As the days get colder, snuggling up next to your child with a delightful book becomes more and more appealing. We compiled a list of some of our classroom’s favorite winter reads that your child will love. We find that books makes fantastic gifts during the holiday season as well. Enjoy!

1. Snowflake Bentley – a story about a man who loved snow

Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles since his childhood days. His snowflake investigations took a scientific turn when he finally acquired a microscope and a camera. He discovered that no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful. This gracefully told story not only teaches children snowflake science, but it also engages their imaginations and captivates them with beautiful illustrations and even some of Bentley’s own photographs. In fact, this children’s book won the 1999 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a book for children.

2. Brave Irene – when there’s a will, there’s a way

When her mother gets sick, Irene, a dressmaker’s daughter, volunteers to deliver a dress to the duchess to wear that very evening. This little girl embraces the cold, fights the snow and the wind, and overcomes many obstacles to deliver the big box with a gown in time for the duchess’s party. The book uses complex vocabulary and sentence structures making it a wonderful book for introducing new and unusual words to your child. Brave Irene is another book with superb illustration; it is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

3. Snowmen at Night – a tale that reveals what snowmen do at night

A boy notices that a snowman he had built the day before now looks droopy and disheveled, and starts wondering why that could be. He starts speculating about different activities that snowmen do at night such as drinking ice-cold cocoa, making snow angels, skating on frozen ponds, and having snowball fights. This fun and humorous story is told through a rhyme accompanied by silly illustrations of snowman having a blast with their wintery pursuits. An enjoyable read for both children and adults.

 4. The Snowy Day – a story about a young boy experiencing the year’s first snowfall

A little boy wakes up to discover that snow has fallen during the night. With a few words, this story describes the boy’s small adventures in the snow: experimenting with footprints, knocking the snow off the tree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day. This story is short, sweet, simple and easy for very young kids to understand.

5. Snow Bears – a tale about three little bears playing a pretend game

Mom bear goes outside to find her three little bears covered in snow. When she asks them where her babies are, they pretend that they don’t know. Mom bear decides to stay with them to play. Finally, when one of the little bears gets cold they all rush inside of their house and their snow cover melts to reveal that they were just pretending. This simple story is a quick bedtime read that kids will enjoy.

 6. Snow Balls – a fun narrative about creating a “snow family” 

This whimsical story takes the reader through “making a snow family”. The narrator and his family build a snow family and decorate them with lots of items that they themselves use in their daily lives including hats, socks, carrots, seeds, corn kernels. This fun and cute book is perfect for winter, and will inspire your kids to go out and build their own snow family.

7. The Mitten – the bestselling modern classic, in a sturdy board book edition perfect for little hands.

When Nicki drops his white mitten in the snow, he goes on without realizing that it is missing.
One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax.

8. Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood

What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine! Based on the true story of the Urban Art Trail in San Diego, California, Maybe Something Beautiful reveals how art can inspire transformation—and how even the smallest artists can accomplish something big. Pick up a paintbrush and join the celebration!

9. Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn’t Fit

Ernest is a rather large moose with a rather large problem. He is so big he can’t fit inside his book! Luckily, Ernest is also a very determined moose, and he and his little chipmunk friend aren’t going to give up easily. With some tape, odd bits of paper, and plenty of enthusiasm, the pair constructs an enormous gatefold page by themselves, and everything fits together in the end.

10. Subway

A father. Two children. And more than 840 miles of track. What does it add up to? Something thrilling. Are you ready for Subway?