Christmas Eve Books for Children

There’s nothing like the anticipation of Christmas for kids! And goodness knows how much my own boys love reading Christmas Eve books to share in the delight toward Christmas Day.

You can find these Christmas Eve books for children at your local library or purchase them through the affiliate links provided for your convenience.

Christmas Eve Books for Children

The Night Before Christmas Pop-up: Award winner Robert Sabuda brings Clement Clarke Moore’s classic tale of The Night Before Christmas to life in this festive pop-up edition, sure to become a perennial family favorite.

Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? Every year, trolls knock down Kyri’s door and gobble up her Christmas feast. But this year, the trolls are in for a surprise: a boy and his pet ice bear on their way to Oslo have come in from the cold. And once the ice bear is finished with the trolls, you can bet they won’t come knocking next Christmas Eve! Once again, Jan Brett creates an original Christmas story full of warmth and magic.

The Animals’ Christmas Eve (Little Golden Book): In the barn on Christmas Eve, After all the people leave, The animals, in voices low, Remember Christmas long ago . . . So begins a sweet rhyming story in which a group of animals recounts the events surrounding Jesus’ birth in the manger, and the parts some of their ancestors played in it. This is also a counting book.

Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho!: Santa comes to the barnyard in this holiday addition to the award-winning Click, Clack series from the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott winning team who brought you Click, Clack, Moo and Click, Clack, Peep!

It’s the night before Christmas and all through the farm, not a creature is stirring, not even a…duck? Farmer Brown is busy decorating his home in preparation for Santa’s arrival on Christmas Eve! All seems calm in the barnyard, but Farmer Brown isn’t the only one who is getting ready… Ho Ho OH NO! Once again, Duck has gotten the whole barnyard STUCK in quite a predicament! Will anyone be able to un-stuck Duck and save Christmas?

Stowaway in a Sleigh: The cat’s out of the bag and holiday adventure awaits! When Slipper finds Mr. Furry Boots in her house, she does what any cat would do and investigates. But curiosity gets the best of her when she finds herself on a trip she hadn’t planned on taking… Join Slipper as she discovers that there’s no place like home—especially for Christmas.

The Lost Gift: A Christmas Story: It’s Christmas Eve, and Bird, Rabbit, Deer, and Squirrel are eagerly waiting for Santa to fly overhead. When he does, a gift tumbles out of his sleigh, landing in the woods. The friends find the gift and read the tag: “For the new baby at the farm. Love, Santa.” And so, in spite of Squirrel’s grumbling—“It’s not our baby”—they set off on a long journey to deliver it. Sweet, poignant, and starring a cast of truly adorable characters, this is a story sure to be shared year after year at Christmastime.

Memoirs of an Elf: It’s Christmas Eve and Spark Elf has the very important job of keeping Santa Claus on schedule as he travels the globe in 24 hours delivering presents. Small in stature with pointy ears and stopwatch in hand, Spark lets Santa know it’s time to go. He programs the GPS while the other elves secure the toy bag and check the Nice list. Little known fact: We don’t even bring the Naughty list with us.

Six hours into the trip Santa, sleigh and crew begin to fall behind–so many cuddly doggies to pet and extra cookies to eat. The jolly group makes up time in Brazil and soon find themselves back at the North Pole. Their work is done. But wait, there’s something left in the bag–but it isn’t a present at all–it’s a family dog! Well known fact: Santa gives things away. He does not take things! Momma Claus comes to the rescue with a plan to get the dog back to his family. Can Santa return the family’s beloved pooch in time to keep their Christmas merry?

The Christmas Eve Tree: t’s late on Christmas Eve, and the little fir tree is the only tree left in the shop. What a poor thing I am, it thinks. But then a young boy enters the store, drawn in from the damp by the warmth and lights and the wonderful smell of Christmas, and he doesn’t seem to mind that the scrawny tree isn’t tall and straight like the others. . . . This magical story, beautifully illustrated by Emily Sutton, captures an unexpected and unforgettable moment of happiness that brings a whole city together.

Biscuit’s Christmas Eve: Biscuit gets ready for Santa’s arrival in his newest gatefold book, with surprises under every flap!

The Great PJ Elf Chase: A Christmas Eve Tradition: When the Taylor boys put their minds to something, they go all out! There’s a Christmas Eve tradition in the Taylor household. While the boys take baths, Santa’s elves drop new pajamas outside their bathroom door. The PJ elves are sly and quick, but this year they’re in for a surprise—Ben and Jack are on a mission to catch one of them! The traps the brothers set sure look promising, but the unexpected can happen when you least expect it! Join in the fun and bring this delightful story into your home this Christmas. Start a family tradition that will entertain generations.

See 30+ more Christmas and Winter-themed reading lists for your children!