The True Christmas Story Picture Books for Children
With all the fun activities this time of year, sometimes the true Christmas story can get lost in the festivities. These nativity books for children will help you keep the story of the first Christmas central for your kids.
Nativity Picture Books for Younger Children
In this selection I have collected books that are perfect for toddler and preschool age kids. They have rhyming words, simple text, repeated phrases, and cute illustrations.
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Song of the Stars Sally Lloyd Jones
Song of the Stars is a beautiful picture book, describing how all the animals and parts of nature can sense that something is coming…the time when the birth of Christ would occur. Together they sing a song, all calling Jesus by wonderful names. All of the animals come and crowd around the manger where Jesus lies.
- Hardcover Book
- Lloyd-Jones, Sally (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 08/06/2011 (Publication Date) – Zonderkidz (Publisher)
This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten
In this book of delightful illustrations, the reader is introduced to all of the characters who were there the night of Jesus’ birth, from the holy family to the donkey and cow.
- Cotten, Cynthia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/30/2008 (Publication Date) – Square Fish (Publisher)
Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck
Christmas in the Manger is a simple true story of Jesus. It is told from the perspective of a little star to the wise men, characters who all played an important part in the Christmas story. This nativity book is a great addition to the many books that all point to the deliverance of baby Jesus.
- Buck, Nola (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 16 Pages – 10/22/1998 (Publication Date) – HarperFestival (Publisher)
Sounding Joy Ellie Holcomb
Is the sound of joy something you hear amid winter’s fun? This tells the story of Christmas time, and the nativity scene, and with a song every girl and boy will sing of the sounding joy.
- Holcomb, Ellie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 09/20/2022 (Publication Date) – B&H Kids (Publisher)
The Donkey’s Christmas Song by nancy tafuri
This is a sweet little book for very young children of how each of the animals in the stable sings a song, welcoming the newborn baby Jesus. After each of them has sung, the donkey shyly steps forward, knowing that his song is the loudest. He sings his song and makes the baby Jesus laugh.
- Tafuri, Nancy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 30 Pages – 10/01/2006 (Publication Date) – Scholastic Press (Publisher)
Nativity Picture Books That Tell the Direct Story
These amazing classic Christmas books most closely tell the story of Christ’s birth as we read about it in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Little Golden Book The Christmas Story told by Jane Werner
This Christmas book is closest to the true meaning of Christmas spoken of in the Bible, giving an accurate narrative of the birth of Jesus Christ.
- JESUS
- Hardcover Book
- Jane Werner Watson (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 01/01/1999 (Publication Date) – Golden Books (Publisher)
The Nativity by Cynthia Rylant
Each of the pages is painted into a beautiful picture of what it could’ve looked like the night Jesus was born. After his holy birth, Cynthia Rylant goes on to tell how he grew up and gave the amazing verses in his sermon on the Mount.
- Hardcover Book
- Rylant, Cynthia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 09/19/2017 (Publication Date) – Beach Lane Books (Publisher)
Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
A brightly illustrated picture book written as a nativity poem, this book is written by Margaret Brown. She has written many other books which are some of our favorites As I read this story, the words reminded me of the style of her other book “Big Red Barn.” Christmas in the Barn depicts a very descriptive yet touching story of the Christmas journey, and how God gave us Christmas.
- Brown, Margaret Wise (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 10/09/2007 (Publication Date) – HarperCollins (Publisher)
The First Christmas Night by Keith Christopher and Christine Kornacki
In the form of ‘T’was the Night Before Christmas’ by Clement C. Moore, The First Christmas Night is a rhyming book that starts with the Christmas promise of his birth spoken about in Isaiah 9:6. It continues about the journey it took for Mary and Joseph to get to the stable where Jesus was born.
- Hardcover Book
- Christopher, Keith (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/15/2013 (Publication Date) – WorthyKids (Publisher)
Christmas Stories With Artistic Liberty
Some books tell the nativity story by sharing ideas of what could have happened or what a person might have experienced. It can help the reader relate to a character when we imagine the possibilities from another point of view.
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson
This is a cute story of a tiny mouse named Mortimer. He is tired of his home in the crack in the wall and climbs up to where the nativity scene is set on a table next to the beautiful Christmas tree. But the pieces to the nativity scene were in the way — he pushed them off, from the angel Gabriel to the baby Jesus himself. But someone keeps setting them up again. Finally, he hears the nativity story. He is touched and places the pieces back in their places.
- Hardcover Book
- Wilson, Karma (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 10/02/2007 (Publication Date) – Margaret K. McElderry Books (Publisher)
Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell
Read the sweet story of a Kind Ox who shares the small stable he lives in with other poor animals, welcoming them all and giving them a place to sleep. Then comes Mary and Joseph, who are tired of searching for a place to stay. They stop at Kind Ox’s stable and give birth to baby Jesus.
- Hardcover Book
- Martin Waddell (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 10/03/2006 (Publication Date) – Margaret K. McElderry Books (Publisher)
They Followed a Bright Star Ulises Wensell
This beautiful picture book tells a story of the nativity in a different light. The shepherds are visited by the angels, who direct them to go to Bethlehem to see the new baby Jesus. As they travel to Bethlehem, the shepherds invite several people to come with them to see the Christmas baby. But the people refuse, having been given other jobs to prepare for a time when Jesus would need the fruits of their labor. At the end of their tiring journeying, the shepherds and the wise men see the little hands of the great gift of the world.
- Hardcover Book
- Alavedra, Joan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 10/06/1994 (Publication Date) – Putnam Juvenile (Publisher)
The Night of His Birth by Katherine Paterson
Fitting for older children, read about the nativity story from Mary’s perspective and wonderings on the day she gave birth to Jesus. How her mother, father, and even Joseph doubted her, and the satisfaction she now has over having given birth to the wonderful Savior of the world. It gives touching little descriptions on how she is new to motherhood, especially being the one to raise Jesus Christ.
- Hardcover Book
- Paterson, Katherine (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/17/2019 (Publication Date) – Flyaway Books (Publisher)
Picture books are a wonderful way to make the true story of Christmas come alive for your children during the holiday season. I hope these classic Christmas books help you keep Christ in Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
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