The Best Christmas Picture Books of 2025
Itβs exactly one week until Christmas and itβs time to reveal our favorite Christmasy, wintery picture books of 2025. This is one of our big 3 roundups of the year, along with the Halloween list and the Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards, and itβs always fun choosing the most beautiful books of the holiday season that we think have the potential to stand the test of time.
As always, we think the appropriate number for this list is 12 - in honor of the 12 days of Christmas. And we also have a smattering of runners-up to peruse, which honestly includes some really good ones this year. Make sure to keep them in mind too if youβre looking for a last minute Christmas gift, or if youβre reading this years from now and looking for some good holiday books to check out at the library!
The other thing to keep in mind is that we still play it a bit loose with the rules for inclusion on this list. Being about Christmas itself is not completely mandatory, although it certainly helps. Much like how you can make the Halloween list by being about a witch, you can make the Christmas list by being about snow and snowmen.
Hopefully this roundup may come in handy for some of you out there. Hey if youβre doing that Advent calendar tradition of opening and reading a Christmas book each day in December, you need a lot of ideas up your sleeve, right? I hope you enjoy them as much as we did, and I hope you and yours have a great holiday season!
2025 Christmas Picture Book Runners-Up
The Christmas Light in the Night
Joy to the Whole World
How Many Sleeps Until Christmas?!
The Old Sleigh
Listen to the Music at Christmas
Whodonut? A Holiday Mystery
Catβs Christmas
Meowy Christmas!
A Very New York Christmas
Steam Train Dream Train: Next Stop Christmas!
The Birds of Christmas
Lowly Worm Saves Christmas
Mr. Willowbyβs Head over Heels Christmas
12. A Dance with Santa Claus
Written and Illustrated by Sandra Boynton
The first book on our list this year comes from the queen of bedtime sing-songy books - Sandra Boynton. We have an immense amount of nostalgia for many of her books from when our kids were little. I hear from other parents all the time that they and their kids end up memorizing the words to her books they read them so often. So when a new Boynton book comes out, you still pay attention!
This oneβs about a little rabbit that wants to dance with Santa Claus, and if youβve ever read a Boynton book, you know what youβre in store for. Itβs very cute and will undoubtedly make a great babyβs first Christmas book for years to come.
11. Merry Mittens: A Moontime Cats Christmas Story
Written by Jordan Morris and Illustrated by Charlie Mylie
You may have noticed that there are quite a few cat-themed Christmas books on our runners-up list, so it was not easy choosing which one cracked the top 12. But Merry Mittens is a very handsomely illustrated book with a heartwarming story. You know we are suckers for cats around here, but this book also has a cute original story to make it stand out.
The story follows three cats who are indoor/outdoor cats as they get up to some moontime mischief together. The story makes no mention of it at first, but clearly there is another cat following along and watching them having fun. Itβs actually incredibly sweet by the end and will warm the heart of any cat lovers out there. And it has a legendary, memorable ending. βMerry Christmas to all, and to all a new cat.β
10. A Snow Day for Amos McGee
Written by Philip C. Stead and Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
A Snow Day for Amos McGee isnβt a Christmas book per se - itβs an example of a cheerful, snow-filled book that just has the right spirit for this list. And itβs Amos McGee for crying out loud so back off. I guess we officially have a trilogy on our hands now - and the original A Sick Day for Amos McGee still stands as one of the best picture books ever created.
I think when you have one of the best picture books ever created and you start making sequels, itβs fair to be concerned about what that might do to its reputation if they donβt live up to the original. But Iβm happy to report that book 3 in the series is very beautiful and still has some magic left in it. Like I said, itβs Amos McGee for crying out loud. One thing it does really well is capture that anticipation for snow, and it has one of the best looking two-page snowy spreads Iβve ever seen.
9. The Gift of Everything
Written and Illustrated by Patrick McDonnell
On the 9th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a new Christmas picture book by the creator of Mutts! The Gift of Everything is actually a sequel to another Christmas picture book called The Gift of Nothing. That one was a very sweet celebration of friendship and the meaning of Christmas and anti-materialism. Which is pretty sweet - so how do you follow that up?
One customer read The Gift of Everything in the store and said it made her tear up on the spot - so thatβs pretty high praise right? In this one, Mooch is trying to find a βwowβ gift for Earl, but he realizes that everything and especially everyone is a gift. Itβs like a new spin on the old message - but I think this one might pull it off even better. Itβs incredibly sweet and I canβt get enough of those little guys.
8. The Heart of Winter
Written and Illustrated by Alessandro Montagnana
The Heart of Winter is an original Christmas story with original characters, and itβs touching as well as gorgeously illustrated. What more could you ask for? I think it might fly under the radar but you should pay attention because this is a very good-looking book itβs worth tracking down.
A little bird loses his family flying in a snow storm, and a fox helps him by taking him into her home. She is obviously lonely and very happy for the company - and the fox and bird have fun preparing for Christmas together and playing in the snow. But when the robin finds his family, the fox is sad to be alone again - she thought maybe they would spend Christmas together. But of course it has a very sweet and happy ending because what kind of monster would end it that way?
7. The Christmas Sweater
Written and Illustrated by Jan Brett
Jan Brett has a new Christmas picture book and what more needs to be said? In her signature style, the pages offer foreshadowing on the edges or a little bit of a story within a story. And it works extremely well in this case because whatβs taking place in the background is in fact vital to the story. Itβs really delightful and clever and something entirely new - although she points out that she was inspired by the story of Theseus and the Minotaur and using a ball of thread to find your way out of a maze.
The story follows a boy and his dog - who happens to be sporting a brand new Christmas sweater made by the boyβs grandmother. We the readers can see in the background that the sweater accidentally is snagged and slowly comes apart throughout the story as they are hiking in the woods. Scarily, they actually get lost because of a snowstorm and they are unable to find their tracks - but the unraveled sweater proves to save the day. And best of all is the story within a story - as the magpies were slowly decorating a Christmas tree with bits of the sweater the entire time.
6. Interrupting Chicken Saves the Nutcracker
Written and Illustrated by David Ezra Stein
This book is absolutely hilarious. Itβs hard to write picture books that make adults laugh. Itβs a serious skill. Kids can be made to laugh with cheap humor and little effort, but making a genuinely funny picture book is always very impressive to me. Interrupting Chicken cracks me up, and it makes for a great read aloud with the timing of the humor.
This time around, little red chicken is watching The Nutcracker on stage with her Papa. Papa points out that she really mustnβt interrupt the play and disturb the other viewers - and of course she insists she wonβt. But how can she just sit still when Fritz is trying to take the nutcracker from Clara? I love the art, I love the humor, and I love the Christmas atmosphere with the Nutcracker play. This is an absolutely fantastic Christmas book.
5. The 13th Day of Christmas
Written and Illustrated by Adam Rex
Next on the list is another funny book - and this one really has a hilarious pitch. What does it actually look like on the 13th day of Christmas, after your true love sent you all of those ridiculous gifts for 12 days in a row. All you really need to see is the two-page spread with a house crammed with all the people and birds that were gifted, and youβll know if the humor of this book is for you. And surely the answer is yes.
The main character is obviously a bit frazzled at first, then somehow discovers the true meaning of Christmas, then finds out the whole thing was actually a big misunderstanding. Itβs chaotic and silly and definitely something that will get kids laughing (if they are familiar with the song of course!). But honestly, this book gets a ton of bonus points for the concept alone - dealing with all those silly gifts is a hilarious idea for a Christmas picture book.
4. Tonight is Krampus Night
Written by Kyle Sullivan and Illustrated by Zoe Persico
If you know me at all you know full well that I love spooky things. So I was extremely excited from the very day I saw Tonight is Krampus Night announced. I wanted it to be amazing, and Kyle Sullivan and Zoe Persico did not disappoint. Not only do we get a spooky Krampus, but Krampus teams up with a big Yule Cat, Perchta the winter witch, Mari Lwyd, and even the ghost of Marley. Not only is this book amazing - but itβs educational!
But spooky folklore is not all you get from this book. Persicoβs art is fantastic. Itβs just about all I could hope for. What a beautiful and special Christmas book this one is. Quite honestly, itβs so unique and fits such a specific niche - that it really should stand the test of time. This is the Krampus picture book. Itβs spooky but not terribly so. Itβs still for kids - albeit a certain type of kid! This is the type of book little me definitely would have adored.
3. The Snow Theater
Written and Illustrated by Ryoji Arai
This is an extremely special book - and I would expect no less from a book chosen by Enchanted Lion publishing. Itβs beautiful and enchanting like a dream - and reminds me a bit of the magic of The Nutcracker in some ways. One thing I always absolutely love is when a story ends with a bit of ambiguity about whether or not the magic really took place or if it was all imagined. And the art of Ryoji Arai is just the perfect medium to blur this line of magic and reality.
In this book, a young boy crashes into a hole while skiing, and inside the hole he finds a little stage where snow people are performing. Itβs beautiful and whimsical and something completely new - and the art is just stunning. When the boyβs father finds him in the hole, we are left wondering if it really happened - an Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz situation if you will. And for some reason thatβs one of my favorite frameworks in kids lit. And this is one of the best Iβve seen in a long time. Itβs just beautiful - and so thoughtful.
2. The Little Ghost Quiltβs Winter Surprise
Written by Riel Nason and Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
This stunning picture book is actually a sequel, and the original was actually the champion Halloween picture book on our list the year it came out. But, in the tradition of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloween is visiting Christmastown this time. There are many similarities between Little Ghost Quilt bringing Christmas to his friends and Jack Skellington wanting Christmas for his own - and thatβs a very good thing as far as Iβm concerned. Iβm certainly not one to complain about mixing Halloween and Christmas.
This book was ever-so-close to claiming the top spot just like its predecessor. The art is incredibly good - some of the best picture book illustrations Iβve seen in a long time. The hint of Christmas down a long tunnel of trees, the two-page spreads of neighborhood decorations, the closeup of the snowman - Iβm telling you, itβs inspired and inspiring. Absolutely beautiful stuff. What a celebration of the season.
1. Secrets from the North Pole
Written by Saskia Gwinn and Illustrated by Daria Danilova
Our pick for the #1 Christmas picture book of 2025 goes to Secrets from the North Pole. I knew it the moment I opened it. This is a magical book. It functions like an atlas or an encyclopedia for everything related to Santa and the North Pole. Itβs a complete Christmas compendium. This is fantasy world-building at its very best. I cannot put into words how beautiful and beautifully-conceived and crafted this book is.
Thereβs a page dedicated to the layout of the rooms in Santaβs house, details about the reindeer, descriptions of different elf jobs, and explanations for how the North Pole post office works. The maps are broken down room by room with wonderful detail. There is so much information in this gorgeous book, you donβt really have to read it front to back. You could set it out on the table and return to it over and over again, reference it when you have questions, and spend hours revisiting the details. I think The Polar Express fairly stakes a claim for the Christmas picture book. But alongside that, in my mind, Secrets from the North Pole is definitely the Christmas compendium.
And that wraps it up! Classic dad joke. Have a great Christmas and all the best to you and yours! See you next winter! And if you need more ideas, make sure to check out our past lists!
The Best Christmas Picture Books of All Time
The Best Christmas Picture Books of 2019
The Best Christmas Picture Books of 2020
The Best Christmas Picture Books of 2021
The Best Christmas Picture Books of 2022
The Best Christmas Picture Books of 2023
The Best Christmas Picture Books of 2024
