Winter Holiday Picture Books for the Elementary Classroom

Winter holiday picture books are a great way to share all the different ways students celebrate during the months of December and January.

The month of December is a wonderful time to talk about all the different holidays that your students celebrate. Reading aloud winter holiday picture books is a great way to start the conversation with your students! Here are a few that I rounded up for you to check out.

Want to watch or listen to this information? Check out my YouTube video about Winter Holiday Picture Books:

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Winter Holiday Picture Books

Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali

This book could be used at any time during the school year, but I think it is especially important during December. The kids in this book all share their favorite day and why it is so special to them.

I love this one so much, that I created a free interactive read-aloud for you to use in the classroom!

One Candle by Eve Bunting

For this family, Hanukkah has a deeper meaning. Grandma and Great-Aunt Rose share a story of perseverance during the Holocaust. A powerful book about the values of tradition and family.

Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco

When a leak ruins a wall in his father’s church, Jonathan thinks Christmas will be ruined. Luckily they find a tapestry that will fix the problem! But then, an old Jewish woman recognizes the cloth. Her discovery leads to a miracle during the holidays.

My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz

While this picture book is geared towards a younger audience, it has some great vocabulary for older kids. It outlines the seven days of Kwanzaa and how it is celebrates the importance of family, friends and community.

Chelsea’s Chinese New Year by Lisa Bullard

Follow along as Chelsea’s family prepares to celebrate Chinese New Year. Learn about what is important to her family and this special holiday.

Winter Holiday Picture Books Interactive Read Alouds

To help you out, I’ve created interactive read alouds for some of the books that I’ve shared in this post. Each interactive read aloud comes with a teacher guide, a one-page lesson with discussion questions, printable sticky notes, a written response sheet and an activity page.

Everything you need to teach your students about these wonderful holidays (and no extra prep for you)!