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Christmas Books and Music

I don’t know about you, but I always put away the Christmas books during the rest of the year so they are fresh and exciting to look at every Christmas.  That’s what my mom did, so that’s what I do.

We enjoy using these story books and Christmas carols to teach our children our beliefs about the birth  of Jesus and God’s redemptive plan.  We also enjoy reading stories that tell tales of our cultural Christmas traditions.

My very favorite of all Christmas books is Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree.  My mom saw Captain Kangaroo (anyone remember him!!?) read this book on his television show when I was a little girl, and she fell in love with the story and bought the book.  It was my favorite growing up, and now it is a favorite of my children’s.

If you haven’t read it or don’t have it, please for the love of all that is merry and bright, order this book TODAY!  It even qualifies for free super saver shipping on Amazon.  Order several and give the extras as gifts.  It’s that good.

Another favorite is The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree.  It tells a sweet story of a little girl’s Appalachian Christmas.

And if you are looking for a book that tells the Christmas story, I am very fond of The Christmas Story.  The words are straight from the Gospel of Luke, and the illustrations are gorgeous.

Then I have a Christmas playlist on my iPod that’s full of, well, Christmas music.  So we enjoy the sounds of Christmas in our car and house throughout the season.

I’ve been trying to think of my favorite Christmas carol, and I really don’t think I can choose one.  I love the old classics like Hark the Herald Angels Sing and some of the more obscure like Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.  There is a richness in the hymnity that is rarely replicated in more modern lyrics, and I find this particularly striking in Christmas carols.  Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty modern tunes on my Christmas playlist, but the hymns have a way of humbling me.

What are some of your favorite books and songs?  I’d love to add some new songs to my iPod, so if you have any specific suggestions, please send them my way!

Originally posted December 2006.

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8 Responses

  1. AS well as christmas story books we also have some christmas jigsaws, soft toys and even some christmas puppets. These are always eagerly anticipated at christmas……even if sometimes just by me!

  2. Christmas songs we like that you may not have heard of: I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas, Penguin, James Penguin, and anything by Alvin & The Chipmunks

    Love any of those!

  3. I love Cap. Kangaroo, I wanted to marry Mr.Greenjeans when I was 5.
    Favorite books..too many to list. Alvin and the Chipmunks are my favorite for Christmas music. I still have a tape from when I was much younger.

  4. I put away the Christmas books, too. When the tree comes down, they get packed away. I have several from when I was a child and my son loves them.

    We recently checked out The Christmas Day Kitten from our local library. It’s slightly different than your average Christmas story but is a beautiful tale.

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