Ahhh...Christmas in New York. I've never been. To New York, yes, more times than my husband would like (any help in convincing him we should go again would be appreciated), but never at Christmas (although the Rockefeller Center ice rink was running the on our first two trips, I've always regretted a little bit that we've never skated there). Lucky for me, and my husband honestly, there are a decent number of picture books about Christmas in New York. Although maybe not so lucky for him because it just makes me want to go there in December even more. For now the books will have to do!
The other Christmas Picture Book Flights I've done are: Saints, 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!).
We're kicking off with a Thanksgiving adjacent one but the parade is mostly about celebrating Christmas so it's a wonderful one to start with. This is the story of Tony Sarg, who first came up with the idea of all the giant balloons that are now a big part of the parade. He was asked by the original Mr. Macy himself! I LOVE watching the parade every Thanksgiving and since it's unlikely I'll ever see it in person, it was fun to read about the history!
I just posted about this on in Instagram last week! When putting up the Rockefeller Christmas tree in November 2020, a small owl was found living inside of it. It was rehomed to the woods but not before inspiring (more than one!) a picture book. I'd also love to see this tree all lit in person some day although I can't say I need an experience with wildlife there. The owl in the book is super cute though.
If I had to pick my top 10 all time favorite Christmas books...I'm certain this one would be on it. Also about the Rockefeller Christmas tree although not based on a true story. A cardinal couple had been living in their tree in the suburbs when Red went out on a daily food search one November morning and comes back just in time to see their tree being cut down, with Lulu still inside! He follows the tree to New York where it is the Rockefeller Center tree. It's just gorgeous and Sam especially loves this one. I probably read it 20 times just last year, and I still love it.
Let's just keep going with the Rockefeller Tree! (It's a very specific subgenre of Christmas books). This is about the very first Rockefeller Center Tree, put up by workers during the Depression. Also, this is the rare picture book that made me tear up (no joke). Also, paying it forward, Habitat-for-Humanity, and the goodness of people.
This is the last of the Rockefeller tree on the list! This is another one, by a mother-son team!, about the owl found in the tree. I like that this happened in 2020, that was a WEIRD year and something charming like a cute owl that was able to be helped is just nice to read about.
To be fair, I have never seen this movie, only bit and pieces of any Home Alone actually (my earliest memory of them is when I was about Luke's age and starting the first one at a friends house during a sleepover and her pointing out all the bad words. I didn't know any of them and didn't even know which words she meant were bad). We haven't showed these to the boys, for the aforementioned language BUT we have read the picture books based on them! And Luke definitely get a kick out of all the pranks. (And is that the Rockefeller Tree on the cover...just keep this theme going...)
NOT about the Christmas tree! A retelling of the Nutcracker story, jazz-inspired and in Harlem (a part of New York we haven't yet visited, although it would be on our way if I convince Matt to go back to New York AND that we need to go to Washington Heights). I am only a bit familiar with the Nutcracker ballet but it's fun to read a different interpretation of it!
We're now at a part of the list that is more "New York inspired" but maybe not exactly set in the NYC. Deja is a young girl living in an apartment in a big city and is pretty concerned she won't get her visit from Santa since she doesn't have a chimney for him to come down. Also, there are no parking spots for a sleigh! Might be a bit more meaningful for kids living in a big city but also one we read every year!
Another one that I imagine takes place in New York, with a young homeless boy who adopts a misshapen tree that is thrown out on Christmas Eve. People come together to decorate it, light candles on it, and sing carols around it in a big city on Christmas Eve. The boys moves on a few days later and throws the tree out but the tree lives on. It's charming but also a bit sad. And nice way to talk about people who don't have everything we have.
This book will make you appreciate if you have any less than 17 Christmases to celebrate. This family has 17 Christmases truly spread all over the country, California! North Carolina! Colorado!, and they drive between them all, somehow mostly all in good moods. One of their stops is in New York which is how it makes this list! We have maybe 3 Christmases outside of the house and all within 6 miles...I would lose my mind if there were 17.
Back to "big city inspired" and also "adjacent to the Rockefeller Center tree". Over 80 years a spruce tree grows along with the little boy who first selected it. As the tree is nearing the end of it's life, and that little boy is now a Grandfather, the tree is selected to be put in a big city's center. Now it's everybody's tree!
The Magical Christmas Store by Maudie Powell-Tuck, illustrated by Hoang Giang
A boy, living in a big city, dreams of a big, magical Christmas with his family but they just don't have much this year. Then he walks past a store on Christmas Eve where a polar bear invites him in to experience some real magic (like a polar bear who invites kids into stores). Will the boy be able to find a perfect gift for his family?
The Biggest Little Boy: A Christmas Story by Poppy Harlow, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzi
This is a book that gives more "big city" vibes than strictly a NYC setting but that's close enough! Luca loves BIG things and what he really wants is the BIGGEST Christmas tree of all. He goes in search of the perfect tree but then realizes maybe that's not the most important thing.
Do you have any books that could fit on this list? I'd love to read them!
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