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.
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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 (21–30)

Mary-chan’s Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

The story features Mary-chan and Patapon the sheep.

Mary-chan tells Patapon about the Christmas she’s looking forward to.

One of the stories is about Santa putting presents in wooden shoes, and when Patapon hears this, he becomes sad, thinking he won’t receive any gifts.

Mary-chan doesn’t seem to notice Patapon’s feelings and talks only about her own presents.

It’s a work that depicts the pure feelings children have toward Christmas—joy and sadness.

There’s a heartwarming episode at the end, too.

Enjoy reading it along with the adorable illustrations.

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Snow of Dreams

http://www.amazon.co.jp

If you’re looking for a pop-up Christmas book, how about Dream Snow? It’s a work by Eric Carle, known for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the story features an old man and some animals.

The old man wakes from a dream in which everything is covered in beautiful snow.

When he looks outside, real snow is falling, which makes him remember something; he hurriedly gets dressed.

What did he remember, and what is he about to do…? There are two pop-up mechanisms: one on the page with the animals, and the second on the last page, where you can hear the sound of bells.

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sasashina

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Gifts for Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

At Christmas, Santa brings presents.

For children, that has become a given.

But presents aren’t just something you receive—they’re also something you give.

This picture book tells the story of Santa, who comes on Christmas night to deliver gifts.

When he peeks into a stocking to put a present inside, he finds a gift for Santa tucked there.

It beautifully portrays the joy of giving and the warmth of thinking of others, leaving your heart feeling toasty after reading.

I can’t help but hope that children will grow up to be people who can give gifts like this.

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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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Someone’s present

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Someone’s Present is a picture book themed around Christmas gifts, filled with a message that encourages readers to think about the people who work to deliver presents to children.

On Christmas Day, one gift falls from a sleigh piled high with presents and drops into the sea.

Whose present could this parcel from the sky be? The charm of the book is that you can enjoy imagining the answer together with your child.

Plus, Santa is depicted with a unique touch and a great sense of humor, which will likely draw children into the world of the story.

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