Christmas reads: 10 festive books for kids

Want to bring the magic of Christmas alive through books, rather than TV screens this holiday season? The Kelly Yang Project has compiled a list of 10 great reads that will get the whole family feeling festive!

The comical

A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel
A naughty cat reacts less than graciously when she doesn’t receive the presents she wanted for Christmas! Readers of all ages will enjoy this humorous read.

It’s Christmas, David! by David Shannon
It’s Christmas time and David finds it harder than ever to stay on Santa’s Nice List!

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell! by Lucille Colandro
Kids can’t resist the rhyming text and outrageous content in this funny story about a lady who ingests all things Christmas!

The creative

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by James Dean
Dean’s vibrant illustrations and endearing story of a cat that saves Christmas will surely capture your child’s imagination this holiday season.

The Berenstain Bear’s Night Before Christmas by Mike Berenenstain
The Berenstain Bears can’t wait to celebrate Christmas in this delightful reimagining of Clement Clark Moore’s classic tale.

Dream Snow by Eric Carle
An old farmer has an auspicious dream and winds up bringing the magic of Christmas to children everywhere. Parents won’t mind reading this gentle story again and again.

The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever by Steven Kroll
Clayton the house mouse, and Desmond the field mouse are on a mission to provide Mouseville with the best (and biggest!) Christmas.

The classics

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
This classic tale of a green monster with an undersized heart is a Christmas season staple.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Quentin Blake
Dickens’s well-known story of personal transformation combined with Blake’s illustrations is better than any film or television adaptation of the work.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore and Christian Birmingham
Celebrate the magic of Christmas by making this wonderfully illustrated, classic Christmas poem a holiday tradition.

Happy reading, mamas!

The Kelly Yang Project is the top after-school English writing centre in Hong Kong, offering classes for creative writing, critical reasoning, public speaking, debate, literature, and much more. KYP was founded in 2005 by author and SCMP columnist, Kelly Yang. Its innovative writing courses, taught by real writers, and debate classes, taught by the official coach of the Hong Kong National Debate Team, have helped thousands of students improve and love writing and debate.