Christian blogger Traci Smith recommends these 9 wonderful Christmas story books and has several suggestions about how to use/share them. We've added a few more!
- How Many Miles to Bethlehem – Great illustrations, simple story. This one is going to be the basis for our Christmas Eve Service this year.
- Who is Coming to Our House? – Lots of animals in this simple story! Perfect opportunity to get people practicing their honking, squeaking, and baa-ing.
- Song of the Stars – This one is beloved by many colleagues and friends. Like the previous, it features a lot of animals. The illustrations are lovely.
- Legend of the Poinsettia – This one strays from the story of Jesus in the manger, but it is a delightful story about sacrifice and love.
- Nativity – Typical of Cynthia Rylant’s style, this one is minimalist and lovely, and directly quoted from KJV scripture.
- Silent Night – Similar to Nativity (above) this is simply the Silent Night lyrics with beautifully reinterpreted artwork.
- Humphrey’s First Christmas – Told from the perspective of a camel, this is a good one for those craving something different.
- Christmas Love Letters from God – This one has great potential for cross generational activities as well as simply reading the story. Maybe children would like to write a letter to God or the baby Jesus.
- ‘Twas the Evening of Christmas – This one also has some activities to go with it. Here’s a wonderful resource pack!
How to Share These Books with Kids in Your Church
- Create a neighborhood lending library on your front lawn or by the church door.
- Put two or three of these books in a traveling bag of Advent supplies that families use then drop off to "the next family" in 7 days.
- Have older members "gift" a book to a younger one.
- Use a book and its pictures to create a drama or "posed photos" re-enactment collage.
- Gather several of these from a local bookstore and sell them one Sunday at church.
