Books like Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?

Same warm glow, but here Santa is the one getting the surprise instead of giving it. Santa's First Christmas by Mac Barnett flips who the magic is for.

Same brave-sister rescue feeling, but The Seven Chinese Sisters by Kathy Tucker spreads the courage across seven girls instead of one boy and his ice bear.

No trolls or ice bears here, but Snow White by Trina Schart Hyman has that same lush, detailed art you can stare at for an hour.

Same fairy-tale hush and a curse instead of trolls at the door. The Sleeping Beauty by Trina Schart Hyman leans darker before the happy ending lands.

Same painter, same glowing borders, same troll mischief at Christmas. Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett is the earlier, gentler version of that same knock at the door.

The magic here comes from a traveling merchant, not an ice bear, but Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans keeps that same Christmas Eve wonder.

Reach for The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome when your kid wants the same brave-underdog feeling but with a ship sailing through clouds instead of snow.

If the magical stranger who rewards kindness is what stuck, The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South by Robert D. San Souci builds a whole story around exactly that trade.

Trolls get chased off in the seed, and in The Bremen-Town Musicians by Ilse Plume four unwanted animals scare off robbers the same way.

The magic is quieter and sadder before it turns joyful. Cinderella by Kinuko Y. Craft takes longer to get to its warmth, but it gets there.

Less snow globe, more real neighborhood, but Santa in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson rebuilds that same Christmas-magic feeling from scratch.

Less cozy than the seed's warm cabin ending. The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff starts with real loss before any kindness shows up.