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 Recommended Picture Book Collection That Will Make You Excited for Christmas (41–50)

Pop-up Book: What Is Christmas?

http://www.amazon.co.jp

If you’re looking for a picture book that explains the origins of Christmas in a way that’s easy for young children to understand, “What Is Christmas?” is a great pick.

The layered, interactive illustration on the cover is striking and makes you want to pick it up.

As you turn the pages, the interactive elements shift, and the book cheerfully teaches the history of Christmas with illustrations.

Another plus is that the pages are made of thick paper, making them easy for even two-year-olds to turn.

Be sure to read it with your children!

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mayumi

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Santa Who Found a Job

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Santa delivers presents once a year, but what on earth does he do during the rest of the seasons? This picture book portrays Santa’s off-season.

Believe it or not, he tries out all kinds of jobs! A toy shop clerk, a pastry chef, a mail carrier… but none of them go quite right.

In the end, though, he realizes, “Being Santa is the best job of all!” It’s a cheerful, uplifting story that packs a positive message—“Finding a job you love is wonderful!”—with a good dose of humor.

It’s a picture book that naturally conveys the importance of being yourself and working hard.

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Nanaka

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Top 10 Lovely Christmas Songs

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Christmas songs are something we don’t often get a chance to sing as adults.

Even if kids ask you to ‘teach me’ or ‘sing it,’ not many of us can recall the songs right away.

That’s why I’d like to introduce this picture book that includes 10 Christmas songs.

It comes with vocals and lyrics, so you’ll be all set with just this one book! It also has rhythm buttons you can press along with the songs—and amazingly, the sound changes for each track.

Be sure to pick it up for Christmas and create wonderful memories with your child.

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sasashina

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The Little Owl and the Christmas Tree

http://www.amazon.co.jp

One winter day, the people who cut down a Christmas fir tree discovered that a tiny owl had been living inside it.

Startled, they rescued the owl.

Before long, they learned that the tree would become the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York.

This true, moving Christmas story revolves around a small life and a grand tree.

Its charm lies in the gentle message that every life, no matter how small, has a precious place to belong—something that will quietly touch children’s hearts.

When you finish reading, it’s a book that will surely make parents and children smile at each other and say, “I’m so glad.”

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Nanaka

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The Cat Family’s Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Count down the 24 days until Christmas together with the Cat family! Each page is filled with little delights like flaps for doors and windows to open.

Day by day, you’ll decorate the tree, bake treats, write letters… and watch the cats’ warm and bustling preparations unfold.

The Advent calendar–style interactive elements that you open each day make it an exciting event for children.

With charming mechanisms and a colorful world, this is a picture book that lets you “experience” Christmas together.

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Nanaka

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Christmas of the Working Vehicles

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is one book in the “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site” series, a picture book featuring various hardworking vehicles like bulldozers, excavators, cement mixers, dump trucks, and cranes.

The story has a Christmas theme: while the hardworking vehicles tackle a big job, they receive an unexpected present… And in fact, their big job turns out to be a wonderful gift for someone else, too.

It ends with a gentle “good night,” helping readers drift off in a lovely mood.

Be sure to read it on Christmas night!

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sasashina

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Piyo-chan and Merry Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

The story features Piyo-chan the chick.

It’s about Piyo-chan trying to place a wreath on the very top of the Christmas tree for Santa.

The book’s hallmark—and its biggest highlight—is the pop-up mechanism on the climax page! It’s easy to assemble, so you’ll feel like you’re decorating the tree right alongside Piyo-chan.

The horse’s neck extends, the owl’s wings flap—there’s more than one moving feature, so be sure to try them out and have fun.

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sasashina

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