Read the Book, Then See the Film: 5 Holiday Stories Your Kids Will Love

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, by Dr. Seuss
I recently read this classic to my son’s 4th grade class, and it reminded me of how closely the animated special based off Dr. Seuss’ tale adhered to his original words, first published in 1957. In fact, Seuss’s rhymes are the heart of the movie, so that even if you haven’t read the book, you can probably recite by heart the line’s about the Grinch’s heart being two sizes too small. The popular story of the grumpy Grinch was also made into a later movie starring Jim Carrey. Because clearly we can’t get enough of a good redemption story paired with those cute little Whos down in Whoville singing their hearts out even without presents or a tree.

A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz
The Peanuts comic strip was drawn from the wonderful imagination of Charles M. Schulz, who created the iconic characters of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy. The television special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, was based on Schulz’s comic strip, and the book was later written based on the holiday special. Our Christmas season is not complete without Charlie Brown and his scraggly little Christmas tree bearing one sad, red ornament. As Linus says, he is truly the Charlie Browniest of Charlie Browns—and he makes our holidays even brighter.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
It seems every school nowadays has an event centered around watching The Polar Express, complete with pajamas and hot cocoa. And why not? The book, a 1986 Caldecott Medal winner, is beautifully written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, and the movie based on the book is equally wonderful. Children and adults alike will be swept up in the story of a young boy and his trip to the North Pole via the Polar Express as well as the message to always believe in the magic of Christmas.

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, by Carol A. Aebersold and Chanda A. Bell
During the holiday season, scout elves from the North Pole arrive in our homes to watch over our kids and report back to Santa Claus every night. The book was first published in 2005, and has since become an animated special entitled “The Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story.” I don’t know about you, but our holidays wouldn’t quite be the same without our kids looking for “Snowy” (what our children dubbed our family’s scout elf) every morning between December 1 and Christmas Eve.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May, illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo
Everyone knows the words to the popular song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” even the smallest toddler. The story of “the most famous reindeer of all” was first told in 1939 in a poem written by Robert L. May. The tale of the reindeer with a very unique nose who saved Christmas for Santa Claus was later made into a television special that now seems like a prerequisite to the holiday season. After all, it’s not Christmas without that shiny red nose.