Santa Claus, Part 3: Our favourite Santa stories

In general, psychologists don’t see the Santa story as being harmful for kids – in fact, research has shown that children who outgrow the Santa story tend to be proud of themselves for figuring it out! My children still believe in Santa Claus, and we have a bunch of favourite books that we bring out and read before and after Christmas. I thought on Christmas Eve that it would be fun to share some of them with you!

“The Night Before Christmas” is the classic, of course … and probably a bit obvious for this list. But it remains a nice introduction to the Santa myth.

“How Santa Got His Job” is a funny book with great artwork. The whole family loved these pictures; we read this story again last night, and the expression on the giraffe’s face when Santa meets his reindeer is hilarious every time. My kids loved talking about all of the things Santa learned in previous careers that helped him to become the Saint Nick we know today. And suddenly, delivering packages at night makes perfect sense!

“Are You Grumpy, Santa?” … Great artwork, rhyming text, and a funny story about Santa having a bad day. I love making the kids laugh when we’re reading, and this is a great one. This book can even be a springboard to a discussion about things that make your kids feel grumpy and the things they do to feel better. My children tell me that they know someone else who’s in a bad mood sometimes. I don’t know what they’re talking about.

I admit it … I’m a sucker for painted art in children’s books. “Santa’s Favorite Story” has beautiful artwork. The animals in the story learn that Christmas isn’t about the presents – Santa tells them the Christian story, his favourite.

It’s rare when a TV show or movie is even better than a good book, but I think that’s the case with “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” – The combination of Boris Karloff’s voice and the fantastic expressions of the Grinch is amazing. The book is fantastic, too … it’s the only one that my kids specifically requested that I read on Christmas Eve! I know Santa’s not really in this one, but the Grinch does a good impression. It’s a fun and funny story, with the bonus message that Christmas isn’t about the gifts – it’s about love, family, and sharing.

So there you have it – a few of our Christmas favourites! We’d love to hear about your favourite Santa books, too. Incidentally, all of the book covers above will link to Amazon, in case you’d like to order them for your family.

Happy Holidays!

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