Picture books to read at Christmas! A collection of picture book ideas that will move adults, too.

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.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

On Christmas night, many of us want to spend a special time with our children.

Christmas trees and presents are wonderful, but curling up in a warm room, opening a picture book, and immersing yourselves in a world of stories creates memories that will stay in your hearts for years to come.

In this article, we introduce picture books that are perfect for Christmas.

We’ve gathered titles filled with heartwarming stories and beautiful illustrations, as well as books with delightful twists that will bring out smiles—great for both read-aloud time and independent reading.

This Christmas, gather around a picture book with someone you love and savor an irreplaceable moment together!

Picture books to read at Christmas! A collection of picture book ideas that will move adults too (11–20)

Before the morning comes

http://www.amazon.co.jp

It seems that the mother in this story has to go to work after the children have fallen asleep.

Her job is a pilot… Even though it can’t be helped because it’s her work, she must be worried about her kids.

Perhaps that’s why, in this picture book, someone wishes to “change the world before morning.” Is it because heavy snowfall can cancel flights? Is it the mother’s wish, the children’s wish… or perhaps both? This is a wintertime picture book I recommend, one you’ll want to read carefully and savor.

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem

Little Santa

http://www.amazon.co.jp

The story’s protagonist is a boy who wanders into Santa Claus’s house.

In that house stands a Christmas tree with many cards hanging from it.

The cards are messages to Santa from children.

Seeing them, the boy wonders what it would be like if he could become Santa Claus himself… and then he actually transforms into Santa.

It’s a dreamy tale, but the developments that follow may give adults more to think about.

What is the true meaning of Christmas? This picture book seems to depict questions we hadn’t even thought to ask.

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem

Hikari’s Adventure

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Betty is a girl who loves picture books.

One day, a bear named Cosmo popped out from the pages.

Though Cosmo is afraid of the dark, Betty invites him into the nighttime world, and their adventure begins.

It’s a charming story with gently dreamlike illustrations that make this a delightful book.

The very idea of an animal leaping out of a picture book is enough to fill any child with excitement.

Maybe Betty wanted to keep playing with Cosmo all along.

It’s also a perfect choice for bedtime reading.

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem

The Christmas Tree Deep in the Forest

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is a Christmas-themed book with a story that unfolds around a lonely fir tree.

In the forest, there was one fir tree that didn’t grow as splendidly as the others, and unlike the other trees, it wasn’t cut down and was left behind.

But the animals decorated it, and it became a wonderful Christmas tree in the forest.

At first you worry, wondering what will happen, but you feel relieved when it turns into what you can call a happy ending.

Perhaps there’s a kind of happiness you can find precisely because you’re different from others… It’s a story that makes you think so, isn’t it?

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem

Christmas girl

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is a Christmas story told from the perspective of a doll in a toy shop.

Holly, the doll, waits on a shelf, wondering if a child will come to take her home.

Then along comes Ivy, a girl with no family.

Will Holly go to Ivy? With a heartwarming, gentle, and dreamlike ending, it’s a perfect book for Christmas.

It’s a children’s book suitable for early elementary school readers, so it’s something parents and kids can enjoy together.

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem