Evergreen Tales: Celebrating Christmas Trees in Picture Books
An RA Favorite Christmas Trees Picture Book List
Embark on a magical journey through the wonder of the holiday season with our enchanting booklist: "Evergreen Tales: Celebrating Christmas Trees in Picture Books." 🌲
From heartwarming stories of families finding their perfect Christmas tree to delightful tales of tree-trimming traditions, this handpicked collection captures the spirit of joy, love, and togetherness that the symbol of the Christmas tree represents.
Let these beautifully illustrated picture books transport readers of all ages into a world of twinkling lights and cherished memories, as we embrace the spirit of giving and the warmth of the holiday season.
Is your favorite here? If not, let us know what it is in the comments below!
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While these titles are linked to our Amazon Storefront, if the title is an out of print one we recommend shopping through BookFinder to get the best price! The vast majority of these titles can also be read on Internet Archive (search for the title and author but leave out the word “by”).
The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!"
The After-Christmas Tree by Linda Wagner Tyler- A family has an after-Christmas party to decorate the tree they’ve moved to the yard with edibles for the local animals.
Chita's Christmas Tree by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard and Floyd Cooper- A Victorian Era Christmas for an affluent African American family focuses on the little one’s concern that Santa will forget which tree she picked out by the time it’s Christmas Day. Lovely illustrations for anyone who loves the time period.
The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy and Emily Sutton- A look at a scraggly tree and the beautiful Christmas Eve it spends in a homeless encampment, bringing joy to many.
Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray and Barry Root- A beautiful story with lovely illustrations, this book tells the story of a multigenerational friendship that shows the growth of a tree farm month by month and year by year.
The Christmas Giant by Steve Light - A humorous story of a tree that got away and the teamwork and creativity in calamity needed to save the day in Santa’s workshop.
Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant- A child being raised by her grandparents recounts the holiday season. As a parent, I appreciate the “understanding preacher” who keeps it short and sweet on Christmas morning!
Christmas Tree Farm by David Budbill- How-tos on a Christmas farm, most likely appreciated by kids who enjoy truck and construction site stories.
Christmas Trees and How They Grow by Glen O. Blough and Jeanne Bendick- A verbose nature study on the life cycles and general science of the trees we bring into our homes for Christmas. A delightful living book, hard to find but available to read on Archive.
The Christmas Tree Ship by Jeanette Winter- Based on a true story of loss and resilience, this short story tells of a Christmas tree ship that sinks in the Great Lakes and the women who courageously carry on the family business.
The Christmas Tree Ship by Carol Crane- A more verbose telling of the story of the lost ship, it evokes memories of the Great Lakes for anyone who has seen them. This lyrically told tale is based on the newspaper article of the tragedy and the resilience of the women who carried on the tradition.
Cobweb Christmas: the Tradition of Tinsel by Shirley Climo - A German folktale of the origins of tinsel as a decoration for Christmas trees.
The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen adapted and illustrated by Bernadette Watts- This tale of contentment is beautiful both in its telling and illustrations.
A Forest for Christmas by Michael Harris- A magical tale of a girl who can talk to animals and her desperate attempt to convince a local businessman not to chop down the beautiful forest blocking his view of the harbor. It will take a miracle.
The Gifts by Regina Fackelmayer- A book in translation (originally published in Switzerland) of a woman who is rewarded for her kindness.
Henry Bear's Christmas by David McPhail - A humorous story of what amounts to two young adults facing their first Christmas as roommates and the issues they face in money management, raffle participation, and contentment. Echoes of O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi can be heard by those familiar with the story.
The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown- A beautiful telling of a little fir tree that incorporates songs and sheet music so one can festively sing along as the story goes.
The Little Owl & The Big Tree: A Christmas Story by Jonah and Jeanette Winter- A Rockefeller Christmas Tree story based on the true tale of a little owl who finds herself transported to the big city. What will become of her?
The Littlest Evergreen by Henry Cole- A living Christmas tree reflects on his long and satisfying life as he was planted after the holiday ended and was able to continue growing.
Maple and Willow’s Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols - The only book I’ve found that addresses the very real issue of being allergic to a Christmas tree. These sweet sisters find a way to overcome their disappointment and make a tree that works for them.
The Mice, the Monks and the Christmas Tree by George Selden - A Christmas tale from the author of The Cricket in Times Square, this verbose story finds the monks without a tree on Christmas Eve and the mice in the walls who decide to do something about it.
The Most Beautiful Tree by Melody Carlson - A proud tree learns humility and the spirit of giving through his relationship with a young boy.
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry- A delightful tale of a too-tall tree and all the animals who are able to take a piece of it for their own celebrations.
The Night Tree by Eve Bunting - A beautiful family tradition of going into the woods and decorating a tree for the animals.
O Christmas Tree by Vashanti Rahaman and Frané Lessac- A book full of West Indies Christmas traditions by a West Indies author.
Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht - This story, full of diverse smiling faces, is a modern how-to guide for buying and setting up a live tree. It shows all the steps from the tree lot to a decorating party.
Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares- A mostly wordless picture book of two cardinals who find their home moved to become the Rockefeller Tree. What will they decide to do at the end of the season?
Ricky's Christmas Tree by Genechten, Guido van- A book in translation from the Dutch. A gentle reminder to parents to slow down, have fun, and to embrace wonder throughout the holiday season.
The Snow Tree by Caroline Repchuk- A must read for nature lovers with lovely embossed pages. The forest animals each bring a reminder of their favorite season to decorate the tree.
The Star Tree by Gisela Cölle- A book in translation. A lovely book about simplicity and the relief one can feel when removed from the overproduction of Christmas sometimes experienced in a big city.
Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star by Peter Horáček- A silly goose who wants a star from the sky for the Christmas tree and how it all works out in the end.
Tree of Cranes by Allen Say- A young Japanese boy celebrates his first Christmas with his homesick mother in their home in Japan.
The Tree That's Meant to Be by Yuval Zommer- Zommer is a perennial favorite for my boys (ages 8 & 10) and this one was no different. A lonely, imperfect tree finds itself in good company when the forest animals decorate and celebrate it.
The Tree That Stayed Up Until Next Christmas by Robert Kraus- For any kid who has ever entertained the idea of just not taking down the tree. Our personal record is the end of March… maybe April, how about you?
Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Dick Schneider and Elizabeth Miles- A tale of a tree who sacrifices his perfection for love, care, and compassion of the forest animals around him.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story by Gloria Houston and Barbara Cooney- A wartime story of hope, family honor, sacrifice, and joy. I definitely needed a tissue for my eyes.
I see some of our favorites there!
In addition, these come to mind: Trees of the Dancing Goats (Polacco), Christmas Tree Ride (Neville), What the Little Fir Tree Wore to the Christmas Party (Ichikawa), The Carpenter's Gift : A Christmas Tale About the Rockefeller Center Tree (Rubel)