25 Winter Picture Books to Keep you Warm
The air is getting colder, snow is falling, and winter is upon us. This means lots of time cozied up inside to read with your little ones, so why not make the best of it with some great winter picture books. These winter themed stories for kids range from educational books to laugh out loud funny nonsense and are suitable for children of a variety of ages. Who are we kidding, adults love picture books too!
We hope you find something to love on our list of …
25 Winter Picture Books to Keep You Warm!
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
I don’t think one can have a list of winter picture books for kids without “The Snowy Day”. This classic children’s book is gentle and nostalgic in its depiction of winter through the eyes of a child. BUY IT HERE
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
The beautiful and detailed illustrations in this children’s picture book show the world both above and below the winter landscape. A wonderfully poetic text tells the story of a magical wintery kingdom of animals living under the snow. Resources at the back of the book give more detail about animals mentioned in the story, making this a great educational book for a variety of ages. BUY IT HERE
Bear Snores On By Karma Wilson
In this rhythmic and memorable winter picture book for preschoolers, bear is trying to hibernate through winter while his friends try to stay warm during a snow storm. They gather in his den, crunching their food and enjoying each other’s company, but will all the commotion wake up bear? BUY IT HERE
Rupert’s Snowman by Phillipa Warden
A wonderfully nostalgic look at a child’s day in the winter snow, building a snowy friend. What happen’s when Rupert has to go home and leave Frosty behind? The sweet ending to this book makes it the perfect family picture book for winter time. You can check out our full review of this book PLUS a SPECIAL Q&A with the author HERE. and you can buy your copy of the book HERE.
White Snow, Bright Snow By Alvin Tresselt
This winter picture book has a wonderful cadence that draws you in and simple illustrations that give the detailed story life. While wordy, the well written story keeps a child’s attention with its use of repetition and well written poetic prose. This story of a town in winter has plenty of examples of imagery and story telling devices perfect for teaching creative writing to the 2nd and 3rd grade set. BUY IT HERE
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
“Owl Moon” is a beautiful example of well written and illustrated children’s literature. It tells a simple story of a child “owling” with their father in a deep winter snow with vivid detail both in the writing and illustration. Yolen’s classic winter story is a Caldecott Medal winner and for very good reason. Younger children may not see the beauty in the writing but will enjoy the pictures. Older children can start to point out creative writing elements and the story itself is a solid example of a story well told with many descriptive literary devices. BUY IT HERE
So Much Snow by Robert Munsch
Try not to smile reading this adorable story of a little girl who walks to school in a blizzard as the snow piles up, up, up and her amusement with the snow slowly depletes. The story is a bit exaggerated, with the poor child freezing stiff in the cold. While it is a bit of a cautionary tale, the whole thing is handled with humor and heart as the adults help her to unfreeze with hot chocolate and tickles. It may be worth explaining to younger children (preschool and kindergarten age children) that the scenario is fictional and that freezing for real is very dangerous (though not likely), but older children (first grade and on) will find the story fun and light. BUY IT HERE
Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes
A great winter picture book for preschoolers,”Winter is Here” tells of all the ups and downs of the season. Everything from the effect of winter on nature to the clothes we where to go out in the snow is covered in this gentle book for a younger set. The illustrations show a world of winter that melts into a beautiful spring. BUY IT HERE
The Magic of Friendship Snow by Andi Cann
Andi Cann’s magical story of a snowman teaching the joy of friendship to a young lonely child is perfect for children who are new to making friends or who just moved to a new town. The story centers around a child who befriends a snow man made of “magic friendship snow” and how that friendship teaches the child to be a good friend, even after the snow melts away. BUY IT HERE.
Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
In this silly rhyming children’s winter story, Sneezy is too cold and is sneezing up a storm. He keeps trying to get warm, but melts every time. This fun tale of children trying to help their snowman get warm (but not too warm!) is a playful way to introduce the concept of ice melting to preschoolers without getting too serious about it. BUY IT HERE
Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft
“Animals in Winter” is a children’s picture book about winter that explains concepts of hibernation, foraging, and migration in simple language with detailed and realistic illustrations . This educational winter book is great for kindergartners and first graders as it covers a great deal of information in a simple way. BUY IT HERE.
Little Owl’s Snow by Divya Srinivasan
A cute picture book for young children about a little owl experiencing snow for the first time. Each animal and what they do during winter is covered here, though not in as much detail as some of the other books on this list. The story has a childlike perspective of winter and wide eyed animal illustrations will catch the attention of preschoolers. BUY IT HERE
Snow Falls by Kate Gardner
The illustrations truly make this book with simple two word sentences shine. The story of snow and all its versatility is told through cute cartoon illustrations of children exploring the winter. “Snow Falls” is a great winter book for toddlers and preschoolers. BUY IT HERE.
Dream Snow by Eric Carle
Award winning story teller Eric Carle tells the story of a farmer who falls asleep and dreams of his animals being covered with a white blanket. This holiday board book helps young children to count to five and also introduces animals for toddlers and preschoolers. There is a wintery Christmas ending, making this festive winter counting book a great gift for your young child. BUY IT HERE.
Cutie Sue and the Christmas Miracle by Kate Melton
Loveable Cutie Sue is making her list for Santa, but what she really wants most is a Christmas snow. While Cutie Sue waits for the snow to come, she creates her own Christmas miracles for others by being kind and generous. You can find a full review of this book and a SPECIAL Q&A with Author Kate Melton HERE. You can also BUY THE BOOK HERE.
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
This winter book tells of the magic of snow in all of its forms. From children playing in the snow to people watching from the window as the snow falls, the illustrations bring to life a poetic prose that speaks to the special magic snow holds for all who experience it. A great winter picture book for all ages. BUY IT HERE
Snow by Url Shulevitz
Very simple text accompanies likable and quirky illustrations in this story of a boy who sees a snowflake and wants to tell everyone. Everyone tells him the snow will melt and there will not be any snow, but the boy is hopeful. The snowflakes keep coming and coming, leading to a happy snowing ending young children will love. BUY IT HERE
The Mitten by Jan Brett
This well known classic winter tale is at its best in Jan Brett’s version, with realistic illustrations and an overall cozy feel. Children of all ages will love this story of a boy’s lost mitten providing a home for animals in the winter. BUY IT HERE
Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter By Kenard Pak
A great book to introduce the transition from autumn to winter to kids. The book walks you through the changes that happen between autumn and winter, from leaves falling to animals finding shelter as they anticipate the cold. The illustrations are lovely and the story is simple enough to read aloud to toddlers and preschoolers. Still, even older kids will enjoy this beautiful book about seasons changing. BUY IT HERE
The Little Snowplow by Laura Koehler
In this empowering children’s story, the big trucks don’t think Little Snowplow can handle a big snow, but he is determined to prove he can. The tiny plow finds a way to prove himself by playing to his strengths in this winter tale about hard work and perseverance suitable for children of all ages. BUY IT HERE
Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger
This is one of our favorite winter picture books new in 2020. Little Red Sleigh wants to be Santa’s sleigh and bring joy to children everywhere. But is she just too small? This heart warming story about finding where you belong and taking things one step at a time has all the makings of classic winter story. BUY IT HERE.
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Caralyn Buehner’s silly snowmen are a real treat whether it is Halloween, Christmas, or in this case, just night time. What do snowmen do all night? This amusing children’s story makes some very silly guesses and the pictures are fun to look at. BUY IT HERE.
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Raymond Brigg’s wordless classic is the perfect winter picture book for children of any age. The story is told in a comic strip form, with only images telling the story. This adorable story of a snowman coming to life is as memorable as it is magical. BUY IT HERE.
Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper
One of the newer books on this list, this one is a truly unique selection. “Ten Ways to Hear Snow” follows a young girl on her way to visit her blind grandmother on a snowy day. She mistakenly believes that her grandmother will not know it has snowed, because she cannot see. But as the girl walks through the snow, she learns there are many ways to hear snow even if you cannot see it. BUY IT HERE.
When It Snows by Richard Collingridge
This book with beautiful photorealistic illustrations is full of magic and has a beautiful message about the power of books to take us places. “When It Snows” is a must for any snowy day stuck inside. BUY IT HERE
Well Folks, that’s it for our big list of Winter Picture Books For Kids!
Did we miss one of your favorite winter picture books? Let us know in the comments!
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