Nature Themed Christmas Books {updated}

There’s something special about the combination of Christmas + nature. The smell of fresh evergreen, the bright colors of holly and berries, the crisp cool air of winter. There are so many beautiful picture books that focus on the natural world at Christmastime. Below are some of our favorites.

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Nature Themed Christmas & Advent Guides

Before we get to the books, you might be interested in these two resources for adding some nature themed inspiration to your festivities:

Celebrating the Seasons with Children: A Nature-Themed Advent. As with the yearlong nature curriculum (Exploring Nature With Children, which we have followed for YEARS and adore! Read more here), I love that it is easy to dip in and out, “choose your own ADVENTure” if you will 😉 It includes a section for each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Each day in the 90-page guide includes a brief scripture reading, prayer to read, outdoor activity, indoor activity (think: a craft or something that ties into what the outdoor activity directed you to do), and a journal prompt (copywork or nature journaling).

Nature Themed Christmas Books

The Christmas Owl is based on the story of saw-whet owl found in the Rockefeller Christmas tree in Nov 2020. End matter includes more details about the bird’s rescue and release, and a note from the wildlife rehabilitator who cared for Rocky.

Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story by April Genevieve Tucholke. Similar to The Christmas Owl, this is based on the owl found in the Rockefeller tree in 2020 but told from the owl’s perspective. I

Zee Grows a Tree reminded me of Christmas Farm (see below) and Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born (adore both of those!)… in this book, Zee grows alongside of a pine tree, following her childhood milestones beside pine tree facts. End matter provides tips for enjoying holiday tree trimming whether indoors or out.

The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park. Only slightly a nature themed book, but enough so to include it for consideration on this list! And it doesn’t feel like a Christmas book at all until the author’s note. The story follows a boy who is learning his family’s trade from his father, collecting resin “tears” from trees to be sold at marketplace. We learn alongside him about the delicacy and skill involved in the task, and what the resin is eventually used for (myrrh– primarily used as an embalming oil and funerary incense. What a great conversation ensued with my kiddos when we discovered this. Even the 7 year old understood the significance– “they must have known the baby was born to die.”) An author’s note provides additional historical background about Zoroastrian priests, the use of myrrh in the ancient world, and the portrayals of the Magi in art and song.

Night Tree by Eve Bunting. This sweet story tells of a family’s tradition to decorate an evergreen tree in the forest each year on Christmas Eve, leaving treats for the forest creatures to enjoy. We first found this at a local nature preserve gift shop- nature themed Christmas at its best! It is a perfect springboard book for starting your own family tradition!

Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray. This book is equal parts cozy, fascinating, and lush. Within a beautifully illustrated story, the author weaves in so many concepts- math, patience, inter-generational relationship, and an understanding of where those Christmas trees come from!  An author’s note includes a brief history of the tradition of using evergreen trees for winter celebrations & Christmas, and the growth of the concept of intentional Christmas tree farms coming from a concern for forests at the time of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares. This gorgeous story is as heartwarming as it is beautiful. Red and Lulu are cardinals who live in a massive evergreen tree which is lovingly decorated each year for Christmas, until one year when it is felled and moved by truck to a strange city. The birds are separated, with Red following the truck on its journey. He searches everywhere for Lulu until he finally follows the sound of caroling right to the center of New York City, around their beloved tree, where he finds Lulu. They make the city their new home and discover that nature can be found amongst the urban landscape too. A note at the end shares about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree traditions.

Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble. This darling story is on my list of Christmas Books With Meat on the Bones. I just love the sweet story of a family in the 1880s, and their beloved apple tree. Sadly, a bitter ice storm takes the tree down, and Katrina is beside herself with sorrow as it was her favorite place to draw and create. Her parents creatively design a heartfelt gift from the tree’s branches.

Reindeer Moon by Mark Kimball Moulton.  “I still remember Grandma, her cheeks all plump and red, As she carried out her treats at night, making sure her [animal] friends were fed. She said that we were obligated to share the bounty we possessed, for to live among these creatures, we were very surely blessed.” This story follows a family that cares for the natural world around their home, and one year their care is rewarded with a special part to play in nursing one of Santa’s reindeer back to health. A text heavy, magical story.

Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear. A simple story with dreamy wintry illustrations. Charles sets out to find the “Wish Tree” that no one thinks exists. In his quest, he meets and cares for many creatures, who later care for him in his time of need. Not overtly a Christmas story. Incidentally, the chapter book by (almost) the same title, by Katherine Applegate, is one of my favorite nature-themed novels, and explores the same idea of a tree that is treasured by people who write notes to hang on its branches

The Christmas Cat by Efner Tudor Holmes. This older story reminded me a bit of The Night Tree taken from the animals’ perspective, though there are scenes inside the family’s home as well. The two settings intersect. Empathy for animals is a focus through the text and plot. A very sweet story.

The Legend of the Christmas Rose and The Legend of the Poinsettia.

Poinsettias and Christmas roses each have their own legend, with many similarities. These two are a lovely compare-contrast duo, or stand alone options too for your study of Christmas plants.

The Christmassy Cactus by Beth Ferry. This led us to an exploration of whether there really is a “Christmas cactus” (not exactly) and if it really blooms on Christmas (unlikely). But I include it here because we enjoyed it!

Santa Shark: A Great White Christmas by Mike Lowery. This doesn’t feel like it quite fits with the rest of this booklist, but if you have an ocean or shark-lover (or a pun lover for that matter!), take a look at this one. We laughed out loud several times and found it to be a lot of fun!

Coming Home by Michael Morpurgo. Only the last page of this book revealed anything particularly Christmassy about this story. However, it is beautifully illustrated and the robin IS associated with Christmastime in Britain where they migrate to from Scandinavia. The story follows the many challenges robins face as they migrate.

Related:

You might also be interested in my post Winter Solstice Read Alouds & Scavenger Hunt {with free printable}

Do you have any titles to add to my list? I’d love to hear! Connect with me in the comments below, on my Facebook page, or Instagram account.