Although Winter isn’t my favorite season, I think this picture book list is my favorite of all the seasonal (non-holiday) ones! They capture the beauty and magic of snowy settings and you can be cuddled up in your warm house while you read! Are there any winter books you love that didn’t make the list?
Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
A really fun story of a snowman who keeps getting cold and trying different things to warm up which result in him melting and having to be remade. Kids have a lot of fun seeing the different ways he gets himself melted and how he’ll be remade.
Bunny Slopes by Claudia Rueda
This fun, interactive book encourages the readers to help a bunny who is trying to ski. Kids touch the pages, move the book, and interact with the text.
A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson
A tortoise is preparing for his long winter’s nap, but the other animals keep interrupting him because they want to enjoy winter fun with him. He comes to realize some of the wonderful things about winter.
Blizzard by John Rocco
Based on the author’s experience as a young boy, it tells the story of when his town was hit with four feet of snow and how he made a plan to get food for his family and neighbors. The story is told in a very engaging and child friendly way with lots of fun details added into the illustrations.
Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar
My kids loved this book and wanted to read it over and over again. I thought it was such a cute and creative book that I didn’t mind at all! There are appearances of many familiar characters and nods to different fairy tales/nursery rhymes with cute jokes. The figure skating premise makes it extra fun to read during the winter.
Snuggle Down Deep by Dianne Ohanesian
This cozy story shows various animal families preparing to snuggle down for winter. It’s perfect for reading snuggled up in a warm blanket together!
Who am I? Snowy Animals by DK Publishing
My kids love these board books that provide several clues and encourage you to guess which animal it is describing. This snowy animal one is perfect for winter!
The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear
This is a really sweet story of a boy who heads out with his toboggan to find a wish tree, but all along the way they stop to help to help many other animals and he finds his wishes can come true in different ways.
The Mitten, The Three Snow Bears, The Snowy Nap and other Jan Brett books
Jan Brett books are so perfect for wintertime with the detailed, atmospheric illustrations!
Little Owl’s Snow by Divya Sirnivasan
With the same basic format of its predecessor Little Owl’s Night, this one brings in winter and the changes it brings for the animals. It introduces kids to the concept of hibernation and how some animals hibernate and some don’t. Check out the cute craft we did to go with the book in our Owl Lesson.
Snowflakes Fall by Patricia MacLachlan
With poetic text and the iconic illustrations of Steven Kellogg, this one is a wonderful ode to winter and the beauty of unique snowflakes.
Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli
Temperatures keep dropping in a snowy town, but then the neighborhood comes together to share an idea to beat the cold.
Winter Days in the Big Woods and Winter on the Farm from My Little House Picture Books
These beautiful picture book adaptions of the Little House on the Prairie books show what winter was like for Laura and Almanzo as children.
Secrets of Winter: A Shine-A-Light Book by Carron Brown and Georgina Tee
My kids love these Usbourne books where you shine flashlights behind the pages to find what’s hidden in the picture.
Snowmen at Night and various sequels by Caralyn Buehner
These books are a fun imagining of what snowman might be doing while you’re not watching.
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
With a rhythmic text and beautiful illustrations, this popular book is set around a bear hibernating for winter. Check out our B is for Bear Lesson for an extension activity we did with it.
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
A great picture book biography about the man who first recorded the beauty and uniqueness of snowflakes as he found a way to photograph them.
Edited to add new 2020 release:
The Snow Dancer by Addie Boswell
This lyrical and lovely book captures all sights and sounds of a fresh snow. It contains all the magic of a snow day as well as the balance of peaceful solitude and more chaotic fun when others join in.
