Auckland Council Libraries: Twelve Books of Christmas

Twelve Books of Christmas

Anne and Anne are two librarians who discovered quite by accident that they have the same birthday. While they have their differences (Anne knits while Anne spends time on sports fields) they both share a love of Doctor Who, libraries and children’s books. Which is how they have come up with their own list of favourites (old and new) for Christmas.

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Diary of a Christmas wombat

Jackie French

Picture book

When Mothball takes an unexpected sleigh ride, it's not just Santa who faces the prospect of getting stuck in the chimney.

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Baby's Christmas

Esther Wilkin

Picture book

Baby's first Christmas and all the presents the baby receives.

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The birds of Bethlehem

Tomie DePaola

Picture book

On the morning of the first Christmas, the colourful birds of Bethlehem gather to talk about the exciting events they have witnessed, from the long line of people approaching the town to the stable where a newborn baby lies.

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Queen Victoria's Christmas

Jackie French

Picture book

Something strange is happening at the palace and the dogs can't work it out. The cooks are busy ...are royal visitors arriving? Mysterious parcels are arriving. And most curious of all ...what is that tree doing in Prince Albert's study?

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Room for a little one

Martin Waddell

Picture book

When tired donkey arrives with Mary and Joseph Kind Ox invites them into the warmth and peace of his stable. And Beneath the star's light they all share in the miracle of the first Christmas.

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A Kiwi night before Christmas

Yvonne Morrison

Book

The rhythm and rhyme of the original are kept but with a decidedly cheeky Kiwi character that makes this re-working an absolute joy and another great one for reading out loud.

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The Christmas tree tangle

Margaret Mahy

Picture book

A little kitten has scaled to the top of the town Christmas tree. The cat climbs up to rescue her, followed by the dog, the goat and the pigs. Amid all of this, the clever little kitten climbs her way down the tree, leaving all her rescuers stuck!

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Slinky Malinki's Christmas crackers

Lynley Dodd

Picture book

The Christmas tree is looking perfect. Then Slinky Malinki arrives and enjoys himself playing with all the decorations. The fairy at the top falls off and the family are unable to find her. They decide Slinky Malinki will make a good substitute.

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The Christmas looky book

Donovan Bixley

Book

A puzzle book with New Zealand landscapes, birds, animals and a Christmas theme ... Spot the difference: the mischievous keas have changed the decorations around; match the animals to their presents; spot what's wrong in these Christmas scenes!

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The Polar Express

Chris Van Allsburg

Picture book

On Christmas Eve, a boy boards the Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers the boy any gift he wants. The boy asks for one bell from the reindeer's harness. It turns out to be a special gift.

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The first Christmas

Jan Pieńkowski

Picture book

The Christmas story from Bible text with unique paper cutout illustrations make this a wonderful experience.

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Cowshed Christmas

Gavin Bishop

Picture book

A retelling of the Christmas story with a New Zealand twist. Farmyard animals including a cow, sheep and kune kune come with gifts such as a rugby ball, pavlova and jandals for the baby Jesus by the cowshed door.

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Auckland Council Libraries:Book list Recommended reading lists about different topics and genres to help you find new books to read.