A big part of our Christmas celebrating is all of the picture books we read and reread from year to year. It's so comforting to pull out the same ones, either copies we own or from the library, to enjoy every December (or late November).
I often pull our own little book flights when choosing from our stacks and stacks of books (nearly all from the library). Such as last Sunday, the day we were going to get our tree until we saw the rain in the forecast, we read all books about Christmas trees, in various variations. I try to save the the cookie/baking books for close to when we do those. Or sometimes it's just fun to pull together a flight on a random Tuesday (depending on what needs urgently read due to library due dates).
The other Christmas Picture Book Flights I've done are: Cookies & Treats, Christmas Trees, Animals Celebrating, Santa Stories, The Nativity Story, and Historic Christmases. As well as just a list of {25} Christmas Picture Books (no guarantee of no overlap between those lists!).
This one is a loose collection of stories about saints at Christmas! Nothing strictly about the nativity even though that features the much love St. Mary, Mother of God. But I could do a few lists just featuring Nativity books!
This was a fun one, where Santa ran into some problem with delivering gifts on Christmas Eve and had to enlist various Saints and their talents to get the job done. By boys recognized many of them on their own and it was a fun way to showcase their skills!
I picked this up the first time thinking it would be a book about St. Nick, the person, and his history. It is NOT that but a story of a Catholic church in Russia where the Catholic faithful had to hide for many years. Then some kids start to straighten up the abandoned church and all the church's treasures come out of their hiding spots. Not strictly about a saint but still a story of a miracle.
A Gift from Saint Francis by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Michele Lemieux
Before picture books I'm not sure I could have told you that St. Francis is the one who started practice of a living nativity, or any sort of nativity on display. But hundreds of years ago he thought of how much more people could relate to the nativity story if they could see it life size in front of them. So he put one together. I have many small, table top, nativities in my house and even participated in a living nativity for many years as a kid, all thanks to St. Francis!
Saint Francis and the Nativity by Myma Strasser, illustrated by Fausto Bianchi
The same story as above, with all the key points the same but maybe the details a little different (I'd have to read them back to back to say for sure). This one has beautiful, stained glass inspired pictures! Also, never hurts to read different versions of the same story, especially one that is hundreds of years old!
St. Joseph's Story by Geraldine Guadagno
Yes, this is very nativity adjacent because it is about that St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. BUT it's not often he gets to be the focus of a story, probably rightly so, Jesus should be the star of his birth. BUT seeing as Jesus probably spent quite a bit of time with Joseph in his younger years...it nice to know a little about Joseph too. Although we don't actually KNOW that much about Joseph...I feel like I am talking myself out of this book but it is a worthwhile read.
The Legend of St. Nicholas: A Story of Christmas Giving by Dandi Daley Mackall, illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
The story of the Saint Nicholas, who may be part of the inspiration behind modern day Santa but the saint actually lived! We grew up celebrating St. Nick day in early December (we always got an ornament) and we still celebrate with our boys (they also get an ornament but I also usually stick in some other Christmas related treats too) and it's a lovely story to share the history! Also, relate a mythical Christmas figure to a real one!
The Story of Saint Nicholas: a Children's Adaptation by Laura Wagner
Is this another story about the same saint? Yes, yes it is. However, never hurts to read another version, again, especially because the story takes place hundreds of years ago. I try to save all of these St. Nick stories to read around St. Nick day, but the library due dates don't always allow for that.
Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegemeyer, illustrated by Chris Ellison
And yes, another. If you saw how many variations of just the nativity story we read, three books about St. Nick is not overkill, by any measure (we probably read at least 50 nativity books, maybe closer to 100). This is probably the most traditional picture book biography of the three any maybe the wordiest (although, it's not St. Nick day yet so we haven't read any of these yet this year!)
Do you have any books to add to this flight? We've been reading more about the Saints this year (thank Shining Light for that one...) and I always appreciate reading their stories!
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