Get into the holiday spirit with our roundup of seasonal books for young readers, including a wintry spin on an ABCs classic, a picture book about showing loved ones grace, a graphic novel about best friends on their best behavior for Santa, and more.
Picture Books
Beam of Light: The Story of the First White House Menorah
Elisa Boxer, illus. by Sofia Moore. Rocky Pond, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-5936-9817-4. Ages 4–8. This picture book provides a backstory to the first Jewish artifact in the White House permanent collection, fashioned from a wooden beam stored during the residence’s Truman-era renovations. See our q&a with Boxer.
Busy Betty & the Perfect Christmas Present
Reese Witherspoon, illus. by Xindi Yan. Flamingo, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-52515-9. Ages 3–7. Titular go-getter Betty decides to transform her lemonade stand into a Christmas cookie stand in order to save enough money for the perfect present.
Charley and Seymour’s Hanukkah Miracle
Melody Howard Ritt, illus. by Nia Gould. Kar-Ben, $19.99 (32p) ISBN 979-8-7656-0451-9. Ages 4–8. BFFs Charley Chipmunk and Seymour Squirrel love celebrating Hanukkah. When Charley forgets to take candles to the celebration at Seymour’s tree-house nest, his misstep is met with grace.
Chicka Chicka Ho Ho Ho
William Boniface, illus. by Julien Chung. Beach Lane, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-66595-476-1. Ages 4–8. A companion to the classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, this picture book helps readers learn the alphabet with a wintery spin.
Ying Chang Compestine, illus. by Ginnie Hsu. Rocky Pond, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-53401-4. Ages 3–7. A child attempts to assist with Chinese New Year celebrations in this bustling holiday picture book.
Christmas at Hogwarts
J.K. Rowling, illus. by Ziyi Gao. Scholastic, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-5461-2995-0. Ages 6 and up. Harry Potter experiences his first Christmas at the iconic Hogwarts with his new friends Ron and Hermoine.
Sibylle Delacroix, trans. from the French by Polly Lawson. Floris, $18.99 (28p) ISBN 978-1-78250-909-7. Ages 3–7. A holiday turns fantastical when a snow globe seems to summon the white Christmas a child’s been hoping for.
Joanna Ho, illus. by Thai My Phuong. HarperCollins, $19.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-328753-2. Ages 4–8. That elusive item on many a kid’s wish list—meeting Santa IRL—drives Ho’s sprightly story of a child on a mission.
Eliza Wheeler. Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-61720-5. Ages 2–5. Across Wheeler’s quaint seasonal tale, the animal residents of Acorn Village revel in winter weather that sees the community hopping with activity.
The Day I Became a Potato Pancake
Arie Kaplin, illus. by Beilin Xu. Apples & Honey, $17.95 (64p) ISBN 978-1-6811-5-6569. Ages 7–9. Young inventor Naomi Hirsch and her best friend Ben Sherman discover an “an experimental machine” that accidentally turns Ben into a human-sized latke and Naomi rushes to find an antidote before Ben’s transformation becomes permanent at sundown on the first night of Hanukkah.
Maggie C. Rudd, illus. by Elisa Chavarri. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-374-39016-7. Ages 3–6. Rudd’s relatable second-person rhymes reflect on the quiet days after Christmas festivities, resulting in this gentle spin on the usual yuletide fare.
Sarah Mlynowski, illus. by Ariel Landy. Orchard, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-3388-9752-4. Ages 4–8. In this imaginative holiday adventure, bright-eyed Hannah details the magical gifts given by loved ones on successive nights of Hanukkah.
Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas
Dolly Parton and Erica S. Perl, illus. by MacKenzie Haley. Penguin Workshop, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-75500-6. Ages 4–7. In the sequel to Billy the Kid Makes It Big, the titular canine must make a tough choice between an exciting opportunity or spending the holiday with family.
Eight Sweet Nights, a Festival of Lights
Charlotte Offsay, illus. by Menahem Halberstadt. Doubleday, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-5938-0872-6. Ages 3–7. A family heads to visit family for Hanukkah at a home where “loving arms scoop you up” and homespun festivities await.
Dev Petty, illus. by Mike Boldt. Doubleday, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-48716-7. Ages 3–7. Santa’s management skills are put to the test in this chuckle-inducing tale he recounts for the elves about his one-time search for a temporary Christmas Eve reindeer replacement.
Elly MacKay. Tundra, $18.99 (44p) ISBN 978-0-7352-6698-8. Ages 3–7. During a seasonal walk, foxes Celeste and big sister Miriam imagine a fiery beast in the woods.
Jane Breskin Zalben, illus. by Thai Phuong. Charlesbridge, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-6235-4-3655. Ages 4–7. When Max and Sophie, whose family celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah, discover that the holidays co-occur this year, and enjoy the company of both sets of doting grandparents during the joyful preparations.
Neal Hoskins, illus. by Monika Vaicenavičienė. Thames & Hudson, $18.95 (48p) ISBN 978-0-500-65289-3. Ages 4–8. Hoskins and Vaicenavičienė present holiday magic via a surrealist lens in this love-extolling picture book. On Christmas Eve, when a robot asks a girl, “What’s inside a human heart?” the answer prompts a series of appreciations that capture the experiences stored in the heart via “a thousand rooms” lined with book-filled shelves.
Dara Henry, illus. by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-7282-8457-6. Ages 4–7. When curly headed Ruthie gets her own wonderful “Pajamakkahs” to wear at her family’s Hanukkah pajama party, she insists on wearing them every night of the holiday, promising to keep them “spotless” until the eighth-night event.
The House Without Lights: A Glowing Celebration of Joy, Warmth, and Home
Reem Faruqi, illus. by Nadia Alam. Holt, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-250-90721-9. Ages 4–8. Faruqi gives a longing voice to an unoccupied house watching as its neighbor residences are festooned in lights, including Diwali lamps and Hanukkah menorahs. The book received a starred review from PW.
How Carrot and Cookie Saved Christmas
Erica S. Perl, illus. by Jonathan Fenske. Penguin Workshop, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-66236-6. Ages 4–6. In this follow-up to When Carrot Met Cookie, the titular best friends must help make enough Christmas magic to help Santa after a crash.
Eva Wong Nava, illus. by Xin Li. Scholastic Press, $7.99 paper (24p) ISBN 978-1-5461-4464-9. Ages 4–6. As Lunar New Year approaches, young narrator Mai-Anne helps to clean and decorate, “making our home festive and cheerful.”
Lauren Kukla. Jolly Fish, $19.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-963802-00-9. Ages 4–8. Kukla’s laudatory lines describe northern hemisphere winter conditions in the simplest terms, building from the refrain “In the Winter” to a conclusion that praises the season’s “magical” qualities.
Daniela Kulot, trans. from the German by Elisabeth Lauffe. Charlesbridge, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-62354-495-9. Ages 3–7. Winter sets the stage for community participation of a group of hungry animals in the woods in Kulot’s cooperation-focused fable.
Molly Beth Griffin, illus. by Anait Semirdzhyan. Charlesbridge, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-62354-443-0. Ages 3–7. After a snowstorm snarls travel, a family of four explores new ways to celebrate, “just us,” in Griffin’s emotionally aware story.
Letters from the North Pole: With Five Letters from Santa Claus to Pull Out and Read
Annie Atkins, illus. by Fia Tobing. Magic Cat, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-915569-91-2. Ages 3–6. Legitimate letters from Santa are on display in this nifty novelty countdown book.
David Griswold, illus. by Luis San Vicente. Bushel & Peck, $18.99 (64p) ISBN 978-1-63819-204-6. Ages 8–11. Santa’s ho-ho-ho turns harumph-harumph-harumph in the introduction to this cautionary collection of the most egregious missives he’s received.
The Light from My Menorah: Celebrating Holidays Around the World
Robin Heald, illus. by Andrea Blinick. Pajama, $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-77278-289-9. Ages 4–7. Wondering, “Where is the miracle now?” a child imagines the menorah’s luminosity traveling across the globe and into space, and frequently visiting children observing many light-based traditions.
Oleksandr Shatokhin, trans. from the Ukranian by Ali Kinsella. Red Comet, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-63655-116-6. Ages 3–7. A kindhearted hare finds joy in generosity in this lightly adventurous holiday read.
Merry Christmas, Dear Mars: An Out-of-This-World Story About the Night Before Christmas
Penny Parker Klostermann, illus. by Estrela Lourenço. Holt/Godwin, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-250-87030-8. Ages 4–8. In Parker Klostermann’s clever rhyming lines, the red planet’s kind and inventive inhabitants answer a distress call when Santa’s sleigh at last heads their way.
Deborah Underwood, illus. by Leah Hong. Little, Brown, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-46718-6. Ages 4–8. A mouse family spreads holiday cheer in Underwood’s dual domestic tale, which centers creaturely empathy.
Jarvis. Candlewick, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5362-3883-9. Ages 3–7. On Christmas Eve, an inquisitive child pounces on the opportunity to pepper Santa with questions when the jolly man himself—who looks suspiciously similar to the figure inside a nearby snow globe—appears in the youth’s bedroom.
Kerilynn Wilson. Greenwillow, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-331544-0. Ages 4–8. Fog threatens to derail a family’s annual Christmas Eve visit to nearby Nana and Papa’s house, but a child’s determination and some unexpected guides lead the way. The book received a starred review from PW.
One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story
Ulrich Hub, illus. by Jörg Mühle. Gecko, $18.99 (88p) ISBN 978-1-7765-7-5954. Ages 6–10. When a new star arises in the sky, sheep are afraid they’ve been abandoned—or that the shepherds have been abducted by UFOs—until a goat brings news of “a great feast day.”
Oy, Santa! Or, There’s a Latke to Learn About Hanukkah
Joyce Schriebman, illus. by Gila von Meissner. Intergalactic Afikoman, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-9513-6522-6. Ages 4–9. A youth valiantly defends Hanukkah as its own holiday in this distinctive epistolary work.
Pizza and Taco: Best Christmas Ever!
Stephen Shaskan. Random House Graphic, $10.99 (72p) ISBN 978-0-593-70349-6. Ages 5–8. Pizza and Taco attempt to be on their best behavior around the holiday season, because they know Santa is watching.
Mac Barnett, illus. by Sydney Smith. Viking, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-52497-8. Ages 3–7. This warmhearted holiday interlude opens as a polar bear passing the North Pole finds that Santa spends Christmas Day just like any other and spurs the group to offer Santa a real celebration, one with a tree to decorate, stockings to hang, and presents to unwrap. The book received a starred review from PW.
Laura Gehl, illus. by Sonia Sánchez. S&S/Wiseman, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-66591-559-5. Ages 4–8. Gehl’s joyous couplets exalt a day of snowy fun, using the titular refrain as springboard.
John Coy, illus. by Chris Park. Minnesota Historical Society, $17.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-68134-294-8. Ages 3–7. On a day that’s 23 degrees below zero, a parent and child head outdoors for frozen play in this amiable story, a vehicle for spotlighting the science-savvy fun that can be had amid extreme cold.
A Stickler Christmas
Lane Smith. Random House Studio, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-81528-1. Ages 4–8. In a spinoff reprising the character from A Gift for Nana and Stickler Loves the World, Stickler finds an alternative gift for a friend.
Stephen Briseño, illus. by Sonia Sánchez. Random House Studio, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-5936-4781-3. Ages 4–8. Inspired, per an author’s note, by his own grandmother, Briseño chronicles a matriarch’s prodigious tamale production leading up to Christmas. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kirin Hayashi, trans. from the Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa, illus. by Chiaki Okada. Amazon Crossing, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-66251-676-4. Ages up to 7. After a child’s mittens become separated during a snowy outing, one of them provides comfort to a series of animals in this meditative story.
J.T. Kelliher, illus. by Alex Fine. Penguin Workshop, $12.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-75320-0. Ages 4–8. 1990s pop-culture fans can take a holiday ride down memory lane in this jam-packed reworking of Clement C. Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Semple, illus. by Jieting Chen. Rise x Penguin Workshop, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-593-75229-6. Ages 3–6. The creators pay tribute to seven luminous holidays: Diwali, winter solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, and Lunar New Year.
Kate Allen Fox, illus. by Elisa Paganelli. Beaming, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5064-9285-8. Ages 4–8. Poetry meets the planetary as Fox’s free verse describes a beachside celebration of the winter solstice.
Yours, Befana: A Letter from the Winter Witch
Barbara Cuoghi, trans. from the Italian by Genni Gunn, illus. by Elenia Beretta. Greystone, $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-77840-146-6. Ages 5–8. La Befana, a winter witch from Italian folklore, introduces herself via free verse in this translation of Cuoghi’s enigmatic tribute to the magic of Twelfth Night.
Novels
Joanne Levy and Marissa Meyer. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-36067-0; $9.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-36081-6. Ages 8–12. Aviva and Holly meet and discover they look identical, and curious about how the other spends the holidays, the tweens hatch a cheeky scheme. See our cover reveal for the story behind the book.
Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-66593-756-6. Ages 14 and up. Former best friends fake-date to further both their ambitions in this warm sapphic holiday romance from married collaborators.
Abiola Bello. Soho, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-64129-610-6. Ages 14 and up. Bello combines romance tropes like fake dating with a classic country-boy-meets-city-girl plot to present a swoony romantic comedy that’s sure to delight in any season.
Elle McNicoll. Wednesday, $13 paper (368p) ISBN 978-1-250-33553-1. Ages 13 and up. On the verge of dropping out of college, Jasper Montgomery kicks off her plan to leave her home of Lake Pristine for good, but when she encounters her “old foe” Arthur, her plan will need readjusting. McNicoll’s YA debut has all the trappings of a Hallmark holiday rom-com.
Spellbound Solstice
Alexandria Rogers. Little, Brown, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-316-52383-7. Ages 8–12. Alice Ambrose invites her parents to hotel Ensorcelled Cottage, where visitors are rumored to fall in love, and discovers a family curse that prevents the Ambrose women, including herself, from ever finding romance.
