20 Holiday Books for Kids Perfect for Your Young Child’s Wish List

You’ve heard of Five Little Monkeys. But have you heard of Five Little Dreidels? If the answer is no, add this to your shopping cart! This sweet and festive Chanukah-themed book centers around the amazing adventures of Five Little Dreidels.

If your little ones need some help with their manners, add The Thank You Book to your collection. This precious book spends time talking about all the different ways we can show gratitude to the people we love.

You’ve heard of “I’m a Little Teapot”. But have you heard of I’m a Little Snowman? We dare you not to sing that! Centering around snowmen instead of teapots, this fun twist on an old classic will bring joy to your little ones.

Baking Christmas cookies is a fun holiday tradition shared in many households. While those cookies are baking, pull out your copy of Santa Mouse Bakes Christmas Cookies and read it to your little ones. This sweet book tells the story of how Santa Mouse helps the Elves out by baking and decorating cookies for everyone at the North Pole.

Bring a different kind of board book into your home when you purchase, I Want That! This interactive book features a spinning wheel that lets you and your children try to figure out what the baby in the story wants. If only it were that easy in real life.

Kids love the search and find books, great not only for entertainment purposes but to make them think. With this personalized search and find, your kiddo is looking for themself! They will love exploring the six various universes to uncover the different versions of themself. A creative book that will provide endless hours of fun and discovery. With over 750 ways to customize this to your child, this is first on the list for holiday books for kids.

This Christmas, why not introduce your young kids to diverse books that will help them learn about different cultures and traditions? Bindiya In India is an award-winning book written by Monique Kamaria Chheda, MD, and beautifully illustrated by Debasmita Dasgupta.

This title is on the list of holiday books for kids because it follows the story of a young Indian American named Bindiya who goes to India for the first time for an Indian wedding. The book takes place in the 1990s, and Bindiya meets her extended family in India for the first. She learns about Indian wedding traditions, creating a bond with her family that will last a lifetime.

Always Anjali is on the list of holiday books for kids and is about a charismatic young girl who receives a bike for her birthday. She and her two best friends are excited to get matching license plates with their names on them. But Anjali can’t find her name. Anjali then gets bullied for having a different name. This upsets her, and she tells her parents to change her name. But will Anjali change her name? 

A name is an important part of our identity. A name gives an individual a sense of their identity and culture.  Always Anjali is a multi-award-winning book published by Mango & Marigold Press written by Sheetal Sheth and illustrated by Jessica Blank. 

The fifth volume of Good Night Stories from Rebel Girls, 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers, is a great addition to the holiday books for kids. The title celebrates barrier-breaking activists, artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs who all are younger than 30 years old. The forward is written by conservationist Bindi Irwin.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers profiles young women from around the world including sustainable fashion designer Marine Serre, stuntwoman Sadiqua Bynum, environmental activist Helena Gualinga, and inventor Vinisha Umashankar. The book also features some women your daughters and nieces already may be familiar with like Taylor Swift, Bethany Hamilton, Bindi Irwin, and Greta Thunberg. Each profile is written as a short bedtime story with a bold full-page portrait that has made this series a success.

When Boo the dog gets a new puppy sister, unexpectedly his life is turned upside down. He has to learn to share, change his daily walking routine, and other challenges that he was not ready for. A sweet story about acceptance and giving in and enjoying his little sister’s love, Boo and the New Puppy is one of the great holiday books for kids.

Kids’ imagination can easily get away from them, and the book Soup for Lunch is the perfect example of this. A fun, silly, and humorous story of a little boy who falls asleep while eating soup and imagines his whole house filling up with his sister’s soup. One of the holiday books for kids is sure to give the whole family a chuckle and will be requested over and over again.

Octopuses Have Zero Bones teaches children about math and numbers, as well as amazing fun science facts. Included in the holiday books for kids, this story by Anne Richardson is perfect for curious children who want to learn more about numbers and the world around them.

Your child will learn everything from how many breaths you take in a day and how many times a black bear’s heart beats in an hour to how many moons Mars has and how far is a trip to Saturn. You and your young scientist can learn about science and numbers all in one go! The whimsical illustrations by Andrea Antinori will spark imagination and curiosity for continued learning.

Sometimes, kids lie to protect themselves or to ensure they don’t get in trouble. Tell the Truth, Pangolin is on the list of holiday books for kids for its ability to teach the importance of telling the truth. Follow Pangolin through this entertaining story of breaking the queen’s royal swing and doesn’t know what to tell her! This book will help teach kids to find the courage, to be honest, not only with others but yourself as well, no matter how difficult the situation you find yourself in.

Holiday books for kids are sometimes based on a true story. From the Pocket of an Overcoat is based on the real-life of Max…the cat. Follow Max as he moves from the overcoat pocket of city gal Sally to the county with Farmer Buckles and his farm friends. Told from Max’s eyes, this beautifully illustrated book follows his story of finding a true sense of belonging with his family.

Lizzy and the Cloud is a sweet story from the award-winning authors The Fan Brothers who have also written Ocean Meets Sky and The Night Gardener. True to their style, this is a beautifully illustrated tale, rich with emotions that will teach everyone who reads it a little something.

Meet Lizzy, a little girl who buys a cloud as a pet. Lizzy takes her pet cloud for walks, feeds and waters it, and watches Milo grow and grow until it gets a little too big for her to handle. On the list of holiday books for kids, your small child will ask to hear this story over and over this holiday season.

No one does holiday books for kids better than Sandra Boynton. Purchase your toddler a hug in a book that will keep you both smiling. Perfect for bedtime or any other time during the day, Snuggle Puppy is full of cute illustrations, catchy rhymes, and cuddly fun.

Another Sandra Boynton favorite, this fun book complete with animal sounds will have your young child mooing and singing along with the story. When buying holiday books for kids, this board book is ideal for babies and preschoolers for its ability to foster a love for reading. And what is cuter than a two-year-old oinking?

Simon & Schuster publishing has some incredible holiday books for kids – especially titles by Sandra Boynton. Dinosnores is no exception. Tiny kiddos love dinosaurs. And they love to pretend to snore. When you put the two together, you get toddler story gold. This book about a pile of snoring dinosaurs will have everyone rhyming and laughing in no time!

When looking for holiday books for kids, Britannica’s Baby Encyclopedia is wonderful for curious babies and toddlers. The book covers a wide spectrum of shapes, colors, animals, arts, machines, plants, and more, delightfully illustrating to keep your baby’s attention. This is one board book that your young child is sure to love while learning!

A list of holiday books for kids isn’t complete without The Nutcracker. Published by Union Square Kids, this paperback version of the classic will have your child begging to see the story come to life on stage. Full of colorful illustrations, this adventure of the imagination will have your child learning about the origins of the Nutcracker and dancing with sugar plum fairies in their heads (and possibly on their beds!)