Christmas is quietly edging closer, and few things capture the festive feeling quite like curling up in the evening with a stack of Christmas stories. These cosy reading moments often become some of the most treasured memories of the season. Many families already have a well-loved collection of festive books gathered over the years, those timeless favourites that never seem to get packed away, no matter how much the kids grow. We reached out to the Phuket Kids community to discover their most loved titles and have gathered our top ten festive favourites, best enjoyed with gingerbread treats and a mug of hot chocolate.
Why not try a Christmas book advent this year? If you’re new to the idea, it’s a simple and lovely way to count down to the big day. Each evening, choose a different holiday book to read together as a family. You could start a week before Christmas, or turn it into a special weekend tradition spread over a few cosy nights.
Whether you opt for a classic Christmas story or a brand-new festive adventure, taking time to read together is a wonderful way to slow down, connect, and soak up the magic of the season with your little ones.
1. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore and illustrated by Cheryl Harness
Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” (almost universally known now as “The Night Before “The Night Before Christmas” hardcover children’s book features a recordable option to let you bring the story to life, with pop-up scenes and lighted backgrounds. This delightfully interactive version of the most beloved Christmas poem of all time will captivate both the young and the young-at-heart. Hear the story read out loud while you turn the pages to enjoy classic illustrations brought to life with pop-up scenes, music and light features.
2. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
The Snowman is a 1982 British animated television film and symphonic poem based on Raymond Briggs’ 1978 picture book The Snowman. It was directed by Dianne Jackson for the British public service Channel 4. It was first shown on 26 December 1982, and was an immediate success. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and won a BAFTA TV Award.
The story is told through pictures, action and music, scored by Howard Blake, and is wordless, with the exception of the central song “Walking in the Air”. The orchestral score was performed in the film by the Sinfonia of London and the song was performed by Peter Auty, a St Paul’s Cathedral choirboy.
3. The Christmas Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska
The holidays are filled with joyful noise. But Christmas is sometimes wrapped in quiet: “Searching for presents quiet,” “Getting caught quiet,” and “Hoping for a snow day quiet.” Irresistibly cute, soft colored pencil illustrations of bunnies, bears, and more paint a magical holiday picture indeed.
4. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson
The Velveteen Rabbit is the charming children’s tale about a stuffed rabbit who longs to become real, and the magic that makes his dream come true. A beloved classic since it was first published in 1922, The Velveteen Rabbit has since been adapted many times for television and film. This illustrated edition features the colour plates from the original 1922 edition.
5. Everybody’s Tree by Barbara Joosse and illustrated by Renée Graef
Over the course of eighty years a spruce tree grows, along with the little boy who first selected it at a tree farm. As the tree grows from sapling to magnificent evergreen, the child matures as well, becoming a father and then grandfather. Now at the end of its life, the glorious tree is chosen to be the centerpiece of a city’s holiday celebration. The tree journeys from rural countryside to big city center, where everyone, young and old, comes together to celebrate a tree for all; everybody’s tree.
6. 6.Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May and illustrated by David Wenzel
Every year at Christmastime, young and old alike fall under the finger-snapping, joy-inspiring spell of this song. Now fans of the most famous reindeer of them all can become acquainted with the original story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, written in verse by his creator, Robert L. May, in 1939. Sumptuously re-illustrated with the vibrant and magical art of David Wenzel, this beautiful edition of an American holiday classic is a book to treasure and to share, year after year.
7. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman
The day before Christmas, snuggled on his floor, Bear sleeps soundly with a great big snore. Bear’s friends are determined to keep Bear awake for Christmas! So they wake Bear up and have him help them find a Christmas tree, bake cakes, hang up stockings and sing Christmas songs. Bear stays up, by discovering that giving is one of the best Christmas presents! How a SURPRISE visit from someone very special gives Bear and his friends a Christmas to remember makes an enchanting holiday story for young readers. With Karma Wilson’s memorable text and Jane Chapman’s glowing illustrations, Bear Stays Up for Christmas is a book to cherish throughout the year.
8. Dasher by Matt Tavares
Dasher is an adventurous young reindeer with a wish in her heart. She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life one where there is snow beneath her hooves and the North Star above her head. One day, when the opportunity arises, Dasher seizes her destiny and takes off in pursuit of the life she wants to live. It’s not long before she meets a nice man in a red suit with a horse-drawn sleigh, a man named Santa. And soon, with the help of a powerful Christmas wish, nothing will be the same.
9. I Got the Christmas Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison and illustrated by Frank Morrison
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and a mother and daughter are enjoying the sights and sounds of the holiday season. The little girl hears sleigh bells ringing and carolers singing. She smells chestnuts roasting–CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!–and sees the flashing lights of the department store windows–BLING! BLING! BLING! She spreads the spirit of giving wherever she goes. And when she reaches Santa, she tells him her Christmas wish–for peace and love everywhere, all the days of the year.
10. Flight of the Reindeer: The True Story of Santa Claus and His Christmas Mission by Robert Sullivan and illustrated by Glenn Wolff
In Search of Santa Claus Those who know him best tell their remarkable tales. George Bush President Was a Helper Helping that fellow clear his airspace by signing the Santa Claus Clause was a great privilege of my office. A great privilege.” Sir Edmund Hillary New Information on Everest The local people insisted there was something happening up there on the summit every December. Tenzing must have believed that. At the top, I saw him place some cookies in the snow.” Al Roker Forecaster to the Elves In one hour in New York you can have snow, ice, rain—then it changes back to snow! Santa has to know what’s going on. I tell him.” Will Steger Only Man to Visit the Village It was big, but it was small. It was calm, but it was bustling. It was happy—yes, I would even say it was jolly. The village was precisely like Santa Claus himself!”
