The Top Ten Christmas Books for 1 – 5 Years

We’ve delved into the spirit of Christmas with my selection of the best Family Christmas Movies on Netflix, now let’s look at books! Reading a book to William every night is an important part of our regime. He’s too young to read yet and may not fully understand the words, but I’d like to think he does get the message, enjoys the books and is absorbing more and more every day. I’ve collated my selection of Christmas Books that are suitable for our little ones, and they’re all available on Amazon!

I’ve chosen some that are classics and will bring a tiny tear to your eye, some that will have you laughing and clapping along with your kids, and a couple that are quite ridiculous in the adult world but trust me, will be well loved!

The Jolly Christmas Postman

Age Range: 3 – 5 years

If your kids love The Jolly Postman then they will definitely enjoy this festive take and it’s definitely worth having both books in the collection. In The Jolly Christmas Postman, it’s Christmas Eve and The Jolly Postman is off on his rounds, delivering some very special letters to fairytale characters. You’ll get to open and read the letters and it contains lots of activities and interactive ways for children to get involved. There are lots of bright and attractive drawings and pullout items and the language is perfect for little ones to be read to, or for older ones to enjoy too.  Although it’s listed at 3-5 years, the main text is definitely suitable for younger (with a fair amount of help from mum and dad). The reason that it’s listed as not suitable for under threes is because the pullouts, so this is a book that just needs to be supervised if reading to younger kids so nothing gets eaten or damaged. On the flip side, I can also see those older than five still enjoying the book by themselves, so it’s a gift that will last a while.

This is my top recommendation because of how well I think it suits a wide range of ages, and because the games, activities and pull out letters give an extra dimension to it, making reading as fun as possible!

The Night Before Christmas (Pop Up)

Age Range: 1 – 5 years

Based on Clement Clark Moore’s well known classic poem, this is a tale that has been told in a hundred different ways. You can get books based around this poem suitable for all ages – but I want to focus on one that will make a beautiful Christmas gift. This is a pop up book by Robert Sabuda, following the family of mice as they pop up to meet old St Nick. This is a version that will really engage the little ones and is presented beautifully, so ideal for a gift to a family member or friend. Robert Sabuda has published an entire host of popular stories in pop-up format and I would happily recommend an entire library full of them. The only downside is that pop-ups can be a little delicate, so if you’re using this for someone on the lower end of the scale, it’s definitely one for supervised reading to avoid anything getting broken.

The Dinosaur That Pooped Christmas

Age Range: 3 – 5 years

This may raise a few eyebrows when read at the dinner table, but there’s no doubt that “The Dinosaur That Pooped” series is a massive hit. This is an incredibly silly book about a dinosaur who eats just about anything, and of course – what goes in, must come out! It will play well for any child that is fascinated by their digestive system. Before I had kids, I never knew that poop and wee would be such a hot topic! This is a funny, yet also cautionary tale, with a moral to be learned about being greedy.

This one isn’t really a “read to the baby” type of story – more one for the boys and girls who already know about bodily functions and will find them amusing. If they enjoy this type of humour, I can also recommend Father Christmas Needs a Wee.

Dear Santa

Age Range: 1 – 5 years.

Dear Santa is from Rod Campbell, the creator of the extremely popular pre-school book, Dear Zoo. Available in board book format (or paperback), this makes it suitable for very little ones to enjoy. It’s a lift the flap book with simple, fun language, focusing around what’s behind the pop-up. Kids will love the interactivity of lifting up the flap themselves and discovering what bright and colorful item is underneath.

The Story Orchestra’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Age Range: 5 years+ 

Kids can journey with Clara on this well known Christmas adventure from the famous ballet. We meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, journey through the Land of Sweets and battle the Mouse King. As I’m featuring Christmas books that I think kids will love, I wanted to add this one as it has a wonderful twist. It features some simplified but very recognizable music from the ballet. Music is a lovely way to capture attention and add something unusual to a great story. The pages are also extremely bright and colourful, with wonderful engaging illustrations. If you don’t think your child would be that interested in the music, or is a little too young to enjoy this one, I also love this Nutcracker Board Book which has an Age Range of 1 – 5 years.

Stick Man

Age Range: 2 – 6 years

Stick man is available as a Board Book or in Paperback format and is written by the duo behind the Gruffalo. This simple story follows Stick Man, as he attempts a courageous winter journey to find his way back to his family tree. The rhyming in this book is excellent and makes it a fun read for any young children. I highly recommend the Board Book versions for little ones, as it’s extremely durable and the perfect size to hold and play with.

The Polar Express

Age Range: 2 – 7

The Polar Express is a tale with imagery that will appeal to any children – but especially to those who enjoy the idea of train trips. This follows the journey of a boy who boards a train to the North Pole and gets to ask Santa for any gift in the world. It’s full of large, colourful, evocative imagery that should capture the imagination of any children. It’s available in hardback, paperback or with an Audio CD as well and would be lovely for the family to listen to on Christmas Eve whilst waiting for Santa. There’s also the family movie available on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is rated U as suitable for the whole family and stars Tom Hanks.

Touchy Feel Nativity

Age Range: 0 – 5 years

For those wanting to bring back a bit of traditional story-telling, The Nativity tells the origin story of baby Jesus, complete with fluffy donkeys, woolly sheep and a glittering angel. This is part of the Usborne Touchy Feely Book range, which means it is interactive for young children to touch different types of material and surfaces. This sensory engagement can capture a young imagination, even if they don’t fully understand the words yet. Although it could be given to an older child, this one is definitely geared to those experiencing their first few Christmases.

One Snowy Night

Age Range: 2 – 6 years

This tale from Percy’s Park sees a series of animal friends needing help on a dark, snowy, winter’s night. It offers some good opportunity for do-it-yourself sound effects as you knock on each door, and easily memorable phrases for children to join in on. It also comes with a fold out poster and beautiful illustrations.

The Santa Trap

Age Range: 3 – 6 years

The final book on this list is The Santa Trap – a Christmas story with a lot to teach. It follows Bradley, a very naughty boy indeed. Selfish and spoiled, he finds himself without a gift on Christmas, so sets a trap for Santa! This is a delightfully illustrated book that’s designed for kids a little bit older, in the 3 – 6 year age range, who can understand the concept of being naughty and can relate to little Bradley. I love Christmas books that have a moral story as well as a fun one.

Note: The Christmas Books links on this page Amazon Affiliate links, which mean I earn a few pennies if you end up buying the book after clicking through. You can avoid these links by disabling cookies, or by simply going to Amazon and searching for the book title. All these books are my personal recommendations, and I have not been compensated in any other way.

Share your Christmas Books recommendations with me in the comments – am I missing anything? Does your child love one of these Christmas books, or what Christmas Books did you read when you were a kid?

Share this page with someone