Tomie DePaola Christmas Picture Books Round-Up

Tomie DePaola Christmas Picture Books Round-Up

Tomie DePaola was a truly prolific (and much beloved) picture book creator. His illustrations are recognizable anywhere. We’re only highlighting four of his many Christmas picture books below. (Note: in each book that is about the baby Jesus, DePaola pictures the Christ Child.)

The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie DePaola. Putnam’s, 2012. 40 pages.

The Birds of Bethlehem is the simplest, most childlike of the books in this round-up. In turn, pairs of birds speak up about something notable they’ve seen in recent days: first the green bird and his mate, then the yellow bird and his mate, and so on down the line. Each pair has seen a piece of the Christmas story, beginning with the people going to Bethlehem for the census. One pair of birds sees the inn full. One pair sees Mary and Joseph enter the stable. Others see the angels singing to shepherds. At the end, all of the birds fly off to see the marvelous event.

From the illustrations to the text, this book is delightfully childlike and will appeal to the youngest listeners. They will notice each pair of birds by their color, enjoy the sheep, and, for those familiar with the Christmas story, will enjoy pointing out Mary and Joseph even before they are identified.

Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola. Simon & Schuster, 2023 (reprint), 32 pages.

Strega Nona has much to do to prepare for celebrating Christmas and providing a feast for the whole village in her little house. She keeps Big Anthony busy but refuses to use her magic, and she is too busy to offer her usual healing services to the townspeople. When Christmas Eve arrives however, Big Anthony disappoints her by being distracted instead of following her instructions. Strega Nona has no choice but to cancel her plans, and instead visits the nativity scene at the church where she is reminded that the original Incarnation lacked feasting and decorations. Her faith is restored and her kindness toward her neighbors is rewarded.

The reprinted edition of DePaola’s earlier version has colors that are much brighter than the original Caldecott winning Strega Nona. Merry Christmas, Strega Nona is a good reminder for busy families during the holiday season.

The Story of the Three Wise Kings by Tomie DePaola. Simon & Schuster, 2020 (reprint; originally published 1983), 32 pages.

The Three Wise Kings: the very title hints at DePaola’s approach to this portion of the Christmas story. First, he tells their story separately from the narrative of Christ’s birth (as does Scripture). Second, as he mentions in his introductory note, DePaola blends elements of legend into this story (such as their identification as “kings”). DePaola’s approach makes this a great read. His art pulls from folk art elements and design style, particularly in his depiction of the star and the angels. The kings are suitably Eastern in appearance, and they come from very far away.

Herod and his plan to destroy the new king are mentioned, but the mass slaughter of innocents is not. All in all, this is a nice addition to picture books about the Christmas story, particularly since so few picture books tell the story of the wise men by itself. Another story relating to the wise men is The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park.

Christina’s Carol by Tomie DePaola. Simon & Schuster, 2021, 32 pages.

Tomie DePaola’s final book is this lovely tribute to Christina Rosetti and her famous carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter.” DePaola didn’t finish this book before he died, so the illustrations are a mashup of original work for this book alongside illustrations from his previous works. (Astute readers will recognize many of the images, such as some from The Story of the Three Wise Kings above!). This is one of my favorite Christmas carols, so I was anxious to see the final book!

The text of the book comes straight from the Christmas carol, including that lovely stanza that all children should memorize: “what can I give him…?” Some illustrations are pictured as a collage or even as stand-up figures in a diorama; others are completed illustrations DePaola made just for this book. You might encourage children to illustrate the carol on their own, or choose a different Christmas carol to illustrate based on DePaola’s inspiration. And, of course, do listen to the carol!

Readers: have you read any of these? Do you have other favorite Tomie DePaola books, Christmas or otherwise? Let us know in the comments!

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.