A collection of recommended picture books to read with 4-year-olds that will make the wait for Christmas exciting

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.

Christmas is just around the corner! For 4-year-olds, it’s a special season filled with excitement as they look forward to Santa and presents.

What makes the magic of Christmas shine even brighter is discovering heartwarming picture books.

They can comfort children as they wait for their gifts, or introduce them to little-known stories about Santa.

We’ll introduce a variety of wonderful, fun picture books that are perfect for this time of year.

Enjoy the unique world of Christmas stories together with your 4-year-olds!

Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds! A Collection of Recommended Picture Books That Will Make You Excited for Christmas (61–70)

Theo’s Mysterious Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

On Christmas Eve night, a little boy named Theo discovers not reindeer flying through the sky, but a zebra walking across it! Chasing after the zebra, Theo sets off on an adventure into a wondrous world of lights and snow.

It feels like a daydream, yet somehow like a magical night that could truly exist.

Even though Santa doesn’t appear, with each page you turn you can feel, “This is the magic of Christmas!” It’s a dreamy, beautiful story where faith and kindness create an invisible magic.

A Christmas picture book that wraps every reader in a quiet, moving warmth.

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Nanaka

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Disney Everyone’s Christmas! A Search-and-Find Gift Picture Book

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Let me introduce a Disney activity picture book with a Christmas theme.

Inside, you’ll find scenes from 14 works, including 101 Dalmatians, Toy Story, The Little Mermaid, and Monsters, Inc.

Your goal is to find specified items—like crowns and ornaments—in each scene to clear the pages.

Every scene is filled with Christmas-themed decorations such as trees and wreaths, so you can really feel the holiday spirit while you play.

It’s perfect for enjoying as a Christmas activity or giving as a gift.

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sasashina

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Nontan! It’s Santa Claus!

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is a story about Nontan, who wants a red toy car for Christmas and sets out to meet Santa.

Nontan hopes to ask the Cat Santa, but when he goes looking, there are Santas everywhere! A Dog Santa, a Reindeer Santa, and even a Crocodile Santa…

Just looking at this page is fun, and children will surely get excited to see Santas they’ve never imagined before.

Nontan has a hard time finding the Cat Santa, but in the end, he comes properly to visit.

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sasashina

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Barbapapa’s Present

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is a story themed around the Barbapapa family’s Christmas.

On Christmas Day, a bird from a southern country arrived as a present.

But where the Barbapapa family lives is far too cold for a bird from the south, and everyone scrambles to heat up the room! What will happen to the southern bird? Keeping living creatures is difficult, and living in a place different from where you were born is even harder…

This is a fun yet strongly message-driven work that makes you think about many things.

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sasashina

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Paddington’s Christmas Letter

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Familiar from the anime Paddington’s Adventures! This is a Christmas picture book starring Paddington, the little bear boy.

It tells the story of Paddington’s efforts to give his family a wonderful gift, and amazingly, there are pages with real envelopes inside the book.

They even contain actual items, like a handmade Christmas card from Paddington and an advent calendar from Aunt Lucy.

Enjoy getting ready for Christmas with Paddington—and be sure to receive those gifts too!

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sasashina

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The Velveteen Rabbit

http://www.amazon.co.jp

The picture book The Velveteen Rabbit, loved around the world, is one every child should read at least once.

In this story, on Christmas Day, a velveteen rabbit comes to a boy.

As the rabbit spends each day with the boy, he begins to ponder what it means for a toy to be “real.” What answer does the rabbit arrive at? And how might children who are surrounded by toys feel after reading this book? Since many children ask Santa for toys at Christmas, I hope they’ll read this book beforehand and nurture a sense of cherishing the things they have.

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sasashina

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Merry Christmas, Penelope!

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is a book that depicts Penelope’s fun Christmas.

It’s a lift-the-flap/popup-style picture book with lots of interactive features kids will love—lights that turn on, Penelope tumbling down, and more.

The story shows decorating the tree and having a party with relatives, making it feel familiar and enjoyable for children.

It’ll likely make them even more excited, thinking, “I want a Christmas like this!” The mechanisms aren’t complicated, so toddlers should be able to move them by themselves and have fun.

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sasashina

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