The Three Bears’ Christmas – Kathy Duval

On Christmas Eve, the Three Bears are making final preparations for Christmas.  The gingerbread bears have just come out of the oven, but they are too hot.  The family decides to go for a walk while the cookies are cooling.  After enjoying the sights and sounds of the outdoors, the bears come home to find there has been a special visitor in their home.

Christmas Eve Good Night – Doug Cushman

This is a perfect bedtime story to use during the holiday season. It features all of the familiar elements of Christmas from gingerbread cookies to reindeer and has each one saying good night to either Mommy of Daddy in his/her own special way.  The illustrations in this book are of particular note and provide much for little ones to enjoy.

Santa Comes to Little House – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Santa Comes to Little House is actually a chapter taken from the series that has been illustrated and made into a Christmas picture book.  Our daughter saw this at the library and was very excited about reading it.  It did not disappoint.  The illustrations bring the Christmas celebration of the Ingalls family to life.  The genuine joy and thankfulness Mary and Laura display for their relatively simple Christmas surprises (a tin cup, a candy cane, a small cake, and a penny) provide a wonderful opportunity for discussion.

Olive, the Other Reindeer – J. Otto Seibold

Olive, the Other Reindeer is a delight.  Olive is really a dog, but she becomes confused while listening to Christmas music as she is wrapping presents.  Rather than hearing about: “…all of the other reindeer…”, Olive hears her own version of the lyrics: “Olive, the other reindeer…”.  Although she was certain she was a dog, Olive doesn’t want to disappoint Santa, and she immediately heads to the North Pole.  Before long, it is clear that Santa really does need the special skills that only Olive can provide.