Christmas children’s book advent calendar

Advent calendars don’t just have to include chocolates! Here’s our festive online selection of classic and modern children’s Christmas picture books – all packaged up and presented as an advent calendar! Including cracking yuletide tales by Michael Morpurgo, Judith Kerr, Delia Huddy, Raymond Briggs, David McKee, Rod Campbell, Kes Gray, and Janet and Allan Ahlberg, there’s something for every child aged 2-9 who still believes in Father Christmas.

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Our advent calendar of children’s Christmas books

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The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker by Jessica Courtney-TickleThe Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker by Jessica Courtney-Tickle.

Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht and JarvisPick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht and Jarvis.

The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet Ahlberg and Allan AhlbergThe Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg.

The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy and Emily SuttonThe Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy and Emily Sutton.

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The Snowman by Raymond BriggsThe Snowman by Raymond Briggs.

The Christmas Tree Wish by Karen Inglis and Anne SwiftThe Christmas Tree Wish by Karen Inglis and Anne Swift.

Elmer's Christmas by David McKeeElmer’s Christmas by David McKee.

Dear Santa: A lift-the-flap Christmas book by Rod CampbellDear Santa: A lift-the-flap Christmas book by Rod Campbell.

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Father Christmas Needs a Wee by Nicholas AllanFather Christmas Needs a Wee by Nicholas Allan.

The Queen's Present by Steve AntonyThe Queen’s Present by Steve Antony.

Christmas in Exeter Street by Diana Hendry and John LawrenceChristmas in Exeter Street by Diana Hendry and John Lawrence.

How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. SmithHow Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith.

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Ten Little Elves by Mike Brownlow and Simon RickertyTen Little Elves by Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty.

Grandpa Christmas by Michael Morpurgo and Jim FieldGrandpa Christmas by Michael Morpurgo and Jim Field.

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Kes GrayThe Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Kes Gray.

The Polar Express by Chris Van AllsburgThe Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.

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Lucy and Tom at Christmas by Shirley HughesLucy and Tom at Christmas by Shirley Hughes.

Rudey's Windy Christmas by Helen Baugh and Ben Mantle.Rudey’s Windy Christmas by Helen Baugh and Ben Mantle.

Father Christmas by Raymond BriggsFather Christmas by Raymond Briggs.

Paddington and the Christmas Surprise by Michael Bond and R. W. AlleyPaddington and the Christmas Surprise by Michael Bond and R. W. Alley.

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Kipper: Kipper's Christmas Eve by Mick InkpenKipper: Kipper’s Christmas Eve by Mick Inkpen.

Mog's Christmas by Judith KerrMog’s Christmas by Judith Kerr.

Winnie-the-Pooh: Pooh's Christmas Adventure by Jane RiordanWinnie-the-Pooh: Pooh’s Christmas Adventure by Jane Riordan.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Y MooreThe Night Before Christmas by Clement C Y Moore.


If you would like to purchase all of the Christmas children’s picture books in this advent calendar, click on one of the buttons below to collate all the books into one order.

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Disclosure: If you buy books using the buttons above: we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops; as an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

For more Christmas books for children, have a look at our Christmas topic book list and our end-of-term Christmas children’s book quiz.



About Tom Tolkien

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Tom Tolkien is a highly qualified (BA Hons, PGCE, QTS) children's literature expert and teacher with over 25 years of experience. He has led inset courses, developed curriculum materials, spoken at conferences, advised on longlisting for several international children's literature literature awards and written for educational publishers including contributing to a BETT award-nominated app. Social profiles: Twitter | Linkedin

This resource was last updated on November 12th, 2023 and first published in 2019.