Books are fantastic tools for enhancing the speech and language skills of toddlers, and Christmas-themed books with their enchanting stories festive imagery are particularly great for this. In this blog post, we're excited to share 5 of our favourite Christmas books for toddlers.
Dear Santa
You may already be familiar with the classic "Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbell. "Dear Santa" is a very similar book, featuring a variety of presents instead of zoo animals.
This lift-the-flap book is particularly appealing to babies and younger toddlers who will love revealing the presents hidden under the flaps.
Squirrel's Snowman
In Acorn Wood, it's snowing, and Squirrel is excited to make a snowman. Can she and her pals gather all they need? Discover the answer by lifting the flaps in this charming winter story.
"Squirrel's Snowman" is part of the delightful Tales from Acorn Wood series by Julia Donaldson. What I love most about this book and others in the series is how the succinct sentences align perfectly with the illustrations, enhancing a toddler's comprehension of language. This book also features lift-the-flaps, keeping toddlers engaged. My own little boy started enjoying this book at around 18 months, when he found the smaller flaps easier to manipulate.
A Christmas Bear
As Santa begins his journey to deliver presents, poor Bear finds himself left behind. Can Bear reach Tom's house in time for Christmas morning? Join Bear on his journey as he travels far and wide.
This entertaining book by Ian Whybrow, with beautiful illustrations by Axel Scheffler, is filled with rhyme and amusing scenarios. Some of the rhymes, like "a lizard in a blizzard," are whimsical and engaging. The book includes many flaps to lift, wheels to turn, and tabs to pull on each page, offering plenty of fun and opportunities for vocabulary development.
Stick Man
Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their three stick children. But one day, a playful dog takes him away to play fetch. Stick Man's situation goes from bad to worse and he ends up far from home. He longs to be back in the family tree. Fortunately, helping Santa with a problem provides a chance for Stick Man to return home!
This beautiful tale by Julia Donaldson features engaging read-aloud rhyming text and stunning illustrations with lots of details to spot on every page.
Note:Â This book has more complex language, making it more suitable for older toddlers and children beyond the toddler years. An adapted version with felt flaps is available for younger toddlers.
Mog's First Christmas
Enjoy the classic Christmas tale featuring everyone's beloved family cat, Mog! Created by the author of "The Tiger Who Came to Tea" and "Mog the Forgetful Cat", this book brings a heartwarming Christmas adventure about an extraordinary cat.
It's Christmas time, and Mog's home is bustling with unusual sounds and smells. While everyone is busy decorating and preparing, Mog is curious about all the changes, especially the Christmas tree. Despite Mog's fears, it turns out to be a joyful Christmas with her family.
Note:Â This book has more text and longer sentences, making it more suitable for older toddlers as well as children beyond the toddler years.
General Note:Â When choosing a book for your toddler, consider their age and language level. Simpler books with larger flaps are often more engaging for younger toddlers and can still be enjoyed by older toddlers too.
Remember, you don't have to read all the words in a book. Follow your child's lead. For example, if they point at pictures, use this as an opportunity to name the items for them. Try not to ask "test questions" such as "What's that?" as this may make your toddler more reluctant to engage.
We hope you enjoyed reading about some of our favourite Christmas books for toddlers. If you have a favourite book that we didn't list, please comment below.