Top Ten Tuesday: Winter Holidays in Picture Books

It’s another freebie week! And I’m excited to share this very brief list of picture books about winter holidays from St. Lucia Day (inspired) to Lunar New Year and so many in between! I’m going to caveat this list to say that this is just one depiction of the holidays featured, there are hundreds of holiday picture books available to share. But, what I do like is that by reading about different holidays, kids can get a better appreciation for holidays celebrated around the world or even in their school community. And when kids better understand differences, they are more willing to accept them. So take this list of ten titles to create your own December reading plan for the family. Highlight all the amazing holidays that are celebrated this month and into New Year!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.

Winter Holidays in Picture Books

Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Michelle Lee

It’s almost Lunar New Year, and Chloe can’t wait to celebrate! But first, Chloe and her family must prepare for the new year. They buy new shoes, lay out good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorate the red envelope, and make a crispy turnip cake. Everyone comes together to cook a fantastic feast, saving a plate for A-má, of course. Chloe enjoys the festive celebration and yummy food, but most of all she loves spending time with her family.

Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Li’l Rabbit is not having a very good Kwanzaa. Granna Rabbit is sick, and so his family won’t celebrate his favorite part of Kwanzaa this year: a big feast called Karamu.

Li’l Rabbit knows what to do! He’ll find Granna Rabbit a special treat for Karamu so she can celebrate anyway. He looks under a pile of logs, in the field, and in the pond and along the way meets Groundhog, Momma Field Mouse, and the frogs—but he doesn’t find anything for Granna Rabbit.

Maybe I’m just too little to help Granna Rabbit celebrate Kwanzaa, Li’l Rabbit thinks. Or maybe he just needs a little help from his family and friends.

Lucia and the Light by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Mary GrandPré

In a cozy cabin high in the mountains of the Far North, Lucia and her family live a snug and contented life. But one day the wind screams fiercely and the sun does not rise over the mountain. Someone has stolen the sun! “Perhaps it has lost its way,” says Lucia, who despite her mother’s pleas sets out to find it with only a bit of bread, a tinderbox, and her milk-white cat to keep her company. In dramatic pastels, Mary GrandPré illuminates troll-pocked frozen mountains and wraps Lucia’s family in a blanket of warmth. Inspired by Nordic lore, Phyllis Root spins a golden yarn of courage, love, and the age-old longing for the return of light.

Nine Days to Christmas: A Story of Mexico by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida

Generations of readers have treasured this 1960 Caldecott Medal winner and its tale of a little Mexican girl’s excitement at the approach of Christmas. Ceci eagerly awaits Las Posadas, the traditional nine-day series of yuletide celebrations. This year she’ll lead the candlelight procession that reenacts Mary and Joseph’s trek to Bethlehem. Meanwhile, Mother takes her to the old marketplace to choose her very first piñata. Ceci is dazzled by the colorful array of options, and after making her choice has second thoughts about the fate of her piñata once the posada takes place.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical train to the North Pole . . .

Through dark forests, over tall mountains, and across a barren desert of ice, the Polar Express makes its way to the huge city standing alone at the top of the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish.

Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport, illustrated by Marion Eldridge

Shanté Keys loves New Year’s Day! But while Grandma fixed chitlins, baked ham, greens, and cornbread, she forgot the black-eyed peas! Oh no―it’ll be bad luck without them! So Shanté sets out to borrow some from the neighbors.

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper, illustrated by Carson Ellis

So the shortest day came,
and the year died . . .

As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles. They played music, bringing their own light to the darkness, while wondering if the sun would ever rise again. Written for a theatrical production that has become a ritual in itself, Susan Cooper’s poem “The Shortest Day” captures the magic behind the returning of the light, the yearning for traditions that connect us with generations that have gone before — and the hope for peace that we carry into the future. Richly illustrated by Carson Ellis with a universality that spans the centuries, this beautiful book evokes the joy and community found in the ongoing mystery of life when we celebrate light, thankfulness, and festivity at a time of rebirth. Welcome Yule!

The Story of Hanukkah by David A. Adler, illustrated by Jill Weber

Hanukkah is a wonderful time filled with games, food, family, and fun. It’s also the celebration of an ancient miracle, and retelling and remembering the story of that miracle is an essential part of the holiday, for young and old. The story of the courageous Maccabees is retold in simple yet dramatic text, accompanied by vibrant paintings of the battle, the Temple of Jersualem, and the oil which miraculously burned for eight long nights.

Hooray, It’s Three Kings Day! by Annette M. Clayton, illustrated by Jone Leal

Sofia and her abuela share a special Three Kings Day tradition: Abuela brings her wooden santos all the way from Puerto Rico and tells the story of the wise men seeking Baby Jesus, drawn by a star. Surrounded by family and beautiful tradition, Sofia basks in the beauty of the holiday. Drawing upon her own experiences with her Puerto Rican abuela, author Annette Clayton explores the food, stories, and traditions that surround Three Kings Day. With rich illustrations by Venezuelan illustrator Jone Leal, Hooray, It’s Three Kings Day! includes four pages of backmatter with traditional recipes, a Spanish glossary, and details about the way this holiday is celebrated in different countries around the world. 

We Celebrate the Light by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple, illustrated by Jieting Chen

Diwali, Solstice, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, and Lunar New Year are visually depicted in turn, accompanying a stunning, read-aloud text that speaks of the traditions that link them all together. The warm yet accurate imagery is explained in simple secondary text on each spread, and further in the backmatter. Beloved author Jane Yolen and daughter, author Heidi Stemple, have crafted a loving and poignant story with true reverence for our shared traditions of celebrating light, love, food, and family. An empowering, informative, and inclusive holiday book for families of all traditions.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.