Christian Christmas Picture Books Round-Up

Christian Christmas Picture Books Round-Up:

Holy Night and Little Star, ‘Twas the Night, The Nativity, and The Animals Speak

Today we’re highlighting Christian Christmas picture books. Traditional Christmas stories are lovely and give us all kinds of “feels,” but, as they say, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Holy Night and Little Star: A Story for Christmas by Mitali Perkins and illustrated by Khoa Le. WaterBrook, 2023, 40 pages.

Little Star loves to shine on newborn lambs and serve the Maker. But when Maker calls the stars together for an exciting event, Little Star isn’t sure she’s brave enough. Other stars spin in the sky, bursting upon shepherds. Some stars lead royalty from far away to Bethlehem. But Little Star hangs close to the horizon, unsure of what she can offer. Until Maker calls her to come, and she looks into the eyes of a baby… of Maker!

Holy Night and Little Star is delightfully different from other retellings of Jesus’s birth. Not only is it from a star’s perspective, but it captures the extravagant delight creation itself experiences in Jesus’s birth. Additionally, the illustrations depict a young Holy Family that actually looks Middle Eastern/Jewish. This is a welcome addition to the standard Christian Christmas picture books.

‘Twas the Night by William Dean. Tyndale Kids, 2023, 32 pages.

The Christmas story is retold in the form of the classic poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” emphasizing God’s sovereign plan in the events of the nativity. I’m not sure what the clatter was that alerted Joseph in the middle of the night, but otherwise the story stays close to the biblical account. The illustrations are Sunday School style, complete with Mary wearing symbolic blue, looking bright-eyed and clean as she relates the miraculous foretelling of Christ’s birth to the visiting shepherds, confirming the promise that Jesus was born to be our Savior. 

If you’re looking for a fresh retelling of the birth of Christ, this one is nice.

The Nativity illustrated by Julie Vivas. Clarion, 2006, 36 pages.

The text might be directly from Scripture, but the illustrations are most definitely not Sunday School style, as in the aforementioned ‘Twas the Night. Perhaps the best description of the illustrations in The Nativity is that they exuberantly portray real life (right down to an anatomically correct newborn baby boy). One of my favorite Christian Christmas picture books, this book will remind readers (and listeners) that the Incarnation is about God with us—here on earth, with us in our humanity. Mary is very pregnant (and hilariously perched on a donkey), the shepherds are very ordinary (shown on the cover), Jesus is very much a real baby, and … the Angel is also very real. In fact, the Angel who announces the news to Mary at the beginning of the story accompanies Mary (and Joseph and Jesus) through the rest of the story, tattered wings and all.

Recommended for those who enjoy other down-to-earth retellings, such as Wangerin’s Advent devotional, Voices of Christmas by Nikki Grimes, and perhaps The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.

The Animals Speak: A Christmas Legend by Marion Dane Bauer. Beaming Books, 2021, 32 pages.

“Long and long the story has been told….” Legend has it that animals speak (Narnia-style!) on Christmas Eve. Dogs and cats, barnyard animals, and more. But what do they say? They honor the Lord and celebrate the birth of Christ! Much as Little Star and her heavenly companions burst forth in praise of Maker in Holy Night and Little Star (above), the animals in The Animals Speak all speak up to praise the Lord. After all, if even the rocks will cry out, why not the animals?

A simple, lyrical text and vibrant, childlike illustrations make this a good bedtime read this time of year. Bonus: the Holy Family is brown-skinned, like a Middle Eastern family would be.

Readers: have you read any of these? Do you have other favorite Christian Christmas picture books? Let us know in the comments!

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