My favorite part of winter– the cozy read alouds! Snuggle under a warm blanket and share these fabulous picture books with your Bookworms for a wintry treat!

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Snuggle Down Deep by Diane Ohanesian, illustrated by Emily Bornoff. Early preschool-early elementary. Such a cozy wintertime read. This sweet book is a mix of an informational text about how various animals survive the winter’s cold, and a lilting refrain, “they nuzzle down, snuggle down, snuggle down deep.”

Winter is Coming by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Jim LaMarche. Preschool-Mid elementary. My nature loving Bookworm adores this beautiful book that follows a little girl who observes animals preparing for winter from her special lookout in a tree. Illustrations are really breathtaking (as are all of Jim LaMarche’s nature themed books. We especially love Pond and The Raft.)

Little Fox in the Snow by Jonathan London, illustrated by Daniel Miyares. Older preschool-early elementary. This follows a red fox through a snowy landscape, showing his role in the food chain as both predator and prey. Although the fox does catch his prey, the tale is not gruesome, and he safely returns to his den in the final pages of the story. This illustrates the winter as a time of survival for hungry animals. (We have enjoyed Daniel Miyares other beautifully illustrated books as well, especially Float and Surf’s Up.)

Hush, Hush, Forest by Mary Cassanova, woodcuts by Nick Wroblewski. Older preschool-mid elementary. Various woodland animals are shown preparing for winter alongside of beautiful, lyrical text. This could certainly be featured during a winter-themed poetry teatime.

Read about how we do teatime here and my tips for getting started.

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na. Toddler-preschool. For younger readers, this shows the wintertime habits of various creatures: “some have a long, cozy sleep where they live. Some swim to warmer waters. While some have a thick wooly coat… they can stay in the snow!”

When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan, illustrated by Susan Gaber. Young preschool-early elementary. A series of questions and answers about winter’s changes: “Where oh where do the flowers go when winter comes and the cold winds blow? Their petals wilt, but their seeds burrow down to rest underneath the leaves’ golden crown.”
When the Moon Comes by Paul Harbridge, illustrated by Matt James. Early-upper elementary.This has such an old-fashioned feel to it; a group of kids waiting for the perfect moment to play ice hockey on the frozen pond– by the light of the full moon. A longer text with rich illustrations.

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman. Early-upper elementary. I’ve mentioned Joyce Sidman a few times around the blog– this poetry volume is just as wonderful. Informative and beautiful.

50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch. Early preschool-mid elementary. Robert Munsch is a picture book legend, and this book is one of my favorites of his. It’s a hilarious tale of a father who sleep walks, waking his son who finds him in all manner of places around the house– from the garage to the top of the refrigerator… to the freezing cold yard! The repetition makes this a fun read aloud! (If your library subscribes to TumbleBooks, look for the “ebook” with fantastic narration and sound effects.)

Big Snow by Jonathan Bean. Older preschool-mid elementary. A funny story that follows a boy (and his mother’s) difficult time waiting for a big snow to fall! His mother’s attempts to take his mind off of the wait only lead to hilarious antics around the house. (We love Jonathan Bean’s mostly auto-bio picture books Building Our House-a unique construction/building book and This Is My Home, This is My School– about homeschooling.)

Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter by Eugenie Doyle, illustrated by Becca Stradtlander. So interesting to this suburban family! This follows a family farm’s preparations for the winter season, connecting each action to its importance for the following growing season.

Toys Meet Snow: Being the Wintertime Adventures of a Curious Stuffed Buffalo, a Sensitive Plush Stingray, and Book-Loving Rubber Ball by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. After falling in love with the Toys Go Out chapter book series, we thoroughly enjoyed visiting our friends from that series in picture book format. Don’t that title and the Caldecott Award winning author grab you?