Every year since my oldest children were little, I've pulled out our Christmas books during Advent. Kept in a box along with decorations, they come out only at this season for quiet reading and reading out loud, so that those unpredictable stray moments can be filled with bright images.
I admit that this might be the first year that I've found a good basket for them (and please overlook whatever that substance is that's jutting out at you), and only by emptying one in the pantry and dragging it out for this purpose (just in time — wow, I'm doing great! Let's see, my oldest child is 28? Good job.) . But who can have a large basket languishing around doing nothing all year, only to be brought out for six weeks? (In the past I think the books have been stacked in a corner. Sigh.)
Still.
Many a Christmas thought and contemplative idea are nurtured with the right book at this time. Over the years, I have tossed out a few that are just not fitting with our family standards — too cartoonish, too silly, too sentimental. But many have endured and become wonderful favorites.
I thought I'd show you a little of what we love. I'm including Amazon links in case you are looking for a lasting gift that you want to know is already kid-tested 🙂 (I'm not selling these myself, but if you go through my link I do get a small commission.)
We love pop-up books, and have several that are truly amazing.
You can teach little hands to be gentle with these books by perhaps keeping the special ones up out of reach, bringing them down for calm moments when you can model the proper handling. I found that if I said, “Gently turn this, carefully pull that” and helped them do it, even the youngest toddler had a sense of wonder and care for these books. Any “issues” can usually be resolved with a judicious application of scotch tape.
This one is lovely. The meaning of Christmas is not just the Babe in the manger, but the whole of the life of Christ, including of course His death and resurrection. This book is incredibly well done.
Just look at these scenes:
(Like many “adapted” Bible stories, there can be issues with accuracy. In this one, unfortunately, the text reads Luke 1:26 as she “was not yet married” — furthering the misconception that the Blessed Virgin was somehow pregnant out of wedlock. I would just change that to “she was betrothed to Joseph,” with the understanding that betrothed is not the equivalent of the modern “engaged” — they were married, she enjoyed Joseph's spousal provision, and even in his first moments of being conceived, the baby Jesus had the protection of a foster father who was married to His mother. It's very important that we not leave our children vulnerable to the idea that pregnancy out of wedlock is something that happened even to the Blessed Virgin! For more on this topic, go here.)
Other pop-ups we love are these:
The First Christmas by Tomie dePaola
Advent Calendar/Pop-Up by Meryl Doney
Unfortunately they are out of print and can be expensive. I wouldn't buy a used pop-up book sight unseen, would you? But you never know — in the coming year you may find one at a used book sale…
Not a pop-up, but a great favorite, is this one:
The text includes poetry, some from Scripture, and beautifully printed images from the Renaissance.
I admire the illustrations of Lisbeth Zwerger: her lines are breathtaking! Bridget says this book is probably her favorite:
The Gift of the Magi
A Christmas Testament has many medieval images and is a wonderful read-aloud book. It's out of print but there seem to be many cheap copies — and this is a boxed hardcover book!
A fun one that I found at a library discard sale is Peter Spier's Christmas!
I really have a fondness for his illustrations, which lead to so many intensive, exhaustive perusals of their detail — although this book made my children wonder about just what kind of churches have chickens at the top of their spires rather than crosses!
Anything by Tasha Tudor is delightful. Take Joy! doesn't reside in our basket/pile, but at the piano, since it contains easy settings of just about all the Christmas carols you will want to sing.
But she also includes traditions, Advent and Christmas, as well as recipes. You might be able to find one at a yard sale, you never know!
Over the years your collection can grow, and if you are diligent in inspiring a practical awe in your children, the books will last for another generation. Yes, some will fall apart. Don't worry about that. Keep working on it. Little by little they (the books, not the children, although you never know) will come down from the high shelf and into a Christmas book basket — and if I can, after all these years, actually find a basket to hold our collection, so can you!
Ann Kroeker says
Ooooo….ahhhh….thanks for this peek at your Christmas basket full of treasures!I can't type long–someone is asking me to read to him! 🙂
Decadent Housewife says
Thanks for showing us your wonderful Christmas books…such a weakness over here. I've done the same thing forever. Books, so much nicer than wallpaper!
Esther says
I too like to collect Christmas books, but at the moment they are shoved on the shelf with all of the other Kids books. I think I might have to find me a basket too.
Anonymous says
I know I'm commenting almost a year after you posted this, but I just found your wonderful blog and am really enjoying reading the old posts! Anyway, in case you haven't found out yet, roosters on top of church spires came about in the 9th century. They represent the rooster that crowed after Peter had denied Christ. womanofthehouse
Mitty says
Hi, I'm also new to your blog. I love Christmas books and get mine out every year to read over, even though my DD is now 23. We love Peter Spier's Christmas. The Donkey's Dream is also a big favorite and inspires a sense of awe and reverence in even very young children. Susan Jeffers's Silent Night has great illustrations. A book for adults that I love is A Way to the Heart of Christmas. It is a book of poems and brief meditations, now out of print but available used. Hope you enjoy some of these!
Lisa says
I, too, am just discovering your so-appealing blog. I have no childen, but work in a library. A wonderful Christmas book, which I try to recommend every year to *someone* is "A Christmas Mystery" by Jostein Gaarder – a great one for the whole family to read together every day from Dec. 1st – Christmas.
Dawn says
We Love Christmas books. I too bring them out at for advent. We wrap them up and open one each day until Christmas. The kids are so delighted to see their old favorites and sometimes a new to them one coming out. I love the pop up book.Blessings,Dawn
Robert says
I once found a copy of Tudor's Take Joy at a church book sale for 10 cents.This year we are wrapping the Christmas books in the odds and ends of Christmas paper. The children will get to open one book each evening for story time.