Christmas Books for 2 Year Olds: 15 Board Books and Short Picture Books (2026)
By Mike Sallese ·
Our top pick is The Christmas Tree No One Wanted by Jon Lewis, a short picture book to grow into. The best ones for right now are Little Blue Truck’s Christmas by Alice Schertle and That’s Not My Reindeer by Fiona Watt. Below are 15 Christmas books that work at age 2: sturdy board books with flaps and textures, short rhyming picture books, and a few to grow into by 3. Each has its age range, format and reader rating. Ratings are from Goodreads (Amazon for our top pick), checked in October and November 2026.
Quick picks
| If your 2 year old likes | Start with |
|---|---|
| Touching and lifting flaps | That’s Not My Reindeer, Dear Santa, Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present?, Little Christmas Tree |
| Trucks and counting | Little Blue Truck’s Christmas, Merry Christmas, Mouse! |
| Short rhymes | Merry Christmas, Little Pookie, Pick a Pine Tree, Bear Stays Up for Christmas |
| A story about a little tree | The Christmas Tree No One Wanted, Little Christmas Tree |
| The first Christmas story | Room for a Little One |
Our top pick
1. The Christmas Tree No One Wanted by Jon Lewis
Ages: about 3 to 7, a good one for a 2 year old to grow into · Format: paperback picture book, 24 pages (2021), illustrated by Rachel Lewis and Mike Sallese · Amazon: 5.0 from 2 ratings
A tiny Christmas tree gets passed over and forgotten, then gets a second chance. At 24 pages it’s short enough to finish in one sitting, and the idea is easy for a little kid to follow. Read it to a 2 year old now and it’s still the right length at 4.
See The Christmas Tree No One Wanted on Amazon
Board books for 2 year olds
2. That’s Not My Reindeer by Fiona Watt
Ages: 0 to 3 · Format: touch-and-feel board book, 10 pages, illustrated by Rachel Wells · Goodreads: 4.01 from 428 ratings
Each page has a reindeer that isn’t quite right, with a patch to touch, until the last page finds the right one. The repeated line lets a 2 year old say it with you.
See That’s Not My Reindeer on Amazon
3. Dear Santa by Rod Campbell
Ages: 1 to 3 · Format: lift-the-flap board book · Goodreads: 4.08 from 489 ratings
From the creator of Dear Zoo. A letter to Santa starts a chain of wrapped presents, none of them quite right. Each flap is a present to open, so a 2 year old gets to unwrap one on every page.
4. Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present? by Karen Katz
Ages: 1 to 3 · Format: lift-the-flap board book, 14 pages · Goodreads: 3.80 from 211 ratings
Baby looks everywhere for a Christmas present. Big, sturdy flaps hide cookies and other holiday things before the present turns up at the end.
See Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present? on Amazon
5. Merry Christmas, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton
Ages: 1 to 4 · Format: board book, 18 pages · Goodreads: 4.16 from 411 ratings
Little Pookie the pig celebrates Christmas in Sandra Boynton’s short, silly rhymes. Small enough for a stocking.
See Merry Christmas, Little Pookie on Amazon
6. Little Christmas Tree by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Ages: 2 to 5 · Format: lift-the-flap board book, 12 pages (US edition 2018) · Goodreads: 3.95 from 96 ratings
A little tree wakes up in a snowy wood. Flaps shaped like snowdrifts and bushes hide forest animals underneath, a bit like opening an Advent calendar.
See Little Christmas Tree on Amazon
Short picture books for 2 year olds
7. Little Blue Truck’s Christmas by Alice Schertle
Ages: 2 to 5 · Format: hardcover with sturdy pages and light-up lights, 24 pages (2014), illustrated by Jill McElmurry · Goodreads: 4.45 from 3,753 ratings
Little Blue Truck delivers Christmas trees to his animal friends, counting them as he goes. The last page has Christmas lights that really flash, a good page to end on.
See Little Blue Truck’s Christmas on Amazon
8. Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney
Ages: 2 to 4 · Format: picture book (2010) · Goodreads: 4.14 from 6,225 ratings
Llama Llama cannot stand the waiting as he and Mama shop, bake and decorate. When he wants his presents now, Mama reminds him that the real gift is having each other. For a 2 year old who is already asking how many sleeps are left.
See Llama Llama Holiday Drama on Amazon
9. Merry Christmas, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
Ages: 2 to 5 · Format: picture book, 24 pages (2007), illustrated by Felicia Bond · Goodreads: 3.95 from 2,398 ratings
Mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie decorates his Christmas tree, one ornament at a time. A short counting book.
See Merry Christmas, Mouse! on Amazon
10. Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
Ages: 2 to 6 · Format: picture book (2017), illustrated by Jarvis · Goodreads: 4.17 from 1,470 ratings
A rhyming read-aloud that follows a family from picking out their tree to bringing it home, digging out the ornaments and turning on the lights. A good one to read the week you get your own tree.
See Pick a Pine Tree on Amazon
11. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson
Ages: 2 to 5 · Format: picture book (2004), illustrated by Jane Chapman · Goodreads: 4.32 from 10,488 ratings
Bear’s friends keep him awake on the day before Christmas by having him help find a tree, bake, hang stockings and sing. The rhymes repeat, so a 2 year old can join in.
See Bear Stays Up for Christmas on Amazon
12. Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell
Ages: 2 to 4 · Format: picture book (2004), illustrated by Jason Cockcroft · Goodreads: 4.32 from 3,047 ratings
On a cold night Kind Ox makes room in his stable for one animal after another. When Tired Donkey arrives carrying Mary and Joseph, Jesus is born among the animals. A simple first telling of the Christmas story.
See Room for a Little One on Amazon
To grow into
13. The Littlest Christmas Tree by R.A. Herman
Ages: 4 to 8 · Format: picture book, 32 pages (2007), illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers · Goodreads: 4.04 from 177 ratings
Five days before Christmas, the littlest tree at the tree stand is still waiting for a family. On Christmas Eve, the man who runs the stand takes it home to his own family.
See The Littlest Christmas Tree on Amazon
14. Dream Snow by Eric Carle
Ages: 3 to 6 · Format: picture book, 32 pages (2000) · Goodreads: 4.03 from 2,754 ratings
An old farmer naps on December 24th and dreams of snow covering his farm animals, then wakes up to real snow. Clear overlay pages let kids lift the snow away, which works even before they can follow the whole story.
15. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Ages: 3 and up · Format: wordless picture book (1978) · Goodreads: 4.26 from 19,717 ratings
A boy builds a snowman that comes to life at night, and the two fly off together. There are no words, so you can tell it as short or as long as a 2 year old will sit for.
Questions parents ask
What is a good Christmas book for a 2 year old? The Christmas Tree No One Wanted, Little Blue Truck’s Christmas and That’s Not My Reindeer. For a 2 year old who likes to lift flaps, Dear Santa and Where Is Baby’s Christmas Present?
Should I get a board book or a picture book for a 2 year old? Board books survive chewing and rough page turns, so they’re best for a child who reads alone. Short paperback picture books like The Christmas Tree No One Wanted (24 pages) work when you read together.
What Christmas book fits in a 2 year old’s stocking? Merry Christmas, Little Pookie and That’s Not My Reindeer are small board books. The Christmas Tree No One Wanted is a thin 24-page paperback.
Is there a Christmas book about a Christmas tree for toddlers? Yes. The Christmas Tree No One Wanted, Little Christmas Tree and Pick a Pine Tree are all about trees, and The Littlest Christmas Tree is one to save for when they’re older. For older kids, see Christmas tree books for kids: 22 picture books, and for every age, Christmas books for kids: 27 picture books by age.
About the author
Mike Sallese. I build Scribbl, an AI note taker with no bot in the call, and a few other pieces of software. Off the computer I am building a straw bale workshop.
X · Medium · GitHub · articles on other sites