Favourite Winter Books and Stories for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Winter is here and it’s the perfect to add a few additional books to our book boxes and shelves with some seasonal favourites. This selection of hand-picked seasonal books for toddlers and preschoolers include some of our classic favourites but also some new ones for this year. Reading about snow, ice and all of the wonders of the winter season helps little ones to understand more about the changing seasons and about the world around them as well as increase their vocabulary, develop their imagination and learn a little as they read along with you. So here you go our curated pick of winter-themed books for toddlers and preschoolers.

Winter Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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Reading winter and other seasonal books with your young toddlers and preschoolers offers more than just the simple joy of reading together. These books allow them to connect the changing world around them with what is going on on the pages. As they encounter the stories about snowflakes, blooming flowers, sunny beach days and falling leaves, throughout the year, they gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the cycle of the seasons. It help to enrich their knowledge of the environment around them but also helps them to get a grasps of time and change.

I’ve always loved adding a mix of fiction and non-fiction books so that I can introduction concepts related to the weather, animals, holidays and different cultures in a age-appropriate way. An additional benefit is that the children connect with the characters in the stories and it helps to develop their emotional intelligence, as you read along together about the joy and challenges of the different seasons.

So bearing that in mind here are our selection of Winter Books and Stories that will ignite your children’s imagination and explore the season together.

Check out these activities to do alongside the books with our Snow and Ice Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers.

Winter by Gerda Muller

First off is Winter by Gerda Muller. This is a picture book which is great for getting children to talk about the story and use the language of storytelling. I would recommend all 4 of the books in this series to add to your bookshelf as even with my children in 3rd grade we still use them as prompts for creative writing.

Winter in the Forest

This lift the flap board book Winter in the Forest is a wonderful book to enjoy with your younger toddlers, they will love the animals that dwell in the forest during the winter months but also have fun lifting the flaps and the pop-ups within the book.

One Winter’s Day by M. Christina Butler

One Winter’s Day by M. Christina Butler is the story of a kind and generous little hedgehog (the same from One Snowy day) who gives away his clothes when woken up by the wind during the winter as his nest is blown away. This is a fantastic book to add to your bookshelf this winter.

Once you have read the book why not make some Hedgehog Bread Rolls.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

No Winter book list is completed without The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats featured in our Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids in January 2018 we have had fun creating Peg Dolls and Investigating why you use salt on roads.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

I just adore the Kate Messner books that look at the world from two different perspectives, and Over and Under the Snow is a firm winter favourite picture book in our house. The illustrations are beautiful and the way that she combines what is going on above the thick layer of snow and below it is just magical. This is one to save and read time and time again.

A Thing Called Snow

A new to me book this year A Thing Called Snow by Yuval Zoomer is a beautifully illustrated book for little ones following the adventures of Fox and Hare as they search for the illusive snow. This was recommended in my Facebook Group – Rainy Day Fun and Learning and loving the author I headed straight off to discover more. I would highly recommend checking this one out if you can.

The Bear’s Winter House by John Yeoman

The Bear’s Winter House tells the story of a bear who makes a house that during the summer and autumn everyone thinks is silly. That is until one winter’s day when the wind and snow blow their nice homes to bits and they move in.

Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara

Jack Frost can sometimes be depicted as a little scary. However in Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara he’s a fun and friendly character. Follow him and the boy as they enjoy lots of winter activities until spring arrives.

Looking for books specifically for the Winter Solstice? Then check out my pick of the best Winter Solstice Books for Kids.

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

The first book that I brought my son when we discovered we were pregnant was The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. It’s one of my favourite stories and I love the beautiful illustrations throughout the book. Although we also read it at Christmas (check out our Christmas Books here) I do keep it out for winter as well.

The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming

Discover the secret to building the perfect snowman in The First Day of Winter as you follow the children through the first 10 days of winter. With rhymes and repetition, this is a great book for toddlers to enjoy.

Winter is Here! by Heidi Pross Gray

Winter isn’t all boring. Read this beautifully illustrated book about what there is to do in Winter from sledging to exploring nature at rest and of course baking cookies. Winter is Here! and the other 3 books in the series make great additions to your children’s book collections.

The Mitten by Jan Brett

The Mitten by Jan Brett is a seasonal favourite of ours – with beautiful illustrations typical of her stories we’ve had so much fun creating activities to go with this book.

Winter Seasons by Alie Busby

In this child-centred book Winter Seasons by Alie Busby (one of 4) the season is explored inside and outside through the senses and play. This is another book ideal for toddlers and young preschoolers like the next one on our list.

Winter Stories featuring Favourite Characters

Connecting favourite characters with reading is a great way to get kids to read and want to read especially those little ones that aren’t too keen on books. Here’s we’ve got a few of our favourites for you to read together.

Curious George in the Snow by Margret & H.A. Rey’s

Curious George is such a fun character and Curious George in the Snow is typical with George getting into some trouble whilst out with the man in the yellow hat at the winter games.

The Itsy Bitsy Snowman by Jeffrey Burton

One of our favourite Nursery Rhymes is Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Itsy Bitsy Snowman is a fun winter version of the rhyme. Ideal for babies and very young toddlers this book is fun to read together.

Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester

Although the winter Olympics are every 4 years we are big fans of winter sports in our house and Tacky and the Winter Games is such a fun book to read together. Read how his friends and he prepare to compete in the winter games and keep your fingers crossed that he’s not naughty at all!

Biscuit’s Snowy Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

In this sweet book, Biscuit’s Snowy Day follow Biscuit a little dog as he explores the powdery snow and has fun doing all of the fun winter activities.

Little Critter: Just a Snowman by Mercer Mayer

Snow Days were a highlight of my time at school. In Little Critter: Just a Snowman, Little Critter has a snow day. He has great expectations on what he would like to do on this wonderful day but everyone else in his family has a very different idea – sounds familiar right?

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow! by Lucille Colandro

A favourite series in preschoolers around the world this winter version There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow! Discover some of the items associated with winter and one very special activity that happens at this time of year.

The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg

Are your children like mine then they are forever losing their mittens then The Missing Mitten Mystery is the book for you. Annie loses her mitten and searches through the story to find her missing mitten. This would be ideal to give as a gift for a winter birthday with a pair of mittens of course.

The Berenstain Bears Winter Wonderland by Jan and Mike Berenstain

In this classic from the Berenstain Bears Series The Berenstain Bears Winter Wonderland the land is covered by snow follow the bear cubs as they ski, sledge, ice skate and have all of the fun of winter.

Counting and Activity Books for Winter Reading with Toddlers and Preschoolers

Books are a great way to get kids learning and we’ve put together our favourite stories for early years that you can use for learning and moving as well as reading about the seasons changing.

Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money by Emily Jenkins

When siblings decide it’s Lemonade stand time the fact that its winter won’t let them be put off. Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money is a wonderful story about siblings and persistence as well as having some fun with counting too.

Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman

If your kids like There was 10 on the bed then they are going to love Ten on the Sled using the same tune these winter animals from polar lands take a sledge ride. Ideal for counting, rhyming and singing this is fun for preschoolers to join in with.

Jenny’s Winter Walk: A Kids Yoga Winter Book by Giselle Shardlow

Jenny’s Winter Walk: A Kids Yoga Winter Book written by fellow Blogger  Giselle Shardlow of Kids Yoga Stories has produced this fantastic book that you follow along with Jenny as she takes a winter walk and as you go you act out the different winter themes with yoga poses. A fun way to keep active indoors when it’s too cold to go outside.

5 of our Favourite Winter Themed Non-Fiction Books for Kids

Even though reading stories is great and helps with language skills in our book baskets I always try and include some Non-Fiction books as well. Here are 5 of our favourite winter-themed non-fiction books for toddlers and preschoolers.

Winter Wonderland National Geographic Kids

I love introducing children early on to non-fiction books. If you have read any of our books lists before you will see that where possible I try and include a National Geographic Kids book and this list is no different Winter Wonderland National Geographic Kids. Although covering Christmas as well this would be a great addition to your bookshelf.

All About Animals in Winter Celebrate Winter

Find out about what different animals do during the winter in this non-fiction book All About Animals in Winter Celebrate Winter, which animals fur changes colour and why, which hibernate and what do the other animals do.

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winters Wonder

How is snow formed – what do the crystal look like. Help your children to answer some of these questions with The Story of Snow: The Science of Winters Wonder and ideal book if you have a “Why” child. With real pictures of snowflakes and instructions on how to catch them. This is a great book to add to your winter reading list.

All About Winter Weather Celebrate Winter

In this non-fiction picture book, All About Winter Weather Celebrate Winter discover the weather and enjoy reading with your older preschoolers. This is an ideal non-fiction book for those emergent readers and those getting to grips with reading.

Animals in Winter Lets-Read-and-Find-Out Science

The Let’s Read and Find out series of books is a great set of preschoolers that will last till they become independent readers. Animals in Winter Lets-Read-and-Find-Out Science goes through what happens to many different species of animals during the winter months – like where do the butterflies go?