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

Last updated:2025/11/7

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 (1–10)

Christmas on December 26

http://www.amazon.co.jp

“Christmas on December 26” is a story that takes place after Christmas.

A girl who received a dog from Santa sets out to find him so she can say thank you.

She must have been overjoyed to want to search for someone just to say “thank you”… It’s a work whose pure-hearted childlike sentiment will move adults as well.

Precisely because getting presents at Christmas has become so commonplace today, I hope children will never forget this sense of gratitude.

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13 Santas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

If you want to choose a Christmas picture book with impact, how about “The 13 Santas”? The characters are 13 mischievous Santas…

or are they? They don’t wear red suits like the Santa we all know; instead, they lick frying pans, bang doors, and do all sorts of quirky things.

They look different from the widely recognized image, but they’re full of personality and really fun.

Set in Iceland, the story also offers a glimpse into people’s everyday lives there.

Enjoy each unique character and be sure to read it together as a parent and child.

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Somewhere in this town

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This Town, Somewhere is a story about a boy searching for his lost cat.

It’s a bittersweet tale, yet when you finish reading, you’re left with a sense of satisfaction, much like after watching a good film.

The illustrations—of the cityscape the boy watches from the bus, the wintry snowy scenes—carry a certain poignancy, as if reflecting the boy’s inner world.

Many readers may find themselves closing their eyes, moved by the lingering resonance of the sad yet warm ending, thinking, “So that’s what it was.” It might be a work that touches the heart all the more precisely because you’re an adult.

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Merry Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Many children write letters to Santa at Christmas, don’t they? The siblings in this story, Yoshi and Na-chan, also wrote to Santa every year and set out some juice for him.

But then their mother suggests that, instead of juice, they should leave alcohol on Christmas.

It seems she’s planning to keep all the presents in the world for herself.

However, Yoshi doesn’t want everyone to end up feeling sad, so he…? This gentle, Christmas-themed tale depicts children’s growth.

Please pick it up and give it a read.

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Fir Tree’s Wish

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Fir trees have those distinctive jagged needles, don’t they? The fir tree in this picture book absolutely hates its own leaves and longs for the soft, rounded leaves of others.

So it asks a fairy to change the shape of its leaves.

The fir tree is delighted—but once its leaves have changed, new problems it had never imagined begin to appear…

It’s an intriguing setup, with the fir tree—often the star of Christmas—struggling with self-doubt, and it makes you want to know what happens next.

Will the fir tree learn to like the way it looks, different from those around it, and find confidence in itself?

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