All-Time Favorite Holiday Read-Alouds

Put on your coziest socks and grab a mug of hot cocoa! This post will ply you with the ultimate in holiday read-alouds!

Twinkling lights, red and green décor, festive crafts, the hum of anticipation that covers everything like a highly caffeinated blanket–I love the holiday season in the classroom! 

Reading aloud is my favorite part of the day but reading aloud holiday books brings it to a whole new level. 

Below you will find my Top Twelve Holiday Read-Alouds — in the form of eleven picture books and one chapter book. Some are fun and whimsical. Others require deep thinking about the true meaning of the holiday season. And of course, some are just downright fun and silly.

I hope they bring you and your students a few rich discussions, some much-needed laughter, and a whole lot of holiday joy. 

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree | By: Robert Barry

“Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree came by special delivery. Full and fresh and glistening green–the biggest tree he had ever seen.”

This delightful rhyming book is a classic for good reason. Mr. Willowby’s tree is splendid and beautiful but also too tall to fit in his grand parlor. Alas, the treetop has to be chopped off. The chopped tree gets handed down to each forest animal, getting a tad smaller each time, until it comes full-circle back to Mr. Willowby’s parlor.

Silver Packages | By: Cynthia Rylant

“He will toss a sparkling silver package into the hands of each child who waits beside the tracks, and for some, it will be the only present they receive. So the train is awfully important.”

The Christmas Train winds through rural Appalachia each Christmas season, bringing toys and magic and wonder to the children of the region. For most, these are the only gifts they will receive. Frankie yearns for a doctor’s kit, but to his dismay he only receives things he needs; thick socks, warm mittens, woolen hats and scarves. Rylant’s heartwarming tale is based on the real “Santa Train” which has been tossing toys and treats to the children of coal towns since 1943. Inspires rich discussions about wants vs. needs, the magic of helping others, and the importance of showing gratitude for all of our blessings.

The Year Without a Santa Claus | By: Phyllis McGinley

“Though the storm falls heavy, though the great gale roars, though nobody else would budge outdoors; snug in your bed while the trumpet drums you can count your blessings on fingers and thumbs; for yearly, newly, faithfully, truly, somehow Santa Claus ALWAYS COMES.”

Santa is done: He’s old. He’s tired. He needs a vacation. But the children of the world have a plan to get Santa to reclaim his important position. This plan involves some ingenuity and a whole lot of kindness. Told in rhyming verse, this one is as fun to read aloud as it is to listen to! 

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins | By: Eric Kimmel

I’m not afraid of goblins,” he said. “Tell me how to get rid of them.

Brave Hershel must use his wit, his resourcefulness, and his imagination to outwit the goblins in order to save Hanukkah and restore order to the town. The illustrious illustrations are well deserving of a Caldecott and the story is one that begs to be retold year after year. Be prepared to play the dreidel game afterward! 

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey | By: Susan Wojciechowski

“For Jonathan Toomey seldom smiled and never laughed. He went about mumbling and grumbling, muttering and sputtering, grumping and griping.”

As a former elementary school librarian, author Susan Wojciechowski knows stories. And this one is a treasure. Mr. Toomey (Mr. Gloomy) is a despairing woodcarver who lives on the outskirts of the village. One winter day a widower and her son appear on his doorstep and commission him to carve a nativity scene. But not just any nativity scene: an exact replica of a very special set that had been inexplicably lost. Mr. Toomey reluctantly accepts the job and as the days go by the widower and her son proceed to appear at his home each day bringing him gifts of bread, cookies, and companionship while he works. It’s a beautiful tale of love, loss, and healing through the kindness of strangers. And… the audiobook is narrated by James Earl Jones! 

Olivia Helps With Christmas | By: Ian Falconer

“Would you like to help me build a fire, Olivia?”  “Daddy! What could you be thinking? Do you want to cook Santa?!”

If you think getting ready for the holidays is exhausting then just wait until you see Olivia in action. All she wants is to help get the house ready for Christmas, but her imaginative tactics are giggle-inducing for kids and cringe-worthy for parents. And if you’re already familiar with Olivia then you know that Ian Falconer’s gorgeous illustrations are quite deserving of their own accolades.

Red & Lulu | By: Matt Tavares

“In the front yard of a little house, on the branches of a mighty evergreen, there lived a happy pair of cardinals.”

Red and Lulu are quite content living in their majestic evergreen tree. But one day Red departs to look for breakfast while Lulu stays behind. When he returns he finds not only Lulu gone but also their beloved home! After a long hard search he finds himself in Rockefeller Center, staring up at his former home, now adorned with thousands of twinkling lights. A beautiful tribute to a cherished American holiday tradition that spans over eight decades. 

The Trees of the Dancing Goats | By: Patricia Polacco

“Look, a dancing goat!” my brother exclaimed as he held one up. “I like this one,” I said, cradling a little dog in my palm. Grampa had painted the animals with colors from his homeland. We marveled at how magical they all were.

Master storyteller Patricia Polacco weaves together a Hanukkah and Christmas tale based on her own childhood memories in Michigan. With only eight days until Hanukkah, Tricia’s family is busy preparing for the Festival of Lights. However, Tricia’s neighbors fall ill with scarlet fever and it’s up to Tricia and her family to bring them Christmas cheer. Anything Polacco writes is five-stars and is one to share year after year.

Pig the Elf | By: Aaron Blabey

How he loved Christmas! He’d giggle with glee–“The presents! The presents! For ME! ME! ME! ME”

Pig loves Christmas for all of the wrong reasons: He’s selfish, greedy, and only wants more, more, more! He’s not above biting Santa in the tush when he doesn’t leave enough presents under the tree! Kids delight in Pig’s obvious social faux-pas and giggle at the unexpected consequence. Grown-ups will get a huge kick out of his random “I Want” list at the end of the book. 

Dasher | By: Matt Tavares

“If you ever get lost, just look for the North Star.”

This origin story for Santa’s eight tiny reindeer features Dasher, a young reindeer with a big wish in her heart. Long, arduous days are spent with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life — one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head. One day Dasher seizes an opportunity and takes off in pursuit of the life she wants to live. It’s not long before she meets a nice man in a red suit with a horse-drawn sleigh and the most famous of Christmas lore begins. Just like in Tavares’ Red and Lulu, the illustrations are absolutely stunning and bring an element of magic to each page.

The Christmas Book Flood | By: Emily Kilgore

“As stars glitter above and light fills the room, now it is time for the best part of all. With blankets and pillows, loved ones and warmth, they sip their hot chocolate and read, read, read, read…”

Based on an Icelandic tradition where people give books on Christmas Eve and then, with a bar of chocolate or mug of hot cocoa, they read all night long. Really, can you think of anything more delightful? I could spend hours poring over the illustrations as they are some of the most gorgeously detailed artwork I’ve ever seen. As Emily Kilgore states in her author’s note, “The Christmas Book Flood continues to spread as more and more people join the tradition. Will it reach you?”

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street | By: Karina Yan Glaser (chapter book)

It takes a super-brave person to be as generous as you are, Hyacinth. Not many people are brave enough to be so loving.

The Vanderbeekers are the neighbors you wish you lived right next door and their happy brownstone on 141st Street is the home you wish you lived in. Life is dandy for the lovable Vanderbeekers until the unthinkable happens: they receive word that their rent will not be renewed and they must move out of their beloved home immediately after Christmas. The Vanderbeeker siblings band together to come up with a plan to save their home, and in its implementation uncover the true meaning of the holiday. This is one you’ll want to curl up with every Christmas. 

What are your favorite holiday treasures?  I’d love to add to my collection!

yours in reading,
rawley