83 Books Like Twas the Night Before Christmas

I love this book because I believe it to be the first popular novelization of the life of Santa Claus. It was written in 1902 by the venerable Frank Baum. Though mostly a children’s novel, the character of Santa is given some internal development. His thoughts, emotions, and motivations are shared as he grows from an orphaned child into a beloved legend.

As a cat lover, I adore how Santa’s first-ever toy is a carving he makes of his pet cat out of boredom… The theme of the book is simple but universal: “For a generous deed lives longer than a great battle or a king's decree or a scholar's essay because it spreads and leaves its mark on all nature and endures through many generations.”

Yes, that J.R.R. Tolkien. Each year he took a break from Middle-earth to write and illustrate incredible letters from Father Christmas to his and Edith’s four children, John, Michael, Christopher, and Priscilla. Being Tolkien, he created an entire polar world and history in the letters, which feature elves, goblins—who launch a major attack one year—and Father Christmas’s great assistant and companion, North Polar Bear. Here is a high Yuletide adventure from the fantasy Master, himself. And somehow reading it makes you feel more creative yourself.

If you’re into investigating the origins and mythos of Santa from other cultures, this is the book to find. It is a well-researched look at the international history of the legend from the pagan god Odin to the present day Father Christmas, Weihnachmann, Père Noël, Ded Moroz, and Santa Claus. While not for young children it is a great and thorough historical study of the evolution of the various legends through time. A must for history buffs with great illustrations and documentation.

This is a beautiful book that delves into the origins of the Big Guy but also chronicles the contemporary images to which kids have been exposed. It’s filled with short magazine-like articles about pretty much anything you can think of that’s Santa related. Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer? Miracle on 34th street? How about Santa’s favorite cookie recipe? All there and SO much more! Clear a prime spot on the coffee table and wipe those fingers before you turn the page.

This poem was published anonymously in 1823. It’s such a Christmas staple that it’s hard to imagine how ground-breaking it was, but the simple plot – a family sleeps on Christmas Eve while the father hears a noise outside and sees Santa Claus in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer – was the first to set that quintessential Christmas scene. A friend of the author was charmed by the poem and sent it anonymously to a New York newspaper. The author finally owned up to it in 1837, confessing that as a Professor of Oriental and Greek Literature, he had been uneasy about being associated with “unscholarly verse” that he had written only to amuse his children. But this “unscholarly verse” made his name and charms us still.

This book pulled me in right from the start. When duck knows that he needs to tell Santa what he wants or else it’ll be another year of socks and underwear, we get it because we all know that no one wants socks and underwear for Christmas. Duck’s little tune, “Jingle Quack, Jingle Quack” is so cute and fitting. After Duck is mistaken for Santa, the requests pour in, and they are over-the-top funny and reminiscent of any kid’s Christmas list. I find myself reading them over and over again, smiling every time. In the end, I love that I’m left believing Duck was set up to be Santa’s helper after all.  

A humble-hearted Christmas story indeed.

Liberty DeVitto—former drummer for Billy Joel and many other legendary artists—is himself a humble soul and loves to shine a light on his gratitude for being able to do a job that he dearly loves and that millions would line up to do. Like Santa Claus, Liberty is grateful for what he gets to do and takes the responsibility very seriously.

Love, Santa Claus mirrors Liberty’s view of his position in the world while telling a beautiful Christmas story in rhyming verse. 

This book is part of the Click, Clack series and just humorous as the others. The snow and lights and Duck in a Santa hat on the cover create a festive winter scene, full of Christmas spirit. The text is sparse and easy to read. The story also has a bit of rhyme in it which is always a favorite for me. The rhyme makes the story energetic at just the right time. The repetition of “Ho! Ho! Uh-oh!” and “unstuck duck” are fun to read. The accumulation of animals adds craziness and chaos which further heightens the humor. The ending is perfect with everyone joyfully gathered around the tree. 

Just try to read this book to a child around the holidays and not cry! I go to this book when I feel too wrapped up in the busyness of the holiday season and forget what it is really about. The story and the illustrations are beautiful. But it is the message that has me blinking back tears every time.

The little boy’s lost reindeer’s bell from Santa appearing magically under his tree, ringing its beautiful sound Christmas morning, is just the first reason it’s so wonderful. But then VanAllsburg says that the grownups cannot hear it ring! How can that be? Because we grown-ups, sadly, have lost the magic of Christmas. (I read this to get the magic back!)

I have read aloud this family-friendly book to my children, one chapter per night in December—every December—for over a decade. The book traces the life of Santa from his origin as Nicholas of Myra, across centuries of history, up to his status as the legendary figure we all know and love today.

As a fictional autobiography, Santa himself narrates the story in the first person, so we get to share his thoughts, emotions, and motivations directly. Santa becomes more than just a magical figure but also a well-developed main character with profound humanity.

This book perfectly blends fact and fiction, history, and mythology, wonder and inspiration all together as it celebrates the Christmas spirit.