The Twelve Days of Christmas


Jan Brett - 1986
    A Christmas carol, a parlor game, and a delightful counting song-The Twelve Days of Christmas- is indeed a favorite of the holiday season. In this book, sumptuously illustrated by Jan Brett, all the splendid images of The Twelve Days of Christmas come joyously alive. Look closely and you'll see not only the extravagant gifts given by a suitor to his lady, but a love story, a family's busy Christmas preparations, "Merry Christmas" in eleven languages, and a veritable menagerie of charming creatures. Jan Brett's exquisitely detailed illustrations so rich in traditional folk motifs, make this book a visual treat to be enjoyed over and over again.

The Donkey's Dream


Barbara Helen Berger - 1985
    He carried the Virgin Mary to Bethlehem on the night she gave birth. Along the way he dreamed he was carrying a city, a ship, a fountain, and a rose. He dreamed he was carrying a lady full of heaven--and he was. Barbara Helen Berger's glowing artwork and lyrical text perfectly convey the beauty and majesty of the story of the Nativity.

The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher


Robert Kraus - 1969
    After the Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher strikes again, disaster threatens the village in the form of naked cookies until little Nat ventures out to teach the real importance of Christmas and cookie sprinkles.

We Three Kings


Gennady Spirin - 2007
    Each from a different region, each beckoned by the same gleaming star, each bearing treasures, each wishing to welcome a newborn asleep in a manger's hay -- a baby named Jesus, who would change the world.This beloved Christmas carol, written in 1857, celebrates the wise men's journey and the first Christmas night. Internationally renowned artist Gennady Spirin pays his own type of homage with paintings so exquisitely detailed and wrought that they, too, are a gift -- to that baby in the manger and to you.

The Crippled Lamb


Max Lucado - 1994
    This touching tale helps kids see that even if they're different, God has a unique plan for their lives.

A Christmas Dress for Ellen


Thomas S. Monson - 1998
    Her heart was full of sorrow, for there was nothing to fill the stockings, and there would be only a little mush for breakfast. Mary had written to her sisters in Idaho, asking for help with such necessities as wheat, yeast, flour, and cornmeal. She had also asked for clothing and some old, used quilts, for all of hers were thin and full of holes.At the close of the letter, she had written, "If you could just find a dress that someone has outgrown, I could make it over to fit Ellen. She is far too somber for such a young girl. She worries so about the family and about our needs. She has only one dress that she wears all the time, and it is patched and faded."Her letter had gone unanswered, it seemed, and their Christmas would be far from merry. But George Schow, their mailman, had a surprise in store. Could he brave the coming storm and bitter cold to deliver a Christmas miracle? And would there be a special present for Ellen? Find out in this classic tale of Christmas sacrifice and service.About this book: President Thomas S. Monson told the story "A Christmas Dress for Ellen" at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional in 1997, and an adaption of his address was published as a Christmas booklet in 1998. The story was related to President Monson by Marian Jeppson Walker (now deceased), a daughter of Mary Jeppson, the mother in the story. Sister Walker and her husband, William, also exchanged correspondence about the story with President Monson over the years. Additional details were obtained through correspondence with descendants of George Schow, the mailman who delivered the long-looked-for packages to the Jeppson family on Christmas Eve. In addition to other family members, those descendants include Mark Schow (now deceased) and Gayla Woolf Holt. The help and information from all these family members is acknowledged and appreciated.

An Invisible Thread Christmas Story


Laura Schroff - 2015
    She shares how Maurice gave her a small white bear—as she later learns, the only thing he had that he could truly call his own—to show her how grateful he was for their friendship. This heartwarming tale captures the true meaning of the holidays and will be one you’ll want to share with your family year after year as a reminder that a gift from the heart is always the best present under the tree.

We Were There: A Nativity Story


Eve Bunting - 2001
    But it wasn’t just the cows and donkeys and soft little lambs who were present. Smaller, less loved creatures were there, too: the snake, the scorpion, the cockroach, and others.Lyrically written by Eve Bunting and luminously illustrated by Wendell Minor, this beautiful book offers a unique and moving perspective on the Christmas story. It reminds us that all God’s creatures, both great and small, celebrated the arrival of the Christ child.

The Reindeer Wish


Lori Evert - 2015
      When Anja discovers an abandoned reindeer baby in the woods, she cares for it and raises it as her own. They become dear friends and have many adventures together, but as the reindeer grows he wishes to rejoin his kind. So Anja leads him to join the greatest reindeer of all—those of Santa’s sled team.

A Christmas Tree for Pyn


Olivier Dunrea - 2011
    In the craggy rocks on the snowy mountainside, tiny Pyn has her heart set on decorating her very first Christmas tree. But, "No Christmas tree," Papa says. Still, Pyn won't take no for an answer. She knows that a Christmas tree is just the thing their cottage needs to make the season festive and cheery. Pyn is determined to find the perfect Christmas tree - no matter what.With this story of the love between a father and daughter, Olivier Dunrea captures the true spirit of Christmas.

Cranberry Christmas


Wende Devlin - 1976
    And he insists that the skating pond is his. Mr. Whiskers knows this isn't true, but since he can't prove it, there'll be no skating...not even on Christmas Day! That is...unless cleaning Mr. Whiskers' house uncovers some important information.

Christmas Is...


Gail Gibbons - 2001
    It celebrates the birth of the Christ Child. It is also Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus, angels, lights, Christmas trees, cards, carols, presents, and prayers. In this festive introduction to the traditions and history of a favorite holiday, an award-winning author celebrates the many facets of this wonderful time, including the most important...peace, love and joy.

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.

Who Is Coming to Our House?


Joseph Slate - 1988
    All the animals are eager to welcome the baby Jesus to their home.A warm, lyrical book your family will cuddle up with for years.

The Bear and the Star


Lola M. Schaefer - 2019
    Acclaimed author Lola M. Schaefer’s and award-winning artist Bethanne Andersen’s breathtaking picture book explores themes of understanding, empathy, and peace, and will bring joy to any family’s holiday celebration.On a cold winter morning, Bear welcomes a new star to the sky and searches for the perfect tree—a majestic evergreen—under which to host a holiday celebration for everyone to enjoy. Bear roars to the East, the West, the North, and the South; his invitation echoing around the world. Guests start to arrive. They are feathered, furry, scaled—on the wing, on four paws, on two feet. They are young and old. They bring gifts. They bring love. They bring hope for peace.The Bear and the Star is a stunning picture book from acclaimed author Lola M. Schaefer and award-winning artist Bethanne Andersen. With a focus on understanding, empathy, and community, it’s the ideal choice for family sharing during the holiday season.