#BookRecommendations Children’s Picture Book Christmas Collection

I LOVE getting in the Christmas spirit, and reading cute and sweet Christmas books is the way to go! I have been able to pick up so many adorable Christmas books along the way this year, I felt it was necessary to include them on my blog. But there were just so many, so I felt like curating a little book review list of sweet children’s tales full of Christmas spirit was the way to go. Hopefully you find a book you’ll love below!

  1. The Elf Who Couldn’t Read by Sonica Ellis

This book is an adorable little tale about Jingles the elf, a young guy who can’t read!

I found this tale to be so wonderfully cute. It emphasized that struggles can be hard, but we can learn to overcome them. Not knowing how to read is tough, but it is a skill the little ones can master! Sounding out the words and taking your time can be a big help when learning how to read. This book brings positivity to this topic, and it was also just so cute and sweet as a Christmas tale. I would highly recommend picking this book up for your little ones.

I absolutely adore the illustrations. They are fun, colourful and totally fit the whimsical nature of this Christmas story.

Four out of five stars!

 

2. Where Does Santa Go on Vacation? By Kim Ann

This story asks where Santa and Mrs. Clause go on vacation when they get away after Christmas. It’s quite the little gem of a story. It asks lots of questions and show amusing little pictures of what this duo might be up to after the hubbabloo of Christmas time. It’s short, sweet and a quick read! Little ones will love this book! I can especially see ages 2 to 5 having a hoot with this story.

The illustrations are super cartoony and make for a fun visual aid to the story!

Three out of five stars!

 

3. It’s Not Easy Being Santa! by Pragya Tomar

It’s Not Easy Being Santa! by Pragya Tomar is an adorable little story that will fill you with Christmas cheer!

Bug wants to help out some children whose letters didn’t make it to Santa. He loves Christmas, so it’s only natural he wants to help! Once he’s made his wish that he could be Santa, the real fun begins!

This is such a unique tale and it filled me with so much glee and joy! Books like this is why I loved reading as a kid. I sure hope more books like this find their way onto mine and many other readers shelves. What a whimsical and lovely tale that I HAVE to share with everyone! How can I not share such a heart warming tale like this one?

The illustrations are a little kooky, but they are delightfully fun at the same time!

Five out of five stars.

 

4. When the Clock Strikes on Christmas Eve by Lisa Ferland

When the Clock Strikes on Christmas Eve is a fun rhyming book full of Christmas joy!

The book has every hour striking and something fun happening. Christmas cheer and joy is spread throughout the book, making it a fun and different way to get jolly if you are tired of the 12 days of Christmas.

The illustrations are colourful and fun, and they work really well with the story.

Three out of five stars.

 

5. Arial, the Secret Santa by Mary Nhin

Arial, The Secret Santa by Mary Nhin is a delightful book about kindness at Christmas time!

Arial’s family teaches her about kindness, and they put it into action by deciding to be Secret Santas everyday by sharing kind words and happiness to everyone. This book did feel less of a Christmas story, but it was a sweet premise. It felt more like a book about kindness with a couple Christmas pictures scattered throughout.

Fortunately, the messaging of being kind to each other was great! Educators and parents should grab more books like this to help teach kids how being kind and nice to each other is a good thing.

I absolutely LOVE these colourful illustrations that bring so much life to this book!

Three out of five stars.

 

6. The Worst Christmas Book in the Whole Entire World by Joey Acker

Ah, this is not your stereotypical children’s Christmas book. My goodness, it is comedy gold!

This Little Rock points out why this is the worst Christmas book in the whole entire world, and man it is! It’s absolutely horrendous, horrible and wickedly terrible. You’ll be so disappointed that you’ll be so impressed! Now hopefully you can read my sarcasm and comedy in that, because that is what this book brings: comedy and sarcasm.

I quite enjoyed this book. It’s not the typical Christmas picture book and I loved it because of that. It made reading my little Christmas binge so much more exciting! It’ll make you laugh and chortle and chuckle and giggle at all the fun nonsense that this book brings. Honestly, it’s refreshing. Comedic books like this deserve their time to shine.

Four out of five stars.

 

7. The Adventures of Pookie: Mission Fat Hearts by Rebecca Yee

The Adventures of Pookie: Mission Fat Hearts is a fun, thrilling little tale about dogs being enlisted by Santa to help with some missions!

Adults will get a chuckle out of some of the references to Mission Impossible and kids will love the adorable nature of this full of heart story. These dogs spread Christmas cheer throughout 25 days to help Santa get Christmas full of joy and love again. It’s a great little read with cartoon-y pictures. I think parents could easily use the listed missions as fun activities and ideas for their little ones. Or even educators!

Three out of five stars.

 

8. A Christmas Cookie Exchange by Sheri Wall

A Christmas Cookie Exchange is a sweet picture book with lots of rhymes and Christmas cheer!

We follow a little cookie named Phil as he sits on the dessert table. He’s sad because he’s not as fabulous as the rest of the cookies who have sugar and icing and sprinkles all over them. Our little cookie friend learns that everyone is special in their own way and can talk about how they feel. Looking important isn’t as important as how you feel inside!

What a wonderful theme and what a wonderful little book! It’s a great story for parents and educators to pick up.

Four out of five stars.

 

9. The Magic of Friendship Snow by Andi Cann

The Magic of Friendship Snow is a heart warming tale about a little girl name Jojo trying to make some friends.

When the magic of snow gets used, friendship is formed! Tie this in with the gorgeous pictures, and you’ve got yourself a lovely little tale for picture book loving readers to devour.

Three out of five stars.

 

And with that, you have 9 lovely, little Christmas tales full of joy and cheer! These stories are great additions to your picture book shelves for Christmas time! Comment below if you have more Christmas stories to share.

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

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#BookReview Snowman Paul at the Concert Hall by Yossi Lapid

Snowman Paul is back again and going to a concert hall!

This is the sweetest, little series – as I keep saying over and over. I adore it and could scream it from the hills! Soft illustrations, great messages, and fun stories are all packed into these adorable, little picture books!

Our lead sees Snowman Paul practicing some music – singing, fiddling, trumpets, drumming and more – and watches him have a swell time! Soon enough, music is playing day and night. Unfortunately, nobody was sleeping because Snowman Paul was so committed! After all of this practicing, Snowman Paul gets to perform!

I thought this was a super charming story! I’d highly recommend adding it to your children’s or your picture book TBR. This series is utterly adorable and is totally worth picking up!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free from the author, Yossi Lapid, in exchange of an honest review.

 

You can find this book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

Check out the other books by Yossi Lapid recently featured on my blog:
#BookReview Sasha and his Red Leash by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Yara’s Tawari Tree by Yossi Lapid
Quick #BookReview Snowman Paul and Kate’s Olympic Dream by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul at the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview My Snowman, Paul by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Halloween with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview The Amazing Snowman Duel by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Christmas with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

And like me on Facebook for more urgent updates! @BriarsReviews on Facebook

Or follow my on Goodreads: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

#BookReview Halloween with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid

It’s spooky time with Snowman Paul!

I absolutely adore Snowman Paul and his shenanigans! He’s such a sweet character with a fun array of stories. This time around he’s taking part in my favourite holidays: Halloween!

Our friend in this story comes across many warnings as he’s walking: aliens, witches and Snowman Paul in a dragon costume!

I absolutely love the soft and colourful pictures in this book! They are detailed enough to pull you in and colourful enough to grab your attention! Bight greens and oranges give it a more spooky feel to go along with the Halloween feel. And there’s also a super cute rhyming scheme that had me singing in my head as I read the book. It adds to the fun level.

Yet again, Yossi Lapid has a hit on his hands! If you have little ones and are looking for a fun picture book, pick up this series. It is totally worth it!

Five out of five stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Yossi Lapid, in exchange of an honest review.

You can find Halloween with Snowman Paul on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
B&N

Check out the other books by Yossi Lapid recently featured on my blog:
#BookReview Sasha and his Red Leash by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Yara’s Tawari Tree by Yossi Lapid
Quick #BookReview Snowman Paul and Kate’s Olympic Dream by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul at the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview My Snowman, Paul by Yossi Lapid

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

And like me on Facebook for more urgent updates! @BriarsReviews on Facebook

Or follow my on Goodreads: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

#BookReview The Amazing Snowman Duel by Yossi Lapid

 

Snowman Paul is back, and this time he’s down for a duel!

Yossi Lapid’s sweet series about the friendly Snowman Paul is one of my fave kids series at the moment. It’s short, fun and teaches some valuable lessons! It’s only natural for me to continue to snowball my way through the series (haha, puns! I’m hilarious…).

Bill, a buddy of our lead character, builds Snowman Nick. This snowman looks like he’s not the most friendly guy, especially since he has a giant stick. And just like that, Snowman Paul and Snowman Nick are set for a duel! Everyone is excited with banners waving and animals gathering around. But there’s quite the trick about this duel… You’ll have to read to find out the surprise twist!

These books are colourful and have a soft illustration style. I really enjoy it, especially since it doesn’t take your attention away from the narrative. It’s not a style I see many books have either, so the uniqueness level is great! Add in the super cute stories that Snowman Paul has to offer, and you’ve got yourself a real winner!

I think this is an excellent addition to any children’s picture book shelf. These stories are absolutely lovely!

Four out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Yossi Lapid, in exchange of an honest review.

Check out this book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

 

Check out the other books by Yossi Lapid recently featured on my blog:
#BookReview Sasha and his Red Leash by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Yara’s Tawari Tree by Yossi Lapid
Quick #BookReview Snowman Paul and Kate’s Olympic Dream by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul at the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview My Snowman, Paul by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Halloween with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Christmas with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

And like me on Facebook for more urgent updates! @BriarsReviews on Facebook

Or follow my on Goodreads: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

#BookReview Snowman Paul Saves Kate’s Birthday by Yossi Lapid

Snowman Paul is back and this time it’s his friend Kate’s birthday!

Our lead character made a mistake and almost ruined Kate’s birthday, but Snowman Paul came to the rescue! Together, the two of them come up with an epic idea and initiate the plan to make Kate’s birthday super, duper awesome!

This book was sweet and is yet again full of pretty illustrations. There are bright colours with the soft illustrations, which makes for a cohesive story. I honestly love these water colour pictures and I’m glad that they kept it consistent throughout the series.

Overall, this book is a great addition to your picture book and children’s book shelf!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free from the author Yossi Lapid in exchange of an honest review.

 

This book is available on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

Check out the other books by Yossi Lapid recently featured on my blog:
#BookReview Sasha and his Red Leash by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Yara’s Tawari Tree by Yossi Lapid
Quick #BookReview Snowman Paul and Kate’s Olympic Dream by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Snowman Paul at the Winter Olympics by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview My Snowman, Paul by Yossi Lapid
#BookReview Halloween with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

And like me on Facebook for more urgent updates! @BriarsReviews on Facebook

Or follow my on Goodreads: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

#BookReview Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi by Eugenia Chu

Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi (餃子) is a beautiful little story that should be read across the nation!

Jiǎo zi is a dumpling, in case you didn’t know (because I didn’t until the book told me!). Brandon loves dumplings – make them and eat them (mostly eat, obviously). One day, Brandon’s Grandma from China comes to visit and everything becomes super, duper exciting! Mistakes occur along the way, but everything is made to be fun!

Epic positives:
1. The description and quick lesson about Pinyin was super cool! I don’t know much about Chinese characters and Asian languages, so the little lesson was very much appreciated! I’ve always been curious how translations can work, so this totally spiked my interest. I can totally see families bonding over the language barriers, especially if they are learning a new language!

2. This book is really positive. It not only is educational but shows that Brandon could make mistakes and it was able to be fun and not a negative experience. I can totally appreciate that! Kids make mistakes in the kitchen all the time and they should be embraced, not ridiculed!

3. The glossary! I normally am not a super big fan of them, but I liked seeing all of the words used so I could do a little learning myself.

The pictures are also hand drawn and it’s obvious. I think it’s sweet and gives a very homey feel, but this may be a negative for some readers. So – readers beware!

Overall, this is definitely one of my top children’s reads this year! It’s short and sweet, but packed full of adorableness!

Five out of five stars!

 

Check out this book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Indigo
Barnes & Noble

Check out the read-through for this book:
YouTube

You can find out more about the author, Eugenia Chu, by clicking the links below:
Goodreads Author Page – Eugenia Chu
http://eugeniachu.com/
Twitter – @chuauthor

 

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#BookReview Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence

Who doesn’t love a book about a strong female character? Especially a girl like me who grew up needing some strong female influences!

Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence is a wonderful, little book that is a must read for children.

To begin with, there is a super, evil villain who has decided the best way to ruin the world is to stop the spread of knowledge! This monster is big, mean and scary and seems to be content with his super devious plan. In walks Marie Curie, a woman who will turn into a superhero scientist through her amazing intelligence and experiments! Our evil villain wants Marie Curie stopped before she can get too smart and stop his wicked plans. Along the way, we will learn how Marie Curie is full of persistence in many different ways!

This little book is a wonderful mix of fiction and non-fiction. There’s lots of learning opportunities about this super scientist scattered among the pages. Definitions, facts and timelines about Marie Curie and information about the things she studied and created are all available to see. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good STEM book for their kids, especially since it’s about Marie Curie. She was a legend!

Also: references… in a children’s book… I LOVE IT.

On a side note, I thought the pictures were lovely and very unique. I haven’t seen this style a lot in children’s books, so I was impressed. It was colourful, fun and had lots of awesome details.

I am so thankful for this book. It is absolutely amazing and I wish I would have had books like this in my youth. Hopefully many kids are able to pick this book up or many educators get their hands on it! Seriously, we need more books like this – educational and fun!

Five out of five stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Explore for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book!

 

Check out this book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Indigo

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

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#BookReview The Underground Toy Society Helps Ellie the Elephant

The Underground Toy Society series continues with a marvelous addition!

This time around, those pesky kids left Ellie the Elephant behind! But no worries faithful audience, the Underground Toy Society is going to come to the rescue!

My positives:
1. I love the opening picture of the book with two girls holding their stuffed animals and reading. It’s utterly adorable and gives you a great feel for what this book is going to be: heartwarming.
2. The squirrel drawing. That’s all. The squirrel itself is a positive. I think Chippy’s cute.
3. This children’s book is a little longer. It has paragraphs and a full story instead of the typical simple sentences with rhyming schemes.

My negatives:
1. As with the other books by Jessica, the aesthetic of children’s drawings may not please all readers. It is by no means a negative for me, but I can see some readers not enjoying it.
2. How did the mole get a bow and a skirt? Did someone leave them behind and Mindy decided to wear them? I need to know. This is crucial. It is not explained anywhere in the book!
3. This book didn’t have as much of a theme as the original did, but it’s still a marvelous little story.

Overall, this is a cute book and I’d highly recommend picking it up! If you’re looking for something different for your kids, then grab this unique book! The pictures are drawn by Jessica’s kid, she’s a self-published, indie author and it’s just a magical little series!

Four out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Jessica D. Adams, in exchange for an honest review.

 

Check this book out on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

 

Check out Jessica on:
http://onesweetday48.wix.com/undergroundtoysociet
Twitter – @onesweetday48
Facebook
YouTube

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

And like me on Facebook for more urgent updates! @BriarsReviews on Facebook

Or follow me on Goodreads: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

#BookReview Mr. Hoopeyloops Saves Christmas by Andi Cann

Kids Books + Christmas Books = My Guilty Pleasure

I was SO PUMPED to find this book for free via Bookbub! I absolutely love a cute children’s book and adding in some holiday spirit just made it all the better!

We open this book with Zoey visiting Mr. Hoopeyloops, and boy is she upset! Didn’t you know?! Christmas is canceled! Santa has a bit of a labour issue (and who doesn’t these days?) which ruins everything! So, Mr. Hoopeyloops grabs his friend Rex and they set off to save Christmas! How could he help, you might ask. Well, turns out Santa Claus is his brother!

While this is a picture book, it’s a little longer than the typical children’s book I’ve been finding lately. It has paragraphs beside the pages, which I absolutely love! I miss the days where children’s books had longer plots! I’d recommend this book for five to twelve year olds, because it’s an absolute delight!

I absolutely love the art style. It’s soft yet busy and fits perfectly with the story. I’d highly recommend reading this book just for the art alone! It’s probably my favourite picture book this year.

At the very end of this book, there’s a little educational moment about the history of glass Christmas ornaments. Having those educational side notes always makes me a very pleased reader, so that only made this book better! This could easily be used in a classroom or for reading buddies!

Overall, this book is absolutely marvelous! I was stunned at how great it is and I would highly recommend it!

Five out of five stars! Spread the Christmas cheer!

I found this book for free via Bookbub.

 

You can find this book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Kobo

 

Find out more about Andi Cann on: https://www.andicann.com/

 

If you love children’s books, check out some others you might enjoy:
#BookReview Zachary and the Great Potato Catastrophe by Junia Wonders
#BookReview The Boy Who Cried Ghost by Richard Clark
#BookReview Monster Blood (Goosebumps) by R.L. Stine

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

And like me on Facebook for more urgent updates! @BriarsReviews on Facebook

Or follow my on Goodreads: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads

#BookReview Monster Blood (Goosebumps) by R.L. Stine

Goosebumps was one of my all time favourites as a kid. I scrambled to the library at every chance to get my hands on any Goosebumps novel. I didn’t care if I read them over and over and knew the story by heart, I’d read them again! And then hope the library got the television show and movie versions so I could watch them.

As an adult, I’ve been trying to find the Goosebumps series in my home town without much luck. Then, lucky me found five at a local thrift shop and my inner child went wild.

Fortunately, these books were just as good as I remembered!

Monster Blood follows Evan and Andy at Evan’s great-Aunt’s house. They buy some monster blood, slime like toy and suddenly all heck breaks loose! Evan’s dog grows in size, the cat is evil and his Great-Aunt Kathryn is seemingly weird. Is she a witch?! Is she crazy?! Either way, that monster blood is taking over the city!

This book was a hundred pages of pure fun and mild terror. As a kid these were so much scarier, but they were still just as epic! I loved the story moving quickly, being full of wild twists and turns and being a great book for both children and adults. This book also brought me back to my childhood with lots of nostalgia. Do you have any Nintendo games?!

Was there any negatives about the book? Yes. Trigger was an elderly dog who acted very young. Was it super duper scary? No. I think it might scare the middle grade readers who this book is aimed to scare, but it’s not scary to adults. Either way, it was still a fun and easy read that had me chuckling along the way. I enjoy R.L. Stine’s writing style. It’s not meant to be taken seriously (it’s not It or Carrie or any Stephen King book). This book was meant to bring the younger demographic a little horror novel and introduce them to the genre. Can every Goosebump book be an absolute winner? No.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It’s a little spooky and is totally getting me in the mood for Halloween and October!

Four out of five stars!

You can find this book on:
Amazon.ca
Audible
Indigo
Kobo

 

Check out some other reviews you might enjoy:
#BookReview The Boy Who Cried Ghost by Richard Clark
#BookReview Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
#BookReview The Mega Collection by Scott Gordon – Nine Awesome Bedtime Stories!

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

And like me on Facebook for more urgent updates! @BriarsReviews on Facebook

Or follow my on Goodreads: Briar’s Reviews on Goodreads
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