1. 
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
A perennial favorite at my house as Mr. Willowby's giant tree that "came by special delivery" keeps gets a trim at the top so that every creature around gets to share in the Christmas joy. Written in rhyme with cute illustrations.
2. 
Best Christmas Pageant Ever
This is a tale of the horrible Herdman family, a rowdy bunch of neglected children who get tired of juvenile delinquency and decide to participate in the local Christmas Pageant. Told from another child's judgmental point of view, the narrator and the reader move from impatience to pity to awe as the Herdman family gives their own spin on the Biblical story. Boys and girls alike will get the message - Baby Jesus was an outcast, too.
3. 
I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles
With fantasic illustrations of snowy nights and heaps of toys, this is the book equivalent of having your nose pressed against a winter window. Fun for the whole family, and one you will turn to year after year.
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective
Except for the music, this is the exact same story as the famous television special, so parents often learn to recite it from memory. And like most Dr. Seuss classics, it never gets old and always seems fresh.
5. 
The Polar Express
A gorgeous picture book, this is a truly unique spin on what happens at the North Pole on Christmas Eve. More text than a usual picture book, but quite fascinating.
6. 
This Is the Stable
A simple rhyming tale of the animals in the stable where Jesus was born with realistic illustrations. Sweet and easy for small children.
7. 
The Night Before Christmas
The classic Clement C. Moore poem without the edits that some modern readers prefer - yes, Santa smokes a pipe in this one.
8. 
Morris' Disappearing Bag
Rosemary Wells is known for her "Max and Ruby" series, and while this book predates those by almost 20 years, the magic is the same. Morris is the youngest of four bunnies and jealous as his siblings play with their fantastic gifts. Then he crawls inside a "disappearing bag" under the Christmas tree and becomes special in his own way.
9. 
The Story of Holly and Ivy
An old-fashioned sweet story of a doll who needs a home and a lonely girl who needs a doll, written by the great Rumer Godden ("The Doll's House") and illustrated by Barbara Cooney ("Roxaboxen). A good book to read aloud to a class or over several nights at home. Also great for middle readers - girls mainly.
10. 
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) (Little Golden Book)
This book really needs no introduction. Rudolph is the misfit from the old song, but his unfortunate nose turns out to be the gift that Santa needs. Nice illustrations based on the Hanna-Barbera
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