More Chirstimas Stories for Family Read Aloud

Here are more Christmas stories including one of my all time favorites!

The Christmas Tree Tangle by Margaret Mahy
This title has been a smash hit in our house for three years ever since Muffin was four years old. Mahy writes wonderful novels especially The Pirates Mixed up Voyage which cites the Pirates Who's Who in hilarious footnotes. But I digress. The Christmas Tree Tangle like her newly released picture book Bubble Trouble is written with terrific rhyming verse, that is a delight to read:

"Goodness gracious, what do I see?
The Kitten has climbed the Christmas tree!
Climbed so high and climbed so far
To cling with her claws to the Christmas star."

The cat and other animals try to rescue the kitten from her perch on top of the tree. This one is great to read and doesn't include any of those painful rhymes that make you wince and swear never to read another children's story in verse.

Dragon's Merry Christmas by Dav Pilkey
This has been another smash hit in our house. You cannot go wrong with any of the Dragon books. This one is sweet and charming with as always great art.

Christmas in July by Arthur Yorinks
My all time favorite Christmas story ever. In this book Santa's Christmas pants are sent to the cleaners. The cleaner accidentally delivers them to Rich Rump (an obvious Donald Trump caricature). Rump won't give back the pants, causing poor Santa (wearing boxers with green polka dots) to take the streets saying: "Hi. I'm Santa, got any pants?" Naturally he is arrested and Christmas doesn't take place until July. This is one of the few Christmas stories that feels truly modern, and up to date, and urban. It is not the only story set in New York City, but it really feels very New York. I find this a nice change from the many stories that make it seem as if Christmas weren't complete without snow and cookie baking grandmas in the country.

Big Bob and the Winter Holiday Potato by Daniel Pinkwater
When I brought this one out Muffin wanted to hear the other stories: Letters from Father Christmas, second run through, Christmas in July and Dragon's Merry Christmas. I love Daniel Pinkwater, but this story is definitely weird and I thin kthe humor in it will seem more amusing to Muffin in another year...

The Christmas Crocodile by Bonnie Becker

The Christmas Crocodile by Bonnie Becker, illustrated by David Small. A very funny picture book about a family who receive a crocodile as a gift. Mayhem ensues as the crocodile eats everything. "The Christmas Crocodile didn't mean to be bad, not really." Merry enjoyed this one.