Advent books for kids: what it is and how to celebrate
When is Advent? Sunday 29 November 2026 to Thursday 24 December 2026; then Sunday 28 November 2027 to Friday 24 December 2027.
Advent is the season of waiting and getting ready for Christmas in the Christian year. It begins four Sundays before Christmas Day. Its name comes from the Latin for 'coming', and it remembers waiting for the birth of Jesus.
Who celebrates Advent, and books for each
Christian
Many families light one candle on an Advent wreath each Sunday, open a door of an Advent calendar each day, sing carols and read the Christmas story bit by bit.
📖 Free guideAn Advent Hope
Madeleine Carroll
a family's Advent traditions, from the wreath to the calendar
Questions to ask →
📖 Free guide'Twas the Season of Advent
Glenys Nellist
a rhyming countdown with a devotion for each day
Questions to ask → View on Amazon ↗
📖 Free guideAdvent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas
Antonie Schneider
one short story to read each day of Advent
Questions to ask → View on Amazon ↗
Questions to ask while you read
Use these with any of the Advent books on this page. Pick two or three, and there are no wrong answers.
- What is the family in the story getting ready for?
- Which part of Advent would you most like to try, and why?
- How do the people in the story show they care about each other?
- Is anything in the story like something your family does?
- What would you like to ask a friend who celebrates Advent?
Ways to celebrate Advent with children
- Wrap 24 books (library books count) and open one each night.
- Make an Advent wreath from greenery and four candles (or battery candles).
- Do one kind 'advent act' each day, like a drawing for a neighbour.
- Make a paper-chain countdown and tear off a link each morning.
Advent picture books at a glance
All the Advent books on this page: An Advent Hope (Madeleine Carroll), 'Twas the Season of Advent (Glenys Nellist), Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas (Antonie Schneider).
Questions parents ask about Advent
When does Advent start?
On the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day: 29 November in 2026 and 28 November in 2027. Many advent calendars simply start on 1 December.
What do the Advent candles mean?
Many churches give them the themes of hope, peace, joy and love, with a fifth white candle lit on Christmas Day.
Related festivals: Christmas · Hanukkah · Bodhi Day
All festivals, by month and by faith →
Traditions vary between families, places and communities; ask your child's friends and their families how they celebrate. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.