Winter Picture Books
This post includes 15 books for children that celebrate all the beautiful aspects of winter.
I’ve come to realize that winter is my favorite season. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I love cold, gray days where I can snuggle up inside and do cozy activities. I also love snow and colder weather, where I can bundle up and breathe in the crisp air. It is so refreshing to me. I don’t even mind scraping frost and ice off my car in the morning. Maybe I’m just a romantic! Regardless, there are some STUNNING picture books out there about winter. So much so, I had difficulty limiting my list to just ten. So instead, I am giving you fifteen picture book recommendations to read during cold and dreary days to remember all the wonderful aspects of winter! I can’t wait for you to see these books and admire all the beautiful illustrations. There’s something about these glowing, snowy scenes that just warms my heart. I hope you like them, too!
As important as I think it is to support libraries and independent bookstores, I understand this is not a possibility for everyone. So, I’ve included links to purchase the books mentioned in this post through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which is the best way you can support this blog. Ultimately, please choose the method that works best for you!
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Written by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith & illustrated by Tim Hopgood (2016)
I love the Tim Hopgood illustrated song books! Along with this book, Hopgood has illustrated books for “Moon River”, “Singing in the Rain”, and “What a Wonderful World”. The illustrations are always bright, colorful, and detailed. I’m always interested in how illustrators create their art, and Hopgood’s use of various mediums to create his illustrations is fascinating. The result is absolutely beautiful, and I could stare at his illustrations all day! This book shows people walking through various winter woodland scenes with some sweet animals. It is a great one to read (sing!) aloud with your child to introduce them to this classic song.
Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter
Written by Eugenie Doyle & illustrated by Becca Stadtlander (2016)
In this book, a young girl walks the reader through all the preparations her family farm makes for winter. Things such as harvesting the last of the fall vegetables, putting straw over the garden beds, closing the chickens into their coop, and making sure the beehives are covered. The illustrations in this story are reminiscent of American folk art, which is fitting for the farm theme. many children learn about farms in elementary school, and this book would be a great addition to the curriculum as it focuses on a different aspect of farm life.
Winter: A Solstice Story
Written Kelsey E. Gross & illustrated by Renata Liwska (2023)
This story imagines how animals may celebrate the winter solstice together, offering gifts to help each other get through the season. The illustrations feature soft colors and textures, which makes it feel very cozy and dream-like. There is also a fold-out page that shows a large winter tree the animals decorate, which children will love to look at! This book inspires readers to be kind and think about simple ways they can share their light with others. It is a beautiful book, and a great one to read on the first day of winter!
The Snow Thief
Written by Alice Hemming & illustrated by Nicola Slater (2024)
Squirrel and Bird are back, this time to help readers understand winter and snow! Squirrel is confused about what that white stuff is on the ground, and is suspicious of the snow squirrel who may have taken his hazelnuts. Bird explains the facts about snow, how fun it can be, and tries very hard to help squirrel understand that snow squirrels can’t steal hazelnuts. Children who enjoy humorous stories will love this chaotic squirrel, and will also learn some interesting facts about winter!
Winter is Here
Written by Kevin Henkes & illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2020)
This is another great seasonal book by Kevin Henkes that also makes a nice read aloud for younger children. The text is simple, with one or two sentences on each page. The illustrations are bold, with strong black outlines that children will be able to see easily. This book talks about the sights and sounds of winter, and would facilitate good discussion about what children see outside and inside their homes during this season.
It’s Winter!
Written & illustrated by Renée Kurilla (2024)
This book by Renée Kurilla that will have you feeling cozy and ready to do some winter activities! From making crafts, baking, and drinking hot chocolate under warm blankets, to going sledding and building a snowman, this book has it all. There are several holidays showcased in this book, including Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year, and Valentine’s Day. The text is simple, with a rhyming sentence on each page. The illustrations feature diverse children, and cool winter tones. This is a great book to add to your seasonal collection!
A Day So Gray
Written by Marie Lamba & illustrated by Alea Marley (2019)
A child helps her friend to see the world in a different light. When her friend tells her, “this day is so gray”, she responds by telling her about all the beautiful colors she can see. By the end of the story, the pessimistic friend is seeing all the beauty her friend sees. This book serves as a great lesson about perspective and attitude. We could probably all use this reminder once in awhile! The text is simple, and children will have fun looking for all the colors the girls mention in the snowy illustrations!
Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter
Written & illustrated by Kenard Pak (2017)
Two children walk through the forest and their town, greeting all the changes outside as fall turns into winter. I love these seasonal transition books by Kenard Pak! The watercolor illustrations are absolutely stunning, and it is neat to see how the fall colors slowly transition into winter ones as the story progresses. This would be a great book to read as fall winds down and winter begins. After reading, you could go outside and look for the things you saw in the book!
Hello Winter!
Written & illustrated by Shelley Rotner (2019)
Shelley Rotner’s books about seasons are fantastic introductory nonfiction books for kids! They have simple text, but include great vocabulary words, such as chill, adapt, icicles, and hibernate. There is a glossary in the back that defines terms that children may not know. The photos in this book show diverse children, as well as interesting photos of nature. This book will facilitate great discussions!
You’re Snug With Me
Written by Chitra Soundar & illustrated by Poonam Mistry (2018)
In this story, a mama polar bear comforts her new cubs as they ask her many questions about their habitat. She reminds them often that they don’t have to be afraid, because “you’re snug with me”. This books has such unique and mesmerizing illustrations which are inspired by Indian art. There are many patterns and wintery colors, and staring at them is almost calming to me. This book serves as a reminder to take care of our planet and only take what we need from it in order to protect the many animals who also call it home.
Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story
Written by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss & illustrated by Cinyee Chiu (2021)
This one is for the animal lovers! A grandmother explains hibernation to her grandchild, pointing out all the different places animals will have their winter sleep. There is a page that goes into more detail about hibernation in the back of the book, which would be great to include in a science unit about winter and animals. This illustrations offer a unique perspective, showing how the animals and insects sleep in their homes. We may not ever see this in real life! This is another beautifully-illustrated book that would make a great addition to your winter bookshelf.
A Cozy Winter Day
Written & illustrated by Eliza Wheeler (2024)
This story encapsulates all the cozy activities that people like to do in the winter, but features a sweet little village of animal families. Cooking stew, baking, and knitting are a few of the indoor activities the animals enjoy. The animals also go outside to play on the snowy day. Children will be able to think about things they like to do on snow days, and you may be inspired to try some new activities together!
Counting Winter
Written by Nancy White Carlstrom & illustrated by Claudia McGhee (2024)
Count winter animals from 1-12 in this beautifully illustrated story! This book features animals that you would find in the Alaskan tundra, from common animals such as foxes, to animals children may not have heard of, such as the musk ox. While the text on each page is short and lyrical, there is a section in the back of the book with information about the different types of animals. The illustrations were created with scratchboard and watercolor. I am always drawn to scratchboard illustrations, as they take so much time to create and the results are so unique! This story would make a great read aloud for a younger audience as they are learning to count.
Bear Can’t Sleep
Written by Karma Wilson & illustrated by Jane Chapman (2018)
It is time for Bear to hibernate, but he can’t sleep! Bear’s forest friends try different ideas to help him fall asleep, but nothing is working. Will Bear ever get to sleep this winter? You’ll have to read and find out! the Bear books by Karma Wilson are so fun. The text is rhyming and uses phrase repetitions, which kids will enjoy saying along with you. In this one, the line “but the bear can’t sleep” is often repeated throughout the book. This book makes for a fun read aloud experience, and children will fall in love with Bear and his friends!
Once Upon a Winter Day
Written & illustrated by Eliza Woodruff (2020)
Milo wants his mother to tell him a story, but she is busy working. She sends Milo outside, where he discovers some different animal tracks and a story of his own. Children will have fun discovering which animals made the tracks in the snow! The text in this story is short, and features different movement words that you and your child could act out together. This book will inspire readers to go outside and see what type of story they can discover!
There are sooooo many more books I would add to this list, but I wanted to give an honorable mention to Jan Brett. I would add almost any book of hers to this list, and she has many cute, cozy ones! She is the queen of winter picture books.
What books would you add to this list? Please feel free to share. Thanks for reading, and happy winter! I hope you enjoy many cozy days with lots of freshly baked cookies and hot drinks under soft, knitted blankets. :)