zonderkidz :: 12 days of kidz books :: #asimplechristmas

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I dream of sitting on the couch in my ugly cozy socks with a warm cup of cocoa. Said socks may be in the photo below. New Christmas pajamas or books are a part of our tree trimming tradition. My eyes are getting way too old to read from the ambiance of the tree lights, but we like to read lots of Christmas books. I’m preaching to myself here, but don’t let the busy days take away the moments we all need with our families. We read to our kids most nights and I know they are precious and numbered times as they get older.

Zonderkidz very kindly sent us a wonderful collection of books. We’ve spent the last 12 days pouring over them. I can’t feature them all in 350 words or less, but I’ll share our favorites.

The Berenstain Bears Go Christmas Caroling

The Berenstain Bear books are nostalgic to me because my mom read them to me and my four brothers. We always had one to go along with a holiday. Now my mom buys my kids the newest Berenstain Bear books and I enjoy reading to my own kids. This book is recommended for ages 4-8 and you can usually find it for $5 or less. I’m also drawn to these books because they teach good character. This particular book comes with postcards and  a holiday door hanger that say “Gone Caroling”. I had a great time reading this one with my 6 year old, Charlie.

A Christmas Gift for Santa

This is a quick and easy read with a new perspective on Christmas. What does Santa get for Christmas? We enjoyed the illustrations in this book. The bright colors and somewhat whimsical art is fun. I thought it was a nice way of reminding kids to have gratitude.

My Christmas Story Tree

This is a board book that would appeal to younger children, but your older kids can learn from it as well. This would be a really good book to read the night you put up your Christmas tree. It tells a story as the tree is decorated about what happened the first Christmas night. God is like an evergreen because he doesn’t change with the seasons. The candy cane resembles the stick the shepherds carried when they traveled to see Jesus. The star we place on the tops of our trees is to remind us of the star of Bethlehem that showed people the King had come. The tree is eventually done being decorated, but the story isn’t over. God sending His son is the beginning of how God brings light into our lives.

Mouse’s Christmas Gift

This last book I’ll feature was a tender one for me. When the pastor of a small church gets ill, the church mouse perseveres and doesn’t give up hope that there will be a Christmas eve service. My pastor has cancer and we’ve had to cancel services when he gets very ill. The hope of that tiny mouse inspired me and I adored the chain reaction of love after his small act of faith is noticed. I don’t want to give the book away, but the town came together and the pastor was encouraged. It was a great book to teach kids to find joy in helping and encouraging others.

The 2019 Christmas Gift Guide is organized by age. It’s a fantastic resource to find just the right book. If you’re gifting a book to someone, be sure to write in the front page the year you gave it to them and maybe a short note. My favorite books are the ones I open and I can see my grandmother’s writing or a reminder of the special person who took the time to give us that particular book.

I hope this post directs to you to gift ideas or books you want to add to your own bookshelf for the holidays. If you’re not familiar with the publisher, Zonderkidz is the children’s division of Zondervan. It inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. As the leader in Christian children’s communications, it creates products that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 12.

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