Picture books make great gifts. When you buy them to give away, you’re also helping support the talented authors and illustrators who’ve worked so hard to bring them to the marketplace. As I put a spotlight on a few of my own seasonal favorites in this month’s post, I hope you’ll consider adding picture books to your gift list this holiday season. Enjoy!

“Merry Christmas, Squirrels!” written and illustrated by Nancy Rose (Copyright 2015, Little, Brown, and Company) follows Mr. Peanuts, a squirrel who is “full of Christmas spirit,” as he goes on an adventure to visit his Cousin Squirrel’s house for some holiday fun. The old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” really does apply here when trying to describe the entertaining antics captured by author and photographer Nancy Rose’s camera. Using handmade sets and hidden peanuts, Nancy expertly motivates her backyard squirrel friends into doing what they do best — being curious! For more about Nancy’s fascinating work, visit www.secretlifeofsquirrels.com, where you’ll also find a 2021 calendar for sale that was inspired by her “nutty” books.

“Tractor Mac, Harvest Time” written and illustrated by Billy Steers (Copyright 2007, Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers) is from the Tractor Mac series of picture books, whose author and illustrator happened to grow up on a farm. In this autumn-themed installment, Tractor Mac and his friends “share the work and share the fun,” of bringing a harvest of apples and pumpkins to neighboring fall festival celebrations. As an added bonus, the front and back of the book’s interior cover pages contain detailed illustrations of a cider press and a tractor with each part individually labeled. To learn more about Billy Steers or the Tractor Mac series, visit www.billysteers.com, where you’ll also find games and printable activities to go along with the books.

“The Christmas Truck” written by the staff at Thomas Nelson and illustrated by Alex Willmore (Copyright 2019, Thomas Nelson) celebrates some of the sights and sounds of Christmas as the Christmas Truck and friends choose a tree that is “just right” to bring back home and decorate together. Cheerful, color-filled illustrations complement the fun rhyming story to make this board book a great “read-to” for little ones.

“Good Night, Santa: A Magical Christmas Story” written by Dawn Sirett and illustrated by Kitty Glavin (2019, DK Publishing) is a novelty rhyming board book featuring a light-up cover of Santa in his sleigh as he travels through the night sky. Beautifully illustrated using the theme of a snow-filled garden cast in shadow by the light of the moon, it is the story of a little girl and her favorite teddy bear going on a Christmas Eve journey to find Santa and tell him goodnight. After meeting several woodland creatures and telling each of them good night, the little girl discovers that Santa will only come to visit after she is asleep.

For more holiday picture book favorites, please look back at my previous years’ posts.

If you have a favorite holiday-themed picture book that would also make a great gift, I’d love to hear about it.

Happy Reading 😊