Children’s Books to Read for December Holidays (That Aren’t Christmas)

Bodhi Day is on December 8 (this is the secular date; the other date follows the lunar calendar and changes each year), and it’s a Buddhist holiday commemorating the day the Buddha attained enlightenment. Customs can vary depending on the country but can include meditation, studying the Dharma, stringing up colorful lights symbolizing paths to enlightenment, or decorating a Bodhi tree. This book tells the story of the boy who would later become the Buddha; it is written in beautiful prose and perfect for introducing kids to Buddhism.

The Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe is observed on December 12. It’s a Catholic feast day often celebrated by Latine Catholic communities. Our Lady of Guadalupe holds special significance in Mexican life as a figure who watches over people, supports them, and protects them. She is Mexico’s patron saint. To learn more about her, this book is a vibrant pop-up book that tells the story of Juan Diego, the peasant to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared. The story itself is simply written but easy to understand, and the art and pop-up aspect of the book provides rich detail.

Las Posadas is celebrated in Mexico and parts of the US from December 16-24. It commemorates Joseph and Mary’s trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, looking for a safe place to stay so Mary could give birth. This book for younger kids isn’t about Las Posadas per se, but it’s a fun counting book that also introduces Spanish words to young readers. Counting down the nine days before Christmas, the reader is shown all the preparations that need to be done each day and what needs to be set out for the party. Another great book to check out is Tomie dePaola’s The Night of Las Posadas.

While many people know the winter solstice, fewer people know it as Yule or Saturnalia. On the shortest day and longest night, which usually falls between December 20-23 but is often celebrated on December 21, Yule occurs. It begins the Wiccan Year and celebrates a return of the light since the days get incrementally longer. This book explains the history of Yule, traditions and symbols, different winter holiday customs around the world, and plenty of suggestions for gifts, food, and celebrations. The writing skews a bit older, so it’s better for middle grade readers or a read-aloud. For younger kids, The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper is a great picture book.

This book is a sweet book that covers Diwali, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Caleb is new to the neighborhood, and Riya has a Diwali-themed play date for kids in the neighborhood and invites him. They end up sharing stories about the holidays they celebrate and what they do with their families, and realize that while the holidays may be different, they also have a lot in common. There’s also more information about the holidays and questions to spark conversation in the back of the book, which I really like.

When the nights are longer, and the temperatures drop, it’s the perfect time to read cozy books like this one. In this book that’s a fun twist on the classic “twinkle twinkle little star” nursery rhyme, kids read about lights around town on a winter’s night: the moon, candles in windows, holiday lights, and more. The illustrations are comforting and rich, and you’ll want to snuggle up for this winter read that’s free of mentions of any holidays and is just a joyful celebration of winter.

This series is wonderful, showing kids what worlds lie over and under different parts of the earth. This book takes readers through the woods on a winter cross-country ski trip, showing how quiet and calm it is over the snow, but then there’s another world under the snow, where various animals have made their homes for the winter. It’s a fun but also educational look at what happens in the winter after it snows, after the animals have gone into hibernation.