The anticipation of Christmas can often feel as important as the day itself. Having a festive period rather than just focusing on one or two days can help remove some of the pressure on everyone for that time to be perfect, and I often find that there is so much joy and magic in anticipation. It is often here that beloved traditions are quietly grown.
Anticipation can be developed through reading books; making plans; telling stories; cooking or baking; choosing, making, or ordering gifts; and decorating the home. Spreading out activities, crafts, visits, and outings help to avoid overwhelm and builds a festive period which works well for the whole family.
One of the ways we love to build anticipation for any celebration is by reading books, and Christmas is no different!
This festive season, we will be reading:
Top row L-R:
The Kingfisher Book of Classic Christmas Stories. Last year Frida was too young for these but now these stories are a great length to cosy up and read together.
Stick Man. Great for Christmas as Santa makes an appearance towards the end…
The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker. We love this so much! Each page has a clip of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
Little Christmas Tree. A sweet lift-the-flap book showing winter wildlife.
Lucy and Tom at Christmas. A lovely book (though a little dated – one of the children receives a Native American style headdress for Christmas) showing a realistic portrayal of a family Christmas.
Middle row L-R:
Alfie’s Christmas. A favourite! Also realistic and very sweet,
The Christmas Story. This year I really wanted to get a couple of books about the story of the nativity, as I felt that at 3.5 years Frida is old enough for it. This version looks great.
Paddington and the Christmas Surprise. This isn’t my favourite Paddington, but Frida likes it so…
Snow in the Garden: A First Book of Christmas. Stories and poems plus Christmas recipes and crafts.
Little Grey Rabbit’s Christmas. They are old fashioned, but we love the Little Grey Rabbit stories.
Angelina’s Christmas. This is a very lovely story about an act of kindness.
Bottom row L-R:
The Christmas Eve Tree. A little fir tree is nearly thrown out, but ends up being truly cherished.
The Polar Express. A sweet story about the magic of believing in Santa.
Mog’s Christmas Calamity. We love Mog in our home, and this brilliant tale of calamity and community is excellent.
The Night Before Christmas. The classic poem.
On Angel Wings. Another story about the nativity, told in a less traditional way. I wonder if Frida is a little young for this still, but she’ll grow into it.
Refuge. This book came highly recommended in my Facebook group.
Mog’s Christmas. Another Mog book, and just as enjoyed!
Are any of your Christmas favourites here? What will you be reading this advent season? We’re also getting out our winter books, which I will be sharing in a couple of days.
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looking forward to your chapter books recommendations for preschoolers!