Silent Night, by Lara Hawthorne

This book combines the words to Silent Night with beautifully illustrated pictures of the Nativity, a Nativity scene full of people with black and brown skin.  I was thrilled when we came across this book at the library, and given that Silent Night is one of our favorite lullabies to sign at bedtime it's already been read repeatedly.  A simple, lovely Christmas story.

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)

The Christmas Coat, by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve

My annual search for Christmas books that feature diverse kids continues!  We picked up The Christmas Coat at the library and it was a solid story - Virginia (a Native American girl) needs a new winter coat.  A Theast box (a box of donations from the East Coast) arrives with a beautiful new coast that she covets, but she isn't allowed first pick as her father is the priest and other children need new coats more than she does.  However, Virginia's reluctant generosity and patience pays off and she is gifted a lovely red coat for Christmas. 

My son was entertained throughout but didn't want to read again.  The story is lovely and rings true - the author grew up on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.  However, my son understandably gravitates toward more generically happy books for Christmas.  Given the dearth of diverse Christmas stories out there this is a good one to check out.

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library!)