Celebrate Advent as a Family with Advent Books
Last year, I shared how my family celebrates Advent each year. Each night of Advent we gather together to light candles and prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus.
It doesn’t matter at all how you celebrate Advent, or what traditions you create for your family. What matters is that you spend time together, taking about the true meaning of Christmas.
I choose a new family devotional to read together each year. Plus I also read a Biblically based Christmas picture book every night to be sure my younger children are hearing the true message of Christmas too. While most family devotional studies are meant for the whole family, it’s the older children who get the most out of them, so adding a picture book is a great way to meet the needs of the whole family. After years and years of reading favorite picture books together, you will find that the teens look forward to reading those beloved books each night just as much as the toddlers!
Today I’m sharing our favorite Advent book choices.
Family Advent Studies:
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent – Devotions for each day, along with explanation of Christmas carols, and discussion starters appropriate for the whole family.
We Bring These Gifts: an Advent Bible Study for Families – This Bible study will help your family become intentional about loving God and others. This study also includes family night ideas, crafts, and recipes.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas – Includes specially written devotions to help children of all ages understand the Advent theme for each day, with suggested activities, and beautiful illustrations.
We Light the Candles: Devotions Related to Family Use of the Advent Wreath – Short and simple devotions to keep the focus on the meaning of Christmas.
Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent – Follow ten-year-old Jotham across Israel as he searches for his family, and eventually finds Jesus in the manger.
Tabitha’s Travels: A Family Story for Advent – While traveling with her family, Tabitha watches as Romans take her father prisoner, spends time with Zechariah and Elizabeth, helps Mary and Joseph just before Christ’s birth, and ends her travels at the stable in Bethlehem.
Ishtar’s Odyssey: A Family Story for Advent – Follow along in Ishtar’s search for the newborn king.
Picture Books:
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger – Hands down the entire family’s favorite Christmas book. Follow along as Mortimer the mouse looks for a home, and in the process learns the story of Jesus.
The Christmas Story – Classic Little Golden Book retelling of the Christmas story.
Legend of the Candy Cane – The Christmas story as told through the making of a candy cane.
The Crippled Lamb – Though Jesus the crippled lamb learns that God makes everyone special.
The Pine Tree Parable – The story of how sacrifice can bring the greatest joy.
Room for a Little One – A simple poem, which tells the story of the manger through the animals in the stable.
Humphrey’s First Christmas – The story of one camel;s selflessness towards the baby Jesus.
The Legend of the Three Trees – While as much an Easter story, as Christmas story, it’s truth is powerful. God has a plan for us all, that might be different than the one we hoped for.
Small Camel Follows a Star – Follow along as small camel searches for a baby king.
The Most Precious Gift – This book is out of print, but worth looking for used. The sweet story tells of a young boy with nothing to give the baby king.
Usborne The Story of the Nativity by Anna Milbourne – Great pictures and simple text retelling the nativity story.
The Christmas Story by Carol Heyer– This book is out of print, but it is one of our favorites. Simple Biblical retelling of the Christmas story with beautiful acrylic painting illustrations.
If you want ideas for how to celebrate Advent with your family, see my post from last year to get you started. But remember, there is no right way to do Advent. Don’t wait for the perfect time, year, or idea. Start right now!