A Christmas book advent calendar is a wonderful way to build up the excitement for your little ones over the festive season.
Not only do your kids get new books to enjoy but they have the thrill of something to open every morning.
For me any excuse to boost the children’s book collection is brilliant.
Advent calendar book a day
I can still remember advent calendars that you opened to reveal a picture behind the door. That was it. No treat!
Now advent calendars are usually full of sweet treats hidden behind numbered doors. But these days advent calendars have got seriously creative, with toys, cosmetics, and pretty much everything you can imagine hidden behind the doors!
You can also make your own DIY Christmas advent calendars so you can choose a selection of gifts for your loved one to open over December.
If you’re looking for an alternative to a chocolate Christmas advent calendar for your kids then a festive book advent is perfect!
The idea behind it is you get a brand new book every day for the 24 days leading up to Christmas.
You can create a DIY Christmas book advent calendar or buy calendars that have already been put together for you.
This year we are creating our own book advent and I am so excited about it! It’s lovely getting new books into the house
We are doing the whole 24 days up to New Year’s Eve, but if you prefer you could do a 12 day advent calendar and open a new book every other day. It’s totally up to you!
I would also add that I have bought one set of books for my two kids for them to share. They can alternate who gets to open the new book each day and then we will read it together.
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Book advent calendar ideas
The beauty of putting together a Christmas book advent calendar for your kids is you can create it in any way you like.
It could be that you want a specific theme for your book advent or the theme doesn’t matter but you would like to put the books together in a particular way. It’s totally up to you!
When it comes to putting your book advent together first of all have a think about whether you care about the books all being the same size.
I wasn’t fussed about the books matching and being in a neat pile so have just gone with books that I liked.
But if you have a plan to pile the books neatly by the tree or want them to be small enough to fit in a particular space then you may want to choose books that are similar small sizes.
Next to consider is what them you may want. A few book advent theme ideas are:
- Christmas. It’s an obvious one but great for adding to the build-up of the big day.
- Non-fiction. Boost your kids’ learning with non-fiction books. You could find a series of books about the environment or books about space. Usborne do some wonderful lift-the-flap fact books.
- Sport. Does you child love football? You could choose a series of books with a football theme.
- Heroes. Choose books that are all about superheroes, or real-life heroes, doing great deeds.
- Animals. Got kids who adore animals? Choose books that are all about furry friends.
- Real people. Fill your book advent with stories about real people and their achievements. There are so many great kids’ books that explain the incredible stories of real people in a way that’s accessible for little readers. I love the Little People Big Dreams book series for this.
Once you have a theme then you can think about how to put your book advent calendar together.
I will be wrapping mine up in matching and co-ordinating Christmas paper.
I’ve seen some book advents decorated nicely with twine and matching labels too to mark out the days. There is one book I know I want the kids to open on day one as it features ideas for December activities but otherwise I don’t mind what order they open them in.
You could use a pretty Christmas box, which you could make by covering a cardboard box in festive paper, to keep your books in or display them on a book shelf with some Christmas decorations. All your kids need to do is pick the next book up every morning and unwrap it.
You may also like:
Free Christmas colouring activities for kids
Letter to Santa free printable templates
Our Christmas book advent calendar
For our Christmas book advent calendar I have gone with a mostly winter and Christmas theme but some books have broken away from that theme.
This is because there are a few lovely books that have been on my wishlist for a while that I really wanted them to have as part of this book advent.
I got many of my books from Amazon and The Works, which does amazing bulk purchase deals on books. Buying used from Amazon can make the cost a lot cheaper for putting together your book advent, and don’t forget to check out local charity shops too to see what you can find.
Some of these are books we already had but I keep hidden away after Christmas to take them out the following year.
When it comes to picking up your book advent books you could also try the library to save money. Check them out in the weeks before Christmas and just be sure to return them by the return day so you don’t get stung by late fees. If you do this then your Christmas book advent could cost you absolutely nothing.
Here are our Christmas book advent choices – I hope you find some ideas for your own book advent!
My children are aged three and five. My five-year-old is now reading independently and these books are all great for her to read by herself, as well as with us.
Most of these books are also appropriate for toddlers.
How Winston Delivered Christmas
I will be giving this book to the children on day one of their book advent.
It contains festive activity ideas for the entire month of December, such as making a snowflake decoration.
In between the activities is the story of Winston the mouse, who finds a letter to Father Christmas that didn’t make it to the North Pole. He sets out to hand the letter to Santa in time for the big day.
This is a big book and I know the girls will get tons from reading both the story and the activities.
How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T Smith
The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas
A fun story to make the kids laugh!
The story is about Danny, who wants everything for Christmas. But he gets a nasty shock when his new dinosaur eats all of Christmas – the tree, the presents and even gran!
The Dinosaur that Pooped by Tom Fletcher
Lucy and Tom at Christmas
This is a slightly older book first published in the 80s. It’s about Lucy and Tom who are getting ready for Christmas.
It’s all about the excitement of Christmas Day and is a story all kids can relate to!
Lucy and Tom at Christmas by Shirley Hughes
Kipper’s Christmas Eve
Kipper wonders what is best, Christmas Day or Christmas Eve? Presents or expecting presents?
This story is all about the exciting build-up to Christmas told with some fun characters kids will love.
Kipper’s Christmas Eve by Mick Inkpen
Winnie the Pooh: Pooh’s Christmas Adventure
The girl’s have hardly any Winnie the Pooh stories and I remember loving books about him when I was a child.
This one sees the friends of Hundred Acre Wood work together on a cold and snowy day. It’s a lovely tale about Christmas and friendship.
Winnie the Pooh: A Tree for Christmas
Another Winnie the Pooh story! This one is about the perfect Christmas tree that the Hundred Acre Wood set out to find.
I love the illustrations in this one.
Winnie the Pooh A Tree for Christmas
Paddington and the Christmas Surprise
When the Browns take Paddington Bear to the Christmas Grotto in a London store he takes a journey through the Winter Wonderland that is full of surprises.
This is a really sweet and funny book for kids. If you don’t yet have any Paddington books then this is a lovely one to start with.
Paddington and the Christmas Surprise by R W Alley
A Christmas Carol
The classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is rewritten for kids with illustrations.
I love reading classic stories to the kids and this is the ultimate classic Christmas tale.
A Christmas Carol by Joshua George
When I dream of Christmas
This book promises to take kids on a magical journey to show them the true essence of Christmas.
It explains all of the main characters we know and love from the festive season including Santa and his elves, as well as traditions like decorating a Christmas tree.
I would say this book is good for toddlers and pre-schoolers, although primary school kids who are learning to read will enjoy it too.
When I Dream of Christmas by Oakley Graham
The Nutcracker
The story of the Nutcracker is explained for little ones in this book.
When Marie is given a special Nutcracker doll for Christmas, she goes on an exciting adventure.
The Snowman and the Snowdog
A sequel to the classic Christmas story The Snowman by Raymond Briggs.
In this book a little boy’s Snowman and Snowdog come to life. They take him on a magical adventure.
The Snowman and the Snowdog by Raymond Briggs
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
We love Dr Seuss books in our house, especially The Cat in the Hat.
This book is set in Who-ville where Christmas is a very popular time of year.
But the Grinch hates Christmas so he sets about trying to ruin it for everyone else in Who-ville.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
A Dancer’s Dream
We have a version following the original story of the Nutcracker in this book advent, and this story is based on the real history of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet The Nutcracker.
The illustrations inside are absolutely beautiful – they’re are truly captivating. The story follows a little girl who is chosen to play the lead in The Nutcracker.
Her journey to the stage isn’t easy, but the story is so lovely and a perfect Christmas tale. Perfect for little ballerinas.
A Dancer’s Dream by Katherine Woodfine
Mog’s Christmas
We already have several Mog books and the kids love them.
In this adventure, Mog doesn’t like the strange things happening in her house as the family gets ready for Christmas. She decides to hide on the roof, but lands back down in the house with a bump!
Mog’s Christmas by Judith Kerr
The Polar Bear who Saved Christmas
When Pip the polar bear gets lost and wanders into Santa’s grotto, he finds that disaster has struck. The elves are about to cancel Christmas.
With time running out to deliver Santa’s gifts, Pip embarks on a magical adventure to save Christmas.
The Polar Bear who Saved Christmas by Fiona Boone
Dasher
Rudolph is the most famous of Santa’s reindeer but this story focuses on Dasher!
It’s all about how Santa’s sleigh came to be pulled by a team of reindeer, starting with a brave little doe called Dasher.
The Christmas Eve Tree
This book is such a lovely story. It’s about a little fir tree that didn’t grow as big as the other Christmas trees.
It is the last one left in the shop until a little boy decides he doesn’t mind that the tree is not as big as the other fir trees. It has a lovely message to it!
The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy
The Snow Dragon
In Griselda’s orphanage daydreaming is banned and Christmas is well and truly cancelled.
But Phoebe and her sausage dog Herb find adventure and magic in the snow outside.
The pictures in this book are beautiful.
The Snow Dragon by Abi Elphinstone
Pick a Pine Tree
I love the pictures in this book! It’s all about picking out a Christmas tree and decorating it for Christmas.
Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
Dear Father Christmas
This book comes with fold-out letters for your child to read which really brings it to life!
The story is about children getting excited for Christmas and is told with the help of the letters which appear throughout the story.
Dear Father Christmas by Alan Durant
What’s a Christmas
One Christmas Eve four little penguins make a surprising discovery in the snow. An elf has fallen out of Santa’s sleigh!
The penguins have never heard of Santa or Christmas, so the elf decides to teach them all about it.
Little People Big Dreams Captain Tom Moore
We have been collecting the Little People Big Dreams books and absolutely love them.
They’re about real people and tell their stories in a way that’s easy for little ones to follow. Many of the books include difficult subjects such as racism and discrimination, but in a way that’s easy for children to understand.
Captain Tom Moore is the retired pensioner who decided to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday to raise funds for the NHS.
It’s an inspirational story and I love that it’s been added to the series.
Captain Tom Moore by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Not a Christmas story but I loved the look of this book.
One evening a little boy called Harold decides to go for a walk with a purple crayon which he uses to draw himself a landscape full of wonder and excitement.
I love how the story is told alongside the pictures. The only colour comes from the purple lines drawn by the crayon which makes it really striking and different.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
The Story of Ferdinand
Not a Christmas book but a classic story I have been want to get the kids for a while.
It’s all about a little bull called Ferdinand who would rather sit and smell the flowers than fight in the bullring.
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
The best book advent calendars to buy
If you don’t fancy putting together your own collection of books there are some done-for-you book advent calendars you can purchase.
My girls had a Disney book advent calendar one year and absolutely loved it! It was full of books featuring the stories of the more modern Disney movies such as Toy Story and Moana.
These book advent calendars cost around £10 and you can find them on Amazon and in supermarkets such as Asda and Aldi.
- Mr Men Little Miss Advent Calendar
- Disney Frozen Storybook Collection Advent Calendar
- Kids Disney Storybook Collection Advent Calendar
- Kids Peppa Pig Book Advent
- Kids Marvel Advent Calendar Storybook Collection
