It took several years, but we finally have a beautiful collection of African American Christmas books for kids that my entire family enjoys. Each day in December we read a book after breakfast and then I display it on a special book rack (We got ours at a garage sale, but it’s similar to this one) so they’re easily accessible for my kids to peruse all month. I’ve shared other African American Christmas books we love in the past, and these are just as wonderful. Be sure to scroll all the way down for a FREE gift!
All of our Christmas books are special, but the ones featuring Black characters are my most treasured because they highlight heartwarming and celebratory moments shared by families that look like mine. My children notice this, and I can’t help but smile when I see their faces light up with recognition. I only read these books aloud once each year, but my kids return to them again and again as they develop their own relationships with the stories and beautiful illustrations. These really are the best of the best, so grab a big mug of hot cocoa and dig into this list of African American Christmas Books for Kids. I hope you enjoy them!
Want more diverse book and gift ideas for Christmas? Check out Multicultural Holiday Gift Guide: Diverse Book-inspired Gift Ideas For Children
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15 African American Christmas Books for Kids
Under the Christmas Tree – Written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, this book of 23 poems highlights the Christmastime traditions and experiences of an African American family. It’s one of my favorites!
An Island Christmas – The author, Lynn Joseph, was born and raised on the island of Trinidad, and she brings her personal experience to life in this sweet story about a young girl’s Caribbean Christmas traditions.
The Freedom Riddle – This unique story is based on a special tradition from the days of enslavement in which the first person to say “Christmas gift” to another received a special present. This holiday practice is also highlighted in another one of our beloved books, Christmas Gif’ by Charlamae Rollins. The Freedom Riddle is based on a true story.
Celebration Song – Set against a Caribbean background, this poem by award-winning author James Berry provides a beautiful depiction of the Nativity in an uncommon West Indies setting as it creates an intimate portrait of Mary and Jesus as Mother and Child. A book with a Black Madonna depicted in children’s literature is a rare treasure.
The Bells of Christmas – I’m sure that this book is destined to become a classic! In this story, twelve-year-old Jason Bell waits impatiently for Christmas 1890. Set against the carefully researched background life of a middle-class black family in Ohio over a century ago, “Hamilton’s story moves along at an elegant pace, giving readers time to savor the holiday preparations.”–School Library Journal
Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite – Not everyone was sure that Duke Ellington could transform a classical ballet, the Nutcracker Suite, into a cool-cat jazz number, but he surprised them all! Be sure to let your children watch this video of Duke Ellington talking about his work and performing a bit of his rendition of Tchaikovsky’s composition.
12 Days of Christmas – “Set in Africa, this beautiful rendition of the classic Christmas carol has a unique twist: colorful icons illustrate the various gifts repeated in each verse of this cumulative song, creating a rebus-style text that gives young children a fun way to follow along and chime in with the lyrics.” Some of Rachel Isadora’s fabulous work is featured in my Melanated Tales Heritage Pack, and reading this book reminds me of just why I love her so much.
A Child is Born – You may know this author, Margaret Wise Brown, from her classic books Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. In this well-loved board book, the late Floyd Cooper’s beautiful artwork offers a fresh perspective on the Holy Family and the miraculous birth of Christ.
Who Built the Stable? is a Nativity poem written and illustrated by the multi-talented, living legend Ashley Bryan (link takes you to a post I wrote on him earlier this year). He also illustrated What a Morning! (the Christmas story told in Black spirituals along with simple musical arrangements) and Carol of the Brown King (Nativity poems by Langston Hughes). All of these are a special part of our home library collection.
Three Kings and a Star – This book contains beautifully unique, full-color illustrations that vividly demonstrate the miracle of Jesus’ incarnation. Written and illustrated by Fred Crump, Jr., this is only one of his MANY depictions of familiar stories (Bible stories and fairy tales) with brown-skinned characters, some of which are also included in the Melanated Tales Heritage Pack.
Snow Globe Wishes – “As the worst snow storm of the year rolls in, one family hunkers down together in a cozy blanket fort for the night. A little girl makes a wish on a snow globe and, in the morning, the sun rises on a winter wonderland–beckoning all outside. And what if, on this snow-filled day, families shake their busy lives and everyone goes out to play? A lyrical holiday story about wishes and community and snow–lots and lots of snow.” I was happy to introduce my kids to this newer book that is sure to become a seasonal favorite for many families.
My Baby Loves Christmas – This special little board book by Jabari Asim celebrates all of the wonderful things that Baby discovers and loves about Christmas. If your little ones enjoy this Christmas book, don’t miss out on his companion book: My Baby Loves Valentine’s Day.
The Nutcracker in Harlem – This one snuck in again this year after being included in last year’s list of Christmas favorites, but hey! You can never get too much Nutcracker!
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It’s great to see new Christmas books with Black characters being published because some of our favorites are becoming increasingly difficult to find. I’m still searching for a few unicorns, so hopefully, I’ll have even more special selections to share with you next year.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll gain some new family favorites from this list of African American Christmas Books for Kids.
And here’s a FREE Heritage Mom Holiday Hymn Study to enjoy with your family this holiday season. Have a very Merry Christmas!
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Great list! Have you ever read Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman? My oldest relates a lot to Grace’s imagination. We read it today and really enjoyed it. The husband and wife illustrating team is one of my favorites.
Yes, we love that one too! It’s on my list from last year, and I also love their illustrations. Their marriage/partnership reminds me of Leo and Diane Dillon.
I love this list- just put them on hold at our library! I wanted to reach out and ask you for any insight in books that have biracial characters and illustrations! We are an interracial couple and I’m noticing race has become an everyday conversation in our household and I love it that we talk about it openly! But my kids have noticed there’s no one that looks like them in books and that hit me really hard! I’ve been on a hunt and have had very little luck! Any insight on how to search and build a library would be so greatly appreciated ! Representation matters so so so much! Thank you for your inspiration!
Yes, for sure! I’ve been seeing more and more books featuring biracial families in recent years, so I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Here are a few good articles and lists to get you started:
https://diversebookfinder.org/collection/multiracial-families-in-recent-picture-books/
https://coloursofus.com/picture-books-about-mixed-race-families/
https://diversebookfinder.org/books/collections/multiracial-families/
Thank you for the book suggestions and the hymn study!! Your resources are a blessing.
You’re so welcome! I hope you were able to find a few to enjoy this season.
Thanks so much for this. I am desperately looking for a chapter book to read aloud with my older kids and can not find one single diverse middle grade Christmas novel . Surely I am missing something…
It’s difficult, indeed. I’m sure something like that MUST exist, but I’ve never found one. Please come back and share if you happen upon something great.
What about the first Vanderbeekers book? The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street. Diverse characters and part of it takes place during Christmas. We hosted a tea time and discussed the book with my kids’ book club a few years ago and made the food they had in the book. 🙂
I just so appreciate your thoughts and booklists! Thank you for taking the time to share treasures like these.
We discovered The Bells of Christmas this year, by blessed “accident.” I read it via Internet Archive, so my kids weren’t seeing the illustrations at first. Eventually, I showed them the pictures, and my kids were so delighted to see that the family had brown skin. I felt both sad that they’d assumed it was a white family and grateful to show them a beautiful, loving, black family. We had a chance to talk about our assumptions versus reality . . . and to just be happy to read about the sweet Christmas traditions of the Bell family.
Isn’t it the sweetest book? I’m so glad that your family eventually got to enjoy the fullness of the illustrations. I hope for more stories like it.