Picture Book Advent Countdown: Christmas 2023

Every year, our “elves” wrap up 24 holiday-themed picture books. They hide one of the wrapped books in a different part of the house for the kids to discover each morning between December 1st and December 24th, and we read the book together before bedtime.

When this whole adventure started, I only did “12 days of Christmas” with the elves. But now that my daughter is older (age 13), she insists on stretching it out for the whole month of December. I agree, as long as she’s willing to help—and she is!

She absolutely loves making every holiday magic for her little brother. And she doesn’t hesitate to speak up if she feels he is being shorted in any way, as she did this past March 16th, when I tried to let St. Patrick’s Day pass by unobserved. She informed me in all seriousness, “You are ruining Wyatt’s childhood!” The guilt trip worked, and a leprechaun did indeed show up the next morning.

So, without further ado, here is the list of TWENTY-FOUR (instead of TWELVE) picture books that the kids will open up throughout December. Twenty-one of them are returning favorites, and three are brand new for this year. They love seeing old favorites return, and they also love discovering something new.

The books are listed in no particular order, which is also how they get opened throughout the month. Once they’re wrapped, I have no idea which is which. So the “elves” pull one at random each night. This way, I get to be surprised too!

I’ve turned this into an Idea List on Amazon, so you can easily shop for your favorites directly. But I always recommend purchasing from a local bookstore, if possible. Keep the little local bookshops alive!

Happy happy holidays to one and all!