Christmastime is a wonderful opportunity to share with your preschooler the amazing story of Christ’s birth. This gives your family the chance to reinforce the importance of literacy and reading, as well as celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Take a look at our top five favorite Christmas storybooks for your family.
1. God Gave Us Christmas
Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren, Illustrator: David Hohn
This is a touching story about how a Mama Bear explains God and Christmas to Little Cub. Mama Bear explains that Santa reminds us about things like care and generosity, but God and Jesus should be what we celebrate most at Christmas. She tells Little Cub that God is the one who gave us his Son on the very first Christmas. She also explains that God sent Jesus so we could understand just how much he loved each one of us. Through this book, your child will learn that Jesus is the best present of all at Christmas time.
2. The First Christmas Night
Author: Keith Christopher, Illustrator: Christine Kornacki
This beautifully illustrated story describes the birth of Jesus. It is written to resemble the The Night Before Christmas, except this story is about the birth of Jesus instead of the arrival of Santa. The book lists scriptures describing the birth of Christ. Luke chapter 2 reads “unto you is born in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord.” This story is a great visual tool to explain the events that happened on that glorious night so long ago.
3. The Crippled Lamb
Author: Max Lucado, Illustrator: Liz Bonham
Max Lucado has written many Christian books, but this unique story focuses on a lamb named Joshua. Joshua was different from the other lambs. He did not have snow-white wool. He was an orphan. He couldn’t run or jump like the others because he was crippled. His only friend was an old cow named Abigail, who reminded Joshua that God has a special place for those who feel left out. Both friends were asleep in a manger when the sound of people woke them up. It was Mary and Baby Jesus. The lamb laid by Jesus to keep him warm. It was at that moment that Joshua realized why he was born with a crippled leg and why he was different. If he hadn’t been, he would not have been in the manger to be one of the first to welcome Jesus into the world and he realized that God did have a special place for him after all.
4. Christmas Is Here
Author: Words from the King James Bible, Illustrator: Lauren Castillo
This story is a reminder that Christmas is about more than just Santa and presents. This book reminds us of the true meaning of the season and what it has meant to families ever since the birth of Jesus. The story starts off with a family spending time together at a church in town to see a living nativity. The beginning of the story is just a picture of the family at the nativity. Then the book starts to share the amazing birth of Jesus from Luke chapter 2. The nativity story is matched with interesting pictures showing wonderful shades of light and dark shadows. It ends with the townspeople and families visiting the nativity so they can remember the real reason for the season.
5. Room for a Little One – A Christmas Tale
Author: Martin Waddell, Illustrator: Jason Cockcroft
This story explains how on a cold winter night a special little one came into the world to save the whole world. The story illlustrates how to have compassion and kindness towards others. The story starts with Ox lying in a stable. Dog asks for a warm place to rest, and the Ox tells him “There’s always room for a little one here.” The dog passes on the same words and the same kindness to Cat who was also looking for a warm place to stay. Then Cat passes on the same words and kindness to Mouse. After all of these animals are in the stable, Mary and Joseph approach on a donkey. Mary asked “Where will my baby be born?” Ox answers and tells them “There’s always room for a little one here.” Jesus was born with all of these animals around him and all the animals welcomed him into the warmth of their stable. This little one came to save the world.
By: Jill Brown, K4 Teacher, Faith Christian School
