A few years ago, we went to our local zoo’s Christmas event, and my kids saw reindeer in person for the first time. To say they were amazed would be an understatement! Until then, they hadn’t been completely sure that reindeer were a real thing, but seeing them up close convinced them and cemented their belief in the magic of Christmas — something I am enjoying for as long as I can!
We also love reading about reindeer, so I’ve put together this list of some of our favorite reindeer books. These are fun reads during the holidays, but my kids like to pull them off the shelf year-round.
If you’d like to check out some reindeer in person, and even feed them, my friend Katy has shared about her awesome experience at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Illinois.
7 Reindeer Books for Kids
Book links are Amazon referral links.
The Great Reindeer Rebellion by Lisa Trumbauer — Uh oh! The reindeer have gone on strike, so Santa must interview other animals to take their place. Kids will love this funny story that is a spin on The Night Before Christmas.
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett — Santa has asked young Teeka to prepare the reindeer for their Christmas flight. But they won’t listen to her! Teeka soon realizes that gentle words do much more good than harsh ones.
Olive the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh — Olive is a little dog who mishears a classic Christmas song and thinks she must be a reindeer! So she travels to the North Pole to help out Santa and his crew. Olive is different, but she ends up being just want Santa needs.
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert May — You can’t forget this classic! The story that was dreamed up by a Chicago department store clerk has become a holiday tradition. This book version is a reproduction of the original 1939 story.
The Reindeer Wish by Lori Evert — A little girl named Anja finds a baby reindeer in the woods. She raises him as her own, but one day it is time to let him go. He ends up somewhere pretty amazing! You’ll love the illustrations in this gorgeous book.
Imogene’s Antlers by David Small — This isn’t exactly a holiday book, but it’s one of my favorites! Imogene wakes up one day with antlers, and hilarity ensues.
Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton — Two children and their grandmother help nurse a sickly deer back to health. Little do they realize just how special that little deer is!
Congrats for your blog!! You might love to find out that the reindeers that pull Santas sleigh were originally a female goddess venerated by the nordic people across the artic. The mother Doe doesnt loose her antlers in winter, male do, so the ones represented even pulling Santas sleigh should be female. I reckon this legend is fantastic and another case of the cristian culture stealing traditions and changing them to their needs.
I was actually trying to find out children books about this female goddess doe but I cannot find any. If you eve find one, please let me know, thanks!!