Christmas gift guide: the best children's books to give as gifts! - Nosy Crow Skip to content
Posted by Sam, November 16, 2020

Christmas gift guide: the best children’s books to give as gifts!

Give the gift of reading this Christmas with these children’s books! From festive toddler books to beautiful Christmas stories and books for the whole family to share, discover the best books to give to children this Christmas.

Jump to a section:
Christmas gift ideas for babies and toddlers
Christmas gift ideas for children aged 2-5
Christmas gift ideas for children aged 5-9
Christmas gift ideas for children aged 9-12
Christmas gift ideas for the whole family

Christmas gift ideas for babies and toddlers

Christmas gift ideas for babies and toddlers - Where's Santa Claus by Ingela P Arrhenius, Jingle Bells by Nicola Slater, Pip and Posy: The Christmas Tree by Axel Scheffler

Jingle Bells, by Nicola Slater:

This festive sound button book is the perfect gift for toddlers this Christmas! Follow the band on their journey to the concert and join in with the big band version of Jingle Bells at the end. With five beautifully illustrated spreads, and buttons to press on every spread, this is a wonderful book to share with little ones.


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Where’s Santa Claus, by Ingela P Arrhenius:

From our bestselling series, this Christmas board book with easy-to-grab felt flaps, is great for sharing with babies and toddlers this festive season. Find all the Christmas characters and then spot yourself in the mirror at the end!


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Pip and Posy: The Christmas Tree, by Axel Scheffler:

It’s Christmas time and Pip and Posy are decorating the tree with candy sticks, biscuits and a beautiful sugar star. But every time Posy goes out of the room, she returns to find decorations missing from the tree. Eventually there are no decorations left at all, oh dear! Could Pip have something to do with it?


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Christmas gift ideas for children aged 2-5

Christmas gift ideas for children aged 2-5 - A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes by Frann Preston-Gannon, What Are Little Girls Made of by Jeanne Willis and Isabelle Follath, and A House for Christmas Mouse by Rebecca Harry

What Are Little Girls Made of?, by Jeanne Willis and Isabelle Follath:

Think you know your favourite nursery rhymes? In this witty collection of rhymes with a feminist twist, Georgie Porgie doesn’t dare make the girls cry, Little Bo-Peep’s sheep are all present and correct, and it’s the queen, of course, who fixes Humpty Dumpty.

Wonderfully funny and beautifully illustrated, these reworked rhymes prove that girls can be the hero of any story. This is a wonderful gift for daughters and granddaughters this Christmas.


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A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes and Poems, by Frann Preston-Gannon:

Give them a book to treasure this Christmas with this enchanting collection of 101 nursery rhymes, poems and songs. Filled with familiar favourites, from Humpty Dumpty to Little Miss Muffet, the Owl and the Pussycat to the Animal Fair, this is a charming anthology that will delight the whole family and be enjoyed for years to come.

With a clothbound cover, foiled jacket, ribbon marker and luxurious paper, this is a beautiful book to behold. If you’re looking for a truly special gift this Christmas, this is the book for you.


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A House for Christmas Mouse, by Rebecca Harry:

Mouse is very excited for Christmas, but first she needs to find a home to spend it in. On her way through the forest, she meets Fox, Bunny, and Bear, all in need of a little help – which she gladly offers – but as the sun sets, it looks like she won’t have anywhere cosy to spend Christmas.

This touching tale about a little mouse with a big heart is a wonderful gift to curl up with this festive season.


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Christmas gift ideas for children aged 5-9

Christmas gift ideas for children aged 5-9 - A Donkey Called Mistletoe by Helen Peters, 2021 Nature Month-By-Month: A Children's Almanac by Anna Wilson and Elly Jahnz, Magnificent Mabel and the Christmas Elf by Ruth Quayle and Julia Christians

A Donkey Called Mistletoe, by Helen Peters:

When Jasmine learns that Mr Hobson has grown too old to take care of his pet donkey, Mistletoe, she is determined that they won’t be parted. Of course, this means Mistletoe will have to come and live with her. With Christmas coming, can she convince her parents to give her this most unusual present?

This seasonal story is a wonderful gift for children who love animals, with beautiful black-and-white illustrations to encourage young readers.


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National Trust: 2021 Nature Month-By-Month: A Children’s Almanac, by Anna Wilson and Elly Jahnz:

For children who love nature and exploring, this 2021 Children’s Almanac is the perfect gift this Christmas. Packed with brilliant things to see, make, and do throughout the year – from nature spotter guides to craft activity ideas, seasonal recipes to tips for budding gardeners.

A wonderful gift to treasure and explore over the coming year, this gorgeous almanac, which has been updated with one-third of new material, will encourage children to connect with nature.


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Magnificent Mabel and the Christmas Elf, by Ruth Quayle and Julia Christians:

Sometimes life isn’t fair for Mabel Chase. Like for instance a naughty Christmas Elf gets her into LOTS of trouble. And the new boy in her class at school REFUSES to be her friend. And no-one lets her look after her little cousin, even though she is BRILLIANT with toddlers. But none of that matters in the end… because Mabel is still MAGNIFICENT.

Join Mabel in this hilarious new book of festive short stories – the second book in this highly illustrated new series for young readers and the ideal gift for children who love to laugh.


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Christmas gift ideas for children aged 9-12

Christmas gift ideas for children aged 9-12 - A Christmas in Time by Sally Nicholls, Another Twist in the Tale by Catherine Bruton, YouthQuake by Tom Adams and Sarah Walsh, and Earth Heroes by Lily Dyu and Amy Blackwell

YouthQuake: 50 Children and Young People Who Shook the World, by Tom Adams and Sarah Walsh:

Gorgeously illustrated and written, this collection contains fifty inspiring stories of incredible young people who have shaped the world we live in. With wise words from each person, fascinating facts, beautiful photographs, and beautiful artwork through, this fantastic book will engage, entertain, and inspire young people everywhere.

This is a wonderful gift for children to enjoy, parents to pour over, and the whole family to treasure.


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Earth Heroes, by Lily Dyu and Amy Blackwell:

For young climate activists, this stunning new edition of Earth Heroes, fully illustrated by Amy Blackwell, is the ultimate gift this Christmas. From Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough to Isatou Ceesay and Yin Yuzhen, each tale is a beacon of hope in our fight for the future of the planet.


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Another Twist in the Tale, by Catherine Bruton:

You have heard, no doubt, the tale of Master Oliver Twist – the rags-to-riches boy; the parish orphan who became heir to the Brownlow fortune. But what few know is that there was a second Twist – a girl, brought into this world moments ahead of her brother.

Rediscover the Artful Dodger, Fagin, and Oliver Twist himself, alongside a host of fantastic new heroes and villains, in this brilliantly-imagined, rip-roaring sequel to Dickens’ much-loved classic.


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A Christmas In Time, by Sally Nicholls, with artwork by Rachael Dean and Isabelle Follath:

Alex and Ruby have time-travelled through their aunt’s magic mirror into a Victorian Christmas! But all the candles and carols can’t cheer little Edith up – she’s being sent away to a horrible boarding school on Boxing Day. Can Alex and Ruby find another future for Edith under the Christmas tree?

This festive time-travel story is the ideal gift for young readers who love fast-paced, action-packed adventures!


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Christmas gift ideas for the whole family

Christmas gift ideas for kids of all ages – Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright by Fiona Waters and Britta Teckentrup

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright, collated by Fiona Waters and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup:

Introduce children to poetry with this gorgeous collection of 366 animal poems, one for every day of the year, and complemented by breathtaking artwork by Britta Teckentrup. From well-known classics to new gems, this is a beautiful collection for the whole family to enjoy this Christmas – and throughout the year.


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We hope this Christmas gift guide has given you some inspiration! What books are on your wishlist this year?

See more: Recommended Reads