a bishop and the patron saint of seafarers, children, and prisoners. He performs more than twenty miracles, including bringing those wrongly killed back to life and going to people in need as an apparition, providing solace and inspiration. In The Legend of Saint Nicholas, Demi describes pivotal events in the history and life of the saint, weaving a rich tapestry of luminous imagery into the story of his connection with Christmas and our modern-day Santa Claus. Demi's gilded artwork brings Nicholas to life in a way sure to mesmerize readers new to the story of this fascinating and important historical figure.