Christmas Books!

We are a family that likes our books – and Christmas books are no exception.  Here are the ones we have.

1. What Happened to the Donkey after Christmas? by Joseph LoBianco – This little book was written by an acquaintance of my father-in-law.  It traces the life of Jesus through the eyes of the donkey that carried Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.

2. Mary Did You Know? by Mark Lowry – This is a little gift book that includes a CD of Mark Lowry singing the song of the same name.  It includes the lyrics to the song, some thoughts by Mark Lowry, and quotes from several other Christian writers.

3. The Best Christmas Story – This book is actually a board book with slide-out panels that tells the Nativity story.  I haven’t had the heart to get rid of it, even though the kids are “too old” for it.

4. A Season of Joy by Susan Card – Michael Card’s wife wrote this lovely book that includes such things as the story behind some Christmas carols, the Card family’s favorite books, and chapters on such things as simplifying the holidays and keeping the birth of Christ in the front of our minds.

5. The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado – This story of a lamb who was present at the birth of Christ is a lovely display of God’s love for everyone, even though we are imperfect.

6. Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien – I am pretty sure this has to rank as my favorite Christmas book!  It is a compilation of letters that Tolkien wrote to his children (from Father Christmas, of course) along with pictures.  Tolkien’s imagination and creativity come shining through this book!

7. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson – It looks like the Christmas pageant will be ruined by the Herdman kids, the worst kids in the world.  Or, maybe not.  Maybe it can actually be the best pageant ever!  A wonderful read-aloud!

8. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – I’ll be honest, we’ve never actually managed to read this book the whole way through as a read-aloud.  It’s not easy to read out loud, but the story is just wonderful.

9. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Woiciechowski – We received this book as a Christmas gift from one of my partners in the medical group when I was working.  Jonathan Toomey is a bitter widower who is asked to carve a nativity set by a widow and her son.  The miracle that occurs in Jonathan Toomey’s heart during his carving the figures is beautiful to see.

10. Santa Who? by Gail Gibbons – This book explains the various Santa and Santa-like Christmas traditions around the world and their history.  A very good read-aloud.

11. Silent Night by Margaret Hodges – This telling of the story of the hymn “Silent Night” and the accompanying illustrations are just gorgeous.

12. Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury by Jan Brett – Five Christmas stories that are either written or adapted by Jan Brett are included, along with Brett’s wonderful illustrations.  This treasury also includes Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”.  (We also have the exact same The Night Before Christmas as a separate book that we had gotten before we received the treasury as a gift.)

Now it’s your turn – what are your family’s favorite Christmas books?