Among some of my fondest memories as a child includes the times my mother read to me.
The gentle cadence of my mother’s voice paired with the thrill of crispy white book pages that shared a thrilling story became a nightly ritual. Then I became a parent myself and the love and the magic of reading together every night was something we all looked forward to.
A big part of capturing the attention of young readers is offering them books that break the norms, appeal to their sense of humor, and are just plain FUN.
Here is a list of Fun and Quirky Santa-themed Picture Books for the Holidays. Enjoy!
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
When Santa arrives at a child’s house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feetfirst or headfirst? What if he gets stuck? What if there’s no chimney? Maybe he slides under the door, as thin as a piece of paper? Or is it possible he pours himself through the faucet? What happens once he’s inside? Whether it’s shape-shifting or impromptu laundry use, Mac Barnett’s iconic talent for earnest deadpan humor and Jon Klassen’s irresistibly funny art honor the timeless question with answers both ridiculous and plausible, mounting in hilarity as the night continues. Channeling a child’s fanciful explanations (and begging for further speculation), this latest collaboration by a New York Times best-selling team will find a secure spot among family holiday traditions.
Santa Claus Swaps his Sleigh for the Vacuum Cleaner by Mr. Frederic Luhmer
🎄 “The Magic of Sharing at Christmas” 🎄
👫 Santa and Mrs. Claus invite us into their cozy home in the heart of the North Pole, where a joyful and educational adventure awaits them!
✨ Summary: Everyday life in the Santa family is not always easy… especially for Mrs. Claus! Santa loves to have fun and do sleigh stunts, but sometimes forgets to help with household chores. An enchanted story begins when Mrs. Claus decides it’s time to bring a little magic into their daily life by sharing everything, including chores!
Learning while Having Fun: An entertaining story that teaches the importance of sharing responsibilities and helping each other. An Important Message: Convey the values of sharing and equality with a story that speaks to the hearts of both young and old. A Perfect Gift: The ideal gift option for the holidays, offering both reading pleasure and beautiful life lessons.
SantaToot: The Fart That Saved Christmas by John Mashni
Who knew that a fart could save Christmas?
What’s the best way to guarantee Santa visits your house? Fill the entire living room with cookies, candy, cupcakes, and sweets until the pile reaches the ceiling! Add in
Mom’s irresistible bean dip and Santa’s night is perfect—well, almost perfect. Santa comes down the chimney but hilariously gets stuck going back up. Eventually, though,
Santa’s toots clear the path. But will Santa still have time to visit every house? Find out how one girl—and some flatulence save Christmas!
From the creator of the hilarious, CinderToot: A Cinderella Tooting Tale, this fun story brings new joy—and smells—to the Santa story.
Santa Claus Must Do His Chores!: A Funny Rhyming Christmas Picture Book for Kids by Andy Wortlock (Ages 3-7)
It’s Christmas time, and Santa needs to help around the house before jetting off around the world to deliver gifts!
Santa Claus Must Do His Chores! follows Santa on his journey of pre-Christmas preparations – from washing dishes to feeding his pets…even taking a much-needed bath! Santa has chores, just like you!
Don’t forget to find the Christmas items too!
From award-winning and bestselling children’s author Andy Wortlock and illustrator Nahum Ziersch, comes this funny picture book for 3-7-year-olds that is perfect for sharing with little readers during the festive season. It will inspire laughter, spark imagination, and remind us all that Santa Claus has responsibilities to fulfill before he can make his way down the chimney.
A hilarious rhyming story that will surely become a cherished part of your Christmas reading for years to come!
Who knew even Santa has chores to do!
Santa Camp by Michael Strobl (Middle Grade)
Have you ever wondered if Santa and the Tooth Fairy would show up at your house on the same night or who would replace Santa if he retired?
Well, wonder no more. This soon-to-be-classic Christmas story starts with a young impish boy, Nate, losing a tooth on Christmas Eve. When Santa and the Tooth Fairy arrive, Nate learns some shocking news about the couple. He also learns the jolly old elf is planning to retire and Nate will have a chance to become the next Santa.
Nate comes to a week-long Santa Camp to compete for the position. At camp we meet Randy the Elf, learn more about Rudolph, discover how reindeer fly, and follow eight boys as they endure various tests and training to see which one has the “right stuff” to be the next Santa.
One by one, the boys are eliminated until only three remain. Nate, and two others, are invited to accompany Santa on a ride-along during the next Christmas Eve. On his final test, with Christmas teetering near disaster, can Nate save the day?
Did You Know?
That books, in any form, make great gifts? No need to worry about measurements, dietary constraints, or if you have the right batteries!
So for this holiday season, everyone at Audrey Press would like to offer a gift-buying challenge. For every noisy gift you buy (for adults and kids alike!) we ask that you also buy a “quiet” one, one that encourages time to unplug, slow down, and be enchanted. In other words…BOOKS.
Here are a few titles from Audrey Press (all are available on Amazon.com) that will make exceptional gifts this holiday season.
Gifts for Readers That They Can Open Again and Again
Young Readers
A Year in the Secret Garden by Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters
Discover the joys of delving into this timeless children’s literature classic and see the Secret Garden through new eyes and a modern twist! A Year in the Secret Garden is a delightful children’s book with over 120 pages, 150 original color illustrations, and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together.
Dragons Are Real by Valarie Budayr
What if I told you that all of the fairy tales, myths, and legends that have been told about dragons over the years are WRONG? What if I told you that Dragons are indeed REAL and that they are different than you\’ve ever imagined? Did you know that Dragons are the master of disguises and will do anything for treats? Readers will love this “fairly true” story based on a childhood friendship with a REAL live Dragon.
The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden by Valarie Budayr
This book is based on the real-life observations of Tennessee native, Valarie Budayr. For parents and kids who favor nature-based books, The Fox Diaries offers an enthusiastically educational opportunity to observe this fox family grow and learn together. From digging and hunting to playing and resting, this diary shares a rare glimpse into the private lives of Momma Rennie and her babies.
YA Thrillers
Ascension by Hannah Rials
Are you ready to be mesmerized by a modern-day teenage romance filled with “double-blooded” vampires and revenge-seeking witches? Steeped in the mystery, intrigue, and rich history of New Orleans and the secretive world of the Deuxsang, teen vampire, Cheyenne, and her forbidden love, Eli, embark on a very different and vastly more dangerous journey as the net of betrayal tightens around them. This intense and fresh novel is enchanting, engaging, and impossible to put down right up to the cliffhanger ending.
The Ascension Trilogy 3-Book Series is now available on Amazon and on the Audrey Press website.
Adult Reading
How to To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison Foley
Did you know that 70% of all kids quit organized sports by the age of 13, with girls quitting at 6x the rate of boys? Alison Foley, Boston College’s Women’s Head Soccer Coach, and Mia Wenjen, parenting blogger at PragmaticMom.com, help coaches — both parent volunteer and professional — crack the code of how to keep girls in sports.
Pilgrimage: A Modern Seeker’s Guide by Evans Bowen
A tradition of all religions, Pilgrimage is a journey to sacred sites as an act of devotion and dedication. It is time to expand the definition of Pilgrimage to inform modern life. Taking time to visit a place near home or around the globe, to open the mind and heart to the Divine, brings healing and new meaning to life. Pilgrimage is both an external journey to a place longed for and an internal journey to the center of our most authentic self.
It’s the perfect gift for the fan of sacred or exotic travel.
The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook by Donna Ashton
This book is a simple step-by-step guide to creating and understanding a Waldorf-inspired homeschool plan. The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook is a Simple Step-by-Step guide to creating a Waldorf-inspired homeschool will make a great gift.
Thrive: Living A Self-Healed Life by Valarie Budayr
For centuries, we have been taught to look “outside” of ourselves when it comes to healing illness, trauma, and dis-ease.
In reality, everything we need to nurture, heal, and feed our authentic spirit is right within our bodies. As a Board-Certified Sound Practitioner and Mindfulness Teacher, Valarie Budayr teaches readers how to manifest their path of self-discovery and self-healing through the Four Pillars: Breath, Movement, Sound, and Meditation.
As a trauma survivor herself, the author bares her soul and retells the story of her awakening and journey to living a self-healed life. By telling her story, Budayr encourages others to tell their own stories, shed the toxic beliefs holding them back, and begin a new journey of living a self-healed life filled with wonder, curiosity, and peace.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Audrey Press Books!
