One Way to Introduce the Meaning of Christmas to Your Toddler

I love the Christmas season and I hope M will grow to love it, too.  More than anything, though, I want her to know and appreciate the reason for the season.  And for a while, I've been looking for a way to introduce that to her.  She's just two, so I thought including her favorite thing (books) would be a great way to do it.

I searched for a Christmas book that was toddler-friendly (rhyming words, good pictures, etc.).  Most of the  books I found were funny and interesting and had rhyming words and all that stuff I know M would like.  Yet many focused on a Christmas tree...or a snowman... or a reindeer... or Santa...

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against Santa or snowmen or any that stuff (in fact, they're all in my house during Christmas) but they don't convey what I want her to know and understand.  No, I don't expect my two-year-old to fully understand the meaning of Christmas, but I do want her to know that it isn't Christmas because of Santa or Rudolph or the Jingle Bells song (she loves this song, by the way).  

So I searched online and ran across this little treasure:

Author:  David Meade;  Illustrator:  Chris Sharp
JOY TO THE WORLD celebrates the birth of Jesus and introduces little ones to his universal message of loving, giving, and caring. This interactive book features a glow light and an instrumental rendition of the carol, which makes it easy for you and your child to sing along. Simply open the cover to hear the joyous sounds and take part in the deeper gifts that Christmas brings.

Board Book with lights and sound chip, 6" x 7", 16 pages – Ages 2 to 6

When I got this book, I knew M would like it.  The words in the book are written in rhythm with the lyrics to "Joy to the World."  They're very kid-friendly and talk about the birth of Jesus, love, family, and thinking of others.  You can either read them or sing them to the tune of the sound chip embedded in the book.  I sing them (with my awful voice) and M loves it.

Just this morning, she wanted me to read/sing it over and over (and over and over).  It's so funny because when she reads it, she starts it off with "Joy to the World," then breaks out with "The babies on the bus go wah, wah, wah!" from the the Wheels on the Bus song.  Where does she get that?  She sees Baby Jesus in the book.  And all babies go wah, wah, wah, right?! :)  Haha!

So, anyway, if you have a toddler and want a fun little way to talk about the meaning of Christmas, consider this little treasure.  We're having a ball with it.

Image and Synopsis:  BN.com