Inner Child: Christmas Books I Grew Up With

Inner Child is an original Artsy Reader Girl feature, where I take a moment to highlight a cute book for kids! I love children's books. Hey, I started out on them! They are the foundation of my love of reading. When I need a smile, or a quick dose of the "good old days", I never hesitate to crack open a picture book and feed my inner child.

I absolutely loved Christmas books when I was a child. It was a tradition to buy a brand new hardback every year, plus a few fun paperbacks to add to our collection. Now, there are so many of them and I love pulling out the big box of books every year, sitting by the fire, and flipping through the Christmas books of my childhood. They told of Santa, his reindeer, good little boys and girls, snow storms, and presents. I thought I'd share with you a small part of my childhood Christmases with a list of my all-time favorites!

Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish (illust. by Lynn Sweat)

It's almost time to look for Santa Claus, and it's always time to look for fun with Amelia Bedelia. Amelia is busy getting ready for Christmas - stuffing the stockings, trimming the tree, and popping corn - all in her usual mixed-up way.

I love this book! I giggled as Amelia messed up everything she possibly could.




The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat by Brigid Clark and Chris Noel (illust. by Laszlo Kubinyi)

Your family will enjoy this endearing story about two Christmas presents—a dog and a cat—who fall out of Santa’s sleigh. By working together—something that doesn’t always come naturally—they find their way to their new home. And, through their example of love for one another, they bring harmony to an entire household.

The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story itself is adorable. This book made me want to have a calico cat, and I kind of drove my parents nuts asking for one.

A Letter to Santa by Janet Craig (illust. by Laura Rader)

Letters to Santa result in three children getting exactly what they want for Christmas.

I'm not sure whether I liked this book because the illustrations look very childlike, or if I just thought the story was awesome because everyone got what they asked for,  but I read this to myself almost every day in December.

Mooseltoe by Margie Palatini (illust. by Henry Cole)

Mr. Moose prepares for Christmas using his Christmas checklist:

• Write Christmas cards and address them
• Shop til you drop
• Wraps and ribbons
• Bakes and cooks
• Roasts chestnuts
• Decorate
• Sing

But Mr. Moose's kids notice that he forgot one thing on his list - a Christmas tree. When he goes out to pick one up, he discovers that they're all gone and comes home empty-handed. Mr. Moose and his Moosetache get creative for a substitute.

 Ok, this book is hilarious. I still laugh even as an adult now. I read it to a class of kindergarteners, and major belly-laughing occurred. Plus, the pictures are adorable... and the text rhymes, so a lot of kids memorize it. 

The Mouse's Christmas by Kit Schorsch (illust. by Patty Lynn)

The baby mice really want a Christmas tree, so their mother goes out to find them one. She looked at branches, twigs, and leaves. None of them looked like a Christmas tree, though. The farmer's Christmas tree ended up being too tall for his house, she he chopped it up and threw it outside. It ended up providing Christmas trees for many of the woodland creatures, and a perfect one for the mouse family. 

This book is adorable. The mice are so cute, and their little house is priceless. They use match boxes for beds and empty thread spools for chairs! Darling! And what a sweet message. :)  


I could go on and on, but I should stop in time for you to give me some of your favorite childhood Christmas books! Did you ever read any of these? I think Amelia Bedelia is the only one still in print, but it'd be fun if some of you have read them too! I want fun recommendations as well! I'm still collecting children's books, and would love to find some new ones this year!