Well, I only had my basket of books for telling the Christmas story for kids out for 3 days, and I had already been “scolded” for not having a post up about my favorite Christian Christmas stories for kids. So I am putting together a list to help you with telling the Christmas story for kids in your circle of influence. Took a few days, but I hope you find it helpful!!

Please note that this post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase through one of the links, I may make a small commission. I only recommend books and resources that I’ve enjoyed personally, or believe that you would like. You can read my full disclosure here. You will also find information on Scripture translations there.

Telling the Christmas Story: The Nativity Story for Kids

These are Biblically accurate versions of the Christmas Story for kids that are retold so well, and are a lot of fun!

The Greatest Shepherd of All (a REALLY WOOLLY Christmas story) as told from the sheep’s perspective! This one is very neat, as the sheep have made a family tradition of retelling the First Christmas every year, and sharing the Good News.

One Night in Bethlehem is a touch and feel board book that goes along the lines of “If I were a wise man, or a shepherd” etc, and is a great intro to telling the Christmas story to little ones.

The Berenstain Bears The Very First Christmas is an incredibly accurate retelling of the Christmas story for kids, down to the wise men going to a house, not the stable! I picked this one up recently and was very impressed.

An Angel’s Story by Max Lucado is a heavenly take on telling the Christmas story, an imaginative and very real backstory! Picture Christmas stories from Heaven’s perspective. Whether it’s exactly what happened or not, it will make you think! *Might be a little too intense for littles, but upper elementary through adults will appreciate it.

Little Golden Books Christmas Favorites has 3 stories. The Animals Christmas Eve is a counting book (1-10) as the animals gather and retell their perspective. The Christmas story is an accurate account, and of course, this book also contains The Night Before Christmas. All 3 stories are beautifully illustrated, traditional and fun!

Bethlehem Barn is a fairly new addition to the world of books that tell the story of Christmas. It’s a beautiful story, from the point of view of the animals. With a great sense of humor and wonder blended together, this is one you won’t soon forget!

The Very First Christmas is a Gold Medal Book award winner, for excellence in evangelical Christian literature. It takes a little boy who loves to ask questions, and wants to know stories about REAL PEOPLE. So his mom begins telling the Christmas story with more detail than he’s familiar with. Its the perfect intro to the real Christmas story for kids who are old enough to ask more questions, and have deeper answers. (or new Christians of any age!)

Badger’s Christmas Day is a very neat activity book. Badger is out ‘playing Santa’ for his friends, and every page has a pull out activity (an advent calendar, games, recipes). But at Owl’s house (because he’s so wise, of course), we get the nativity story. The true meaning of the Christmas story for kids in a cute way.

Twas the Evening of Christmas is beautiful! To the tune of ’twas the night before Christmas, we visit the stable, and the fields, meet the shepherds and wise men and see Jesus. This kids Christmas Story is Awesome!

The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado is a beautiful story of how our weaknesses can position us in the perfect place to meet Jesus in amazing ways. We may not understand now, why God made us with, or allowed us to develop this particular weakness, but we can trust him anyways!

You may also want to look into these awesome Christmas devotionals for the whole family!

The Story of Christmas: Books for Kids That Explain The Legends

Telling the Christmas Story for kids through Legends can be beautiful, but if you don’t know the story behind the legend, then Christmas stories for kids lose something in translation. So having special books that explain the legends is a fun way of teaching history and Bible at the same time!

These Short Christmas stories teach the Christian heritage of many traditions, and are both fun and fascinating! These first 4 even had my husband asking questions, and learning things.

The Legend of the Candy Cane (Also on DVD) A candy shop man shares the Gospel with a little girl (and a whole town) through the Candy Cane, from Jesus’ birth to his death and resurrection in a memorable way, with awesome illustrations!

The Legend of the Christmas Stocking teaches a young boy about the history of the stocking, and the generosity and sacrifice behind it. Who hasn’t wondered why we hang fancy socks by the fire?

The Legend of the Christmas Tree tells a whole family of the Christmas Tree and how it points to Jesus, the Trinity, and so much more connecting several points of history. Now that’s the Best Christmas Story for Kids and Adults!

The Legend of St. Nicholas teaches another boy about talking to God, and genuine care for others. Family and those who need help, and looking beyond “My wants.” Telling the Christmas story this way is beautiful!

The Christmas Flower a legend of the poinsettia, and how no gift given in love is too small.

The Pine Tree Parable is not a legend, per se, but a great lesson in Generosity and Care. Loving one another doesn’t come cheaply, but is well worth doing.

Fun Kids Christmas Story Books

Christmas with Boz is a set of fun Christmas activities, but each page ends with “but there’s something even more special about Christmas!” Until the last page, which points to Jesus. “That’s what makes Christmas REALLY special!” It’s a beautiful Christmas story for kids to start learning from.

This Boz Christmas Story is also on DVD with a fun reenactment telling the Christmas Story. *You can see other Faith-filled Boz DVDs here.

The Poky Little Puppy’s First Christmas where Poky learns the generosity and sacrifice of Christmas. A unique and fun Christmas story for children, especially if you love puppies. Poky’s been a favorite of mine since I was little!

For the dog lovers, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is hysterical. The Twelve Days of Christmas song, rewritten as “five golden retrievers!” Nothing theological here, just good clean fun!

The Perfect Christmas Pageant is Joyce Meyer’s Everyday Zoo addition to the world of Christian Christmas stories. These adorable animals learn that having a perfect pageant isn’t the main thing. Christ Is.

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies in the tradition of the rest of that series, one thing leads to another, in progression until you are back where you started. Movie, popcorn, string to decorate the Christmas tree, ….popcorn, movie. It’s a delightful kids Christmas story.

If you’re struggling with explaining the connection between Santa and St Nicholas and Jesus, check out this kids Christmas story: Santa, Are You For Real? This dad does an amazing job telling the Christmas story for children to understand both sides. It’s so cool how he explains where Santa comes into the Jesus story for kids!

A Christmas Prayer by Sanja Rescek is full of gratitude, going through many typical December events, and is so sweet. Another that I love the illustrations!

Fun Christmas Stories for Mom

• Christmas Devotionals, Books and Bible Studies
• Once Upon a Christmas (Faith-filled Modern Retelling of Fairytales)
• Christmas On Breakers Point (a fun story, with a serious message)
• 35+ Heartwarming Christmas Stories

Movies and Audio for Telling the Christmas Story for Children

Punchinello and the most marvelous gift is a movie you don’t want to miss! It’s Maker Day! A big celebration, with everyone sure that their contribution is most important. When things go wrong, will they connect that it’s not about ME?

A Fruitcake Christmas is Hermie and Wormie’s Christmas adventure. Will they learn to give, and forgive? It’s not easy! Click here for some lessons I’ve learned from other Hermie adventures.

A Wowie Bozowee Christmas. Full of songs, traditions, practical lessons, and the true meaning of Christmas, we watch this one all year long! More about Boz here.

A REALLY WOOLLY Christmas. A few young sheep learn the real meaning of Christmas. One works hard for something he wants (which is not a bad thing, unless taken to extremes) only for it to be sold out. He forgot about the family gift exchange, and spent no time with friends and family for months! Grandma tells a story. Does he get it then?

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving OR And Christmas Too are both great stories. My favorite is Seasons of Giving because we go through fall and thanksgiving, all the way to Christmas, and learning about friendship. (Winnie the Pooh links are VHS because currently, the DVD versions are outrageous!)

A Tad of Christmas Cheer is a Leapfrog adventure. It is along the lines of It’s a Wonderful Life. There’s a bit of a parallel universe (which appeals to me as a Star Trek fan), and is actually helpful in the preparation of a preschooler for a new baby!

The Star is the Christmas story for kids, as told by the animals. It sticks to the true nativity story for kids to understand. Telling the Christmas story through the animals eyes isn’t exactly new, but this movie does an awesome job of showing the struggles, faith and complication of the Christmas story for kids to grasp that it wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but God’s will prevails!

Shopping for Christian Christmas Treasure

If you’re looking for something book-related to get your kids more active, or something active that relates to good books, to get your kids more interested in reading, check this out!

Otherwise, here are links to some of my favorite places to buy books:

• Amazon
• Answers In Genesis
• Audible
• AudioBooksNow
• Barnes&Noble
• BetterWorldBooks
• BibleStore (Much More Than Bibles)
• BooksAMillion
• Bookshop.org
• ChristianBook.com
• Ebooks.com
• SecondSale
• Thriftbooks

Youtube Christmas Story: The Nativity Story for Kids

I found a few Youtube Christmas Story Videos that cover the Nativity story for kids, and thought you might enjoy that as well:

• Saddleback Kids (Mary and Joseph
• Saddleback Kids (Jesus is Born)
• Saddleback Kids (Jesus and the Shepherds)
• The Nativity Story for Kids (Beginners Bible)

Audio Adventures: The Best Christmas Story for Kids

Adventures in Oddessy There are present-day adventures, learning about Christmas, and several trips in the Imagination Station, to Bethlehem, to the Wise Men, etc. Excellent for travel! If you’ve ever listened to Adventures in Oddessy on the radio, you know how good these are, and if you haven’t you’re in for a real treat! Oddessy is great at all times of the year, but their Christmas stories for kids are especially great.

Using the Story of Christmas For Your Advent Countdown

If you’re looking for a way to build the excitement of Advent, here are a few of my favorite ideas. You could take all of your Christmas stories for kids (books and movies) and wrap them, giving out one a day for the season. This works even with the older kids, even if they roll their eyes.

Or you could try one of these Advent methods of telling the Christmas story:

Melk, the Christmas Monkey is a way to teach about God’s character and love through the Christmas season. Grab a stuffed animal, and let him surprise your kids with fun activities all season, whether it’s every day, or you only pick a few activities. Customizable letters to your kids, and tons of special memories here!

Mouse Tales: Things Hoped For is an Advent, Christmas and Epiphany story where a community of mice learn about Hope. It’s a cute Christmas story for kids to enjoy together through the holiday season.

Advent: Telling the Christmas Story to Older Kids

Storybooks for Advent is a series of books of daily readings for the Advent season. They are fictional accounts based on the scriptures. They follow kids who get lost from their families, who become slaves, and doesn’t shy away from some tough stuff, it’s recommended that you save this Christmas story for kids over the age of 7. I’m reading Jotham’s Journey with my boys this year, and looking forward to Bartholomew’s Passage, Tabitha’s Travels and especially Ishtar’s Oddessy soon!

Brother Gabriel and the Secret of Christmas takes some Sunday School Kids on a wild ride. If your kids wonder what it was like, they can travel back through the “amazing flannelboard” and visit the Christmas story with the kids of Brother Gabriel’s class! This Christmas story for kids was given to me, and I’m excited to read it!

Did You Find New Favorite Ways of Telling the Christmas Story with the Kids in Your Life?

I hope you found some new family favorites here! These always make my family smile, ask questions, and engage in telling the Christmas story on many levels. I believe they’ll do the same for you, if you give them a try!

The purpose of Christian Christmas stories is to build our knowledge and trust in Jesus. This is why we bother telling the Christmas story every year, and more than once. I’m all for reading the Christmas story every month of the year. How about You?

And if you’re looking for full Bible Storybooks, or picture books that share the Real Easter Story, I’ve got you covered!

Merry Christmas!!

Until Next Time, Love God, Love Books, Shine The Light!!