Children's Book Publishers

1. The Littlest Angel

I visited numerous bookstores and read lots of children's picture books about Christmas to bring you this guide to the top Christmas picture books published. Here you will find cover art and information about each of the children's Christmas picture books.

The Littlest Angel

This poignant classic by Charles Tazewell was first published in 1946. The 2004 edition has warm and beautiful paintings by Guy Porfirio to illustrate it. The story is simple and inspiring. A little boy, who has become the littlest angel in heaven, is unhappy and homesick. When the Understanding Angel responds to the littlest angel's request for the box of treasures he left at home, the littlest angel is happy. When he decides to give his box of treasures to the Christ Child, it is a great act of love. However, he fears that his gift is not good enough and experiences great sorrow until God tells him, “I find this small box pleases me most.”
The new illustrations by Guy Porfirio add to the poignancy of the story and create an emotional bond between the reader and the little boy struggling to adjust to his new role as "the littlest angel." Even if you already own another edition of The Littlest Angel, I highly recommend you take a look at this one.

(Ideals Children's Books, 2004. ISBN: 0824954734)

2. Shall I Knit You a Hat? A Christmas Yarn

Maybe it’s the fact that the author, Kate Klise, and the illustrator, M. Sarah Klise, are sisters that makes the text and artwork fit together so well in the children's Christmas picture book Shall I Knit You A Hat? A Christmas Yarn. This tale of love, giving, and friendship centers on Mother Rabbit and Little Rabbit.
While their cozy home is warm, a storm is coming, and Mother Rabbit asks, “Shall I knit you a hat?” Little Rabbit loves his new hat and convinces his mother to make hats, with his help, for his friends. Little Rabbit comes up with the design ideas and Mother Rabbit does the knitting. The two have a wonderful time working together. When Little Rabbit realizes he has been so busy that he has no present for his mother, she tells him, “…being with you is the best gift of all.”

Four things particularly impressed me about the book: the loving relationship between mother and son, their joy in preparing gifts for others, the delight of the recipients, and the clever acrylic illustrations. You’ll be astonished when you see how the animals look in their amazing hats, each one unique and perfect for the recipients: a horse, goose, deer, cat, and dog.

(Henry Holt and Co., 2004. ISBN: 0800507318)

3. Finding Christmas

The slightly eerie atmosphere created by Wayne Anderson’s illustrations add a delightful tension to Helen Ward’s picture book Finding Christmas. The little girl in a bright red coat and bright green boots is the only bright note in the somber snow clad town as she wanders at dusk from shop to shop. She is looking for “the perfect present to give to someone special.” Things look hopeless until she is drawn to the bright window of a toy shop filled with colorful toys.
However, the people in the shop are so busy loading toys in a sack for another customer (who could that man with a beard be?) that they have no time for her. When they do have time, there are no toys left. When the little girl walks out into the snow, she hears a bell and when she looks up, she sees the perfect present floating down, a stuffed bear for her baby brother’s first Christmas.

(Dutton Children’s Books, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2004. ISBN: 0525473009)

4. B is for Bethlehem

While the picture book version of B is for Bethlehem was first published in 1990, the board book version of this charming book came out in 2004. The author, Isabel Wilner, uses rhyming couplets to tell the story of Jesus' birth. It’s no wonder Wilner refers to Elisa Kleven as the book’s “perfect illustrator.” Kleven's joyful mixed-media collages create a mood of celebration. The book is subtitled A Christmas Alphabet because the author highlights Christmas words in alphabetical order as she tells the Nativity story.

(Dutton Children’s Books, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2004. ISBN: 0525473238)

5. An Orange for Frankie

This heartwarming story about family love and giving is based on author and illustrator Patricia Polacco’s own family. This Christmas picture book is set in the Depression. Times are hard for Frankie’s family. He is one of nine children. Despite the fact that the family has little, Frankie’s parents always have something for the hoboes who ride the trains from town to town seeking food and shelter. Frankie also tries to help. Without telling his family, he gives a hobo who doesn’t have warm clothes for the cold winter weather the hand knit sweater his sister gave him the previous Christmas.
It’s a holiday tradition in Frankie’s family that Pa always provides nine oranges, one for each child, for Christmas. Pa has left to get the oranges and the children are worried that bad weather will keep him away. Thanks to the kindness of a railroad man, Pa gets home with the oranges, which the children are not to touch until Christmas. The heart of the story is how Frankie’s family responds when the boy accidentally loses his orange before they are even given out. This story is both longer and has more substance than many Christmas books. I recommend it for eight- to twelve-year-olds.

(Philomel Books, A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2004. ISBN: 039924302X)