Advent Book Countdown

Advent Book Countdown

Since Anna and Taylor were little, we have individually wrapped our Christmas books as an Advent book countdown.  (We used to wrap them in wrapping paper when Taylor was about 2-3 and when he loved playing with scotch tape, but wrapping this many gifts was pretty time intensive so I bought gift bags at the dollar store that we now use each year. It is a quick process to get our box of Christmas books out, drop them into the bags that are numbered for each day, and place some tissue paper on top.) Then we line the stairs with the bags for a festive Christmas display.  Beginning on December 1, the children pick a “present” for the day, unwrap it and then we read it together for our bedtime story.   I made sure to have the Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of The Christmas Legend  book on December 6^th for St. Nicolas Day and used the pop-up book of The Night Before Christmas  on December 24^th.  This is one of my favorite Christmas traditions that we have because it helps me to carve out time to sit on the couch with the kids and have uninterrupted time to read some classics of the season. 

(We also have an added bonus that Anna and Taylor get to hold Poppy while we read too. Poppy is going to be a very well read rabbit by the end of Advent.) 

We pulled The Best Christmas Pageant Ever out of the bag for December 1st last night and we all had some good belly laughter as we dove into that book together.
(Our list of books is at the end of this post…)
 If you don’t have very many holiday books, go to the library and check them out. These are just as much fun to unwrap and enjoy! 

Below is our list of some favorites currently in our bags lining the stairs. (With so many books, each bag has 2-3 books in them…)  

Christmas/Winter Books

Lift the flap nativity

Tomie de Paola’s The First Christmas – a festive pop up book

Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck

The Hat by Jan Brett

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

The Christmas Candle by Richard Paul Evans

The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg

A Wish for Wings that Work by Berkeley Breathed

Skating with the Bears by Andrew Breakspeare

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

The Littlest Angel by Paul Micich

I Spy Christmas – A book of picture riddles by Jean Marzollo

Mary’s First Christmas by Walt Wangerin

Santa Mouse by Michael Brown

The Black Snowman by Phil Mendez

The Christmas Troll by Eugene Peterson

You are my Miracle by Maryann Cusimano Love

The Tale of the Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt

Father and Son by Geraldine McCaughrean (one of my absolute favorites!)

Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley Breathed

The Heart of Christmas by Susan Florence

Merry Christmas Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Frosty the Snowman by Jack Rollins

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Robert Sabuda Christmas

The Gift of Magi by O. Henry

Mortimer’s Christmas Mouse by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

God Gave us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Olive the other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold

The Nutcracker Ballet by Deborah Hautzig

The Small One by Alex Walsh

Little Critter’s the Night Before Christmas by Mercer Mayer

Little’ Angels’ Book of Christmas by Joan Walsh Anglund

The Night before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore – a pop up by Robert Sabuda

The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet illustrated by Diane Goode

Barbie’s Nutcracker Little Golden Book

Madeline’s Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans

Peek and Find Christmas Story

When Santa Turned Green by Victoria Perla

Christmastime by Sandra Boynton

Caleb Crosses the Country by Dan Taylor and Damon Taylor

Counting Christmas by Karen Katz

The Night of the Child by Robert Benson

Winnie the Pooh’s Christmas

Thomas’ Christmas Delivery

Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard Schneider

Saint Nicholas by Julie Stiegemeyer (read on December 6^th- St. Nicolas’ Day)

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Little Critter’s Christmas book by Mercer Mayer

From God with Love by Mack Thomas

The Legend of the Christmas Rose by William Hooks

The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

The Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
Tomie de Paola's 'Legend of the Poinsettia'
Baker's Dozen (a legend of St. Nicolas)
The Nativity' illustrated by Julie Vivas

The Give-Away by Ray Buckley

The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman