24 Days of Christmas Books

For those of you don't remember my post last year about my favorite new Christmas Tradition. Go read it now so you know what I am talking about and return.

If you have gathered together 24 books this year, tomorrow is the day to begin. I can't believe it's December already!

Now for a couple variations on the tradition:

-You could do the 12 days of Christmas books (instead of 24). I think we are actually doing the 17 days of Christmas books because that is how many we have collected over the past 3 years.

-If you are trying to use less wrapping paper this year, you could use one reusable gift bag that gets magically filled with a new book each day. I think we will be doing it this way because not only is it green, it is also a great way to have control over which books get read on each day - saving the longer ones for days when you know there is more time to read.

I also wanted to share our new book additions for this year because it's not to late to pick some up from the library or the bookstore.

One Winter's Night by Leo and Diane Dillon. We love animals in our house, so this one is sure to be a hit as the story parallels the Journey of Martha's and the birth of her calf with the journey of Joseph and Mary and the birth of baby Jesus. Good for the toddler set.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola - The little girl in the book is unable to finish the gift her mother was making for the baby Jesus. All she can find to give is an armful of weeds. This book is a retelling of a beautiful folktale of how the first poinsettia's came to be.

Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Richard H Schneider - This book came highly recommended and did not disappoint. It is the story of a little tree who gives of himself freely and reminds everyone about the true meaning of Christmas.

Jingle Bells by Iza Trapani - I picked this one up at Princesses School Book Fair. It is a simple book that uses the Jingle Bell song with added verses that simply talk about how children from other countries celebrate the Christmas season. Good for the toddler set.

And finally, today I went to my favorite neighborhood used book store and found a couple more at rock bottom prices.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski - I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but I have heard many great recommendations. It is longer story better suited for older children.

Carl's Christmas by Alexandra Day - We have always been Carl book lovers. This one is a beautiful picture book like all the rest. You can use your own words to tell the story of Carl's adventures as he spreads the true Christmas spirit. Or you could tell the story like this dad so you will never have to read to your children again. Great for the baby and toddler set.

Please share your own favorite Children's Christmas stories or variations on this fun tradition.