Do you have a favorite Christmas picture book? We've accumulated quite a stack over the years, and I treasure each of them for one reason or another: a funny premise, a meaningful story, incredible illustrations, and plain, old nostalgia. The Christmas book that taps into my earliest memories is the Little Golden Book version of The Night Before Christmas. There have been a lot of iterations over the years, but the one I'm talking about is from the early 1950s. I was just a little thing when I first saw it, but to this day whenever I hear the Clement Moore poem, I'm seeing those Little Golden Book pictures in my head. And that's the long-lasting power of picture books.
One of my very favorites from my motherhood days is Peter Spier's Christmas! (1983). As with most of Spier's books (Rain, People), there are no words - just detailed illustrations containing lots of little gifts for the eyes and imagination. The book shows all the preparations and excitement leading up to Christmas - getting money out of a Christmas Club account (so banks still have those?), making Christmas decorations and cookies, caroling, snowball fights, Christmas Eve church service, and the aftermath of taking down decorations and looking forward to, yes, next Christmas. Daughter and I spent a lot of time looking through this book when she was growing up. 
Now, GrandBoy's not old enough to appreciate the intricacies of Christmas! or most of the books we have on hand. His current favorite is That's Not My Santa, probably because it's a board book with a fuzzy-bearded Santa and real tasty corners. Once he outgrows the urge to taste his books before opening, he'll enjoy the Christmas ones we've collected over the years. And think of all the fun of adding to the stack year after year! I can't wait to have GrandBoy on my lap or cuddled next to me finding new ways to love these books. They are meant to be shared.
What are your favorite Christmas picture books?
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