PLAYGROUND
Here are nine titles that our families love to snuggle up with:
A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates and Sebastiá Serra
Forget Santa Claus and the reindeer — let Sir Peggedy and his giant seahorses take you on a holiday voyage in this LOL-worthy adaptation of The Night Before Christmas.
Home for the Holidays: A Little Book for Kids About the Different Holidays
That Bring Us Together by Sesame Workshop and Craig Manning
Broaden little ones’ worldview with this inclusive read where Elmo, Cookie Monster and other Sesame Street characters explain how the holidays differ around the world.
Hanukkah Bear by Eric A. Kimmel and Mike Wohnoutka
Teach children about Hanukkah traditions and customs as they read about Bubba Brayna and the case of her missing latkes.
The Gingerbread Man by Richard Scarry and Nancy Nolte
“You can’t catch me! I’m the Gingerbread Man!” Kids will love this sweet tale, and parents will remember Scarry’s illustrations from when they were little themselves. Add cookies and milk for extra fun!
The Nutcracker: A BabyLit® Dancing Primer by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver
Based on the beloved ballet, this board book for budding dancers introduces characters from The Nutcracker along with basic movement terms.
Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney
While parents will relate to Mama Llama, who is rushing around trying to get everything ready, kids will see themselves in Llama Llama, who is tired of waiting around for Christmas Day in this lesson-teaching story the whole family will enjoy.
Pinkfong Christmas Carols Sound Book by Pinkfong
Tots with a shorter attention span will love dancing to this sing-along book that plays traditional songs like Jingle Bells and more modern tunes like Christmas Shark (the holiday version of Baby Shark, of course!).
Olive, the Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh
This zany pup travels all the way to the North Pole to try to join Santa’s team of reindeer, making it a must-read for animal lovers.
It’s Christmas, David! by David Shannon
Will David make the naughty list or the nice list? That’s the question at the heart of this humorous and uniquely illustrated story about David and his holiday antics.
Maddy Zollo