Looking for the best winter books for preschool? Check out our favorites!
We are a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links. Click HERE to read our full disclosure.
BOOK LIST: WINTER
There’s no better time to cozy up with your little ones than winter. The cold weather and slower days calls for warm blankets, hot chocolate, and your favorite books!
Whether you’re reading to your own kids at home or students in your classroom, there are so many awesome winter books to choose from!
Keep reading to check out some of our favorites. Plus there’s a link to download a few winter freebies & a great winter snack idea, too!
If you’re looking for winter-themed learning activities, check out this post!
WINTER BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Snowman’s Story: Here’s a great wordless picture book on the list that has the most beautiful illustrations! After a bunny takes the snowman’s book, the snowman has to go on a dangerous adventure with his friends to chase down the bunny & get his book back. In the end, they find the bunny, who has taken the book home to its mother so she could read to all of the little bunnies. Such a fun story for littles to tell on their own!
The Snowman: This classic wordless picture book is from 1978 and stands the test of time…the copy we have is actually my husband’s book from when he was a kid! In this story, a boy builds a snowman who comes to life that night. The two go on lots of adventures and have a great time! When the boy goes out to see his snowman in the morning, he’s melted away. Was it all just the boy’s dream, or did the snowman really come alive?
The Thing About Yetis: I first learned about the yeti craze when my daughter was given the game Yeti in My Spaghetti when she was in preschool. She loves that game! Now I see yeti books and games popping up everywhere! In this yeti story, the author shares why yetis love winter so much…they love sliding down hills, building snow castles, and ice-skating “yeti style.” Then the author explains why yetis don’t like winter and how they’re looking forward to summer, just like the rest of us!
The Snowy Day: No winter-themed book list would be complete without this classic book by Ezra Jack Keats from 1962. Peter wakes up on a snow day and has the best time playing outside! He puts a snowball in his pocket during the day, but when he checks it that night, the snowball has melted. Peter feels very sad, but when he wakes up, it’s snowing again, and he heads out to have another fun snow day.
Snowman Magic: In this story, George builds a snowman after a big snowstorm, and the most amazing thing happens…his snowman comes to life! They play all weekend together, but when George goes back to school on Monday, his friend melts. The next day, it snows again, and George is excited to build his snowman again!
Dixie and the Best Day Ever: In this story, Emma needs to write a poem for school, but she has no idea what to write. Then she has the best snow day ever with her dog, Dixie. They build a snow dog, make snow angels, and go sledding. In the end, Emma knows exactly what to write her poem about…her best day ever!
Are you making a sensory bin for winter? Check out this fun idea you won’t want to miss!
Snowmen at Night: This is hands-down my favorite winter book for preschool on our list! This is a rhyming book that share what snowmen like to do at night…including sledding, ice-skating, having snowball fights, and drinking ice-cold cocoa, made by snowman mothers! This is always a fun read aloud since the rhymes flow effortlessly and the pictures are very engaging. (If you like this book, check out the others in this series, such as Snowmen at Work, Snowmen at Play, and Snowmen All Year.)
Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter: This is a beautiful picture book that shows how the weather changes from autumn to winter. The story highlights how things will change for plants, animals, and people when winter comes.
Guess How Much I Love You in the Winter: Have you read Guess How Much I Love You? That book makes me cry each time I read it to my babies…it’s one of my all-time favorite books! This winter version is just as sweet & perfect for this time of year! In this version, Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare are playing “I Spy” in the forest. We have the “Deluxe Cut Paper Edition,” which means that each page has pop-up pictures that make you feel as if you’re really in the forest with the characters while they play their game.
How to Catch a Snowman: We LOVE the “How to Catch a….” series, and this one is just as good! The kids in this story are trying their best to catch the snowman, but he keeps getting away! In the end, even though they can’t catch him, the snowman leaves a gift for the kids…he makes the biggest snowman ever so they win the grand prize in the snowman-building competition! (This book also has a few Frozen references, which kids will love!)
I love this book so much that I created a book project for it. Click on the picture to read more!
Snowball Soup: This story is one of Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter stories, and it is actually an “I Can Read!” book, so your students might be able to read some of the words themselves, depending on their level. In this story, Little Critter and Little Sister go outside to play in the snow. They have a snowball fight, build a snowman, and make him some snowball soup for lunch. Yum!
The Biggest Snowman Ever: In this story, two mice, Clayton and Desmond, are both trying to build the biggest snowman to win the town’s snowman competition. Once they realize that every mouse’s snowman in town is about the same size, they decide to work together to build the biggest snowman of all and win the competition!
The Most Perfect Snowman: Drift is a snowman who feels left out because all the other snowmen have scarves, hats, and carrot noses. He thinks if he had those things, he’d be the most perfect snowman ever. When a few kids come by and give him what he wants, he has a fun day playing with them! But after a blizzard blows through town, he gives away his scarf and carrot nose to a bunny in need, which is when he truly becomes the most perfect snowman of all.
Snowball Moon: This rhyming book tells the story of a family who has fun on a cold winter night. They go sledding, build a snow fort, and have a snowball fight. The rhymes in this book are shorter than traditional rhymes. One page says, “Rosy nose, ice toes” and the next page says, “Goodbye, snow. Hot cocoa!”
Winter is Here: I love all of Kevin Henkes’ books, and this one is a great version for winter. This book talks all about the great parts of winter…and the not so great parts. It shows the different ways winter comes into our lives and homes, and it ends with how winter leaves to make way for spring.
A Loud Winter‘s Nap: This is a funny book about a tortoise who dislikes winter. He’s looking for a place to take a long winter’s nap, but he keeps getting disturbed by other forest animals. When he accidentally sleds down a hill, he realizes that winter can actually be fun!
Fancy Nancy: There’s No Day Like a Snow Day: We are big fans of Fancy Nancy over here! This book is all about her fabulous snow day. She and her friends make a snow royal family, have hot chocolate, and go sledding down “Mt. Everest.” They have the best day ever!
Walking in a Winter Wonderland: This book goes along with the classic song, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.” The illustrations are big and colorful, and this would be such a fun book to flip through while listening to the song on a snowy day.
The Luckiest Snowball: In this story, Izzy makes a snowball that comes to life. He names the snowball Larry, and they have the best day together. Izzy puts Larry in the freezer so he won’t melt. He takes him out on the first day of spring, summer, and fall, so that Larry can see the different seasons. But when winter comes around again, Izzy leaves Larry outside in the winter since that’s where he belongs.
100 Snowmen: I love this book because it combines rhymes with math and colorful pictures! The book starts by counting up, such as “One lonely snowman has a carrot nose. Two other snowmen join him when it snows.” Then it has a math problem: 1+2=3. Once the book gets to 10, it starts counting backwards. In the end, all of the sums of the math problems add up to 100 snowmen!
Hello Winter: This is the only nonfiction book on our list. I love it because it includes real photographs of children in winter and scenes from winter in nature. There are not too many words or sentences per page, so it’s ideal for preschoolers.
The First Day of Winter: This book follows the same pattern as the holiday song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” only in this version, it repeats, “On the first day of winter my best friend gave to me….” It’s told from the snowman’s point of view, and at the end of the book, the snowman is finished and ready for winter.
Once Upon a Winter Day: In this story, Milo wants his mom to read him a story, but she’s busy working (I can so relate to that mom!). So she sends him outside to play instead. Milo is resistant at first, but then discovers clues in the snow that lead him on an adventure. This book is a great way to encourage little ones to use their imaginations, pay attention to details, and enjoy being “bored.”
Fox Versus Winter: In this story, Fox dislikes winter because all of his friends go away. Bird flies south & Bear goes to sleep. Fox is lonely and bored, so he tries to fight winter…but winter fights back! In the end, Fox finds Rabbit, who teaches him to listen and be still during winter to appreciate its beauty.
The Snowman Shuffle: This rhyming book is absolutely adorable! It gives directions for how to dance like a snowman, such as, “Shuffle like a snowman. Shuffle side to side. Shuffle forward, shuffle backward, in a graceful slide.” Your little ones will LOVE getting up and moving to this book! It’s a great way to encourage gross motor skills and following directions.
A Winter Walk In the City: I absolutely LOVE this counting book! Each page counts one thing the main character sees during a winter walk in the city, which includes traditions for all different religions and cultural backgrounds. I love that this book highlights the diversity in our communities, plus it helps our little ones practice counting from 1-10.
My Winter City: This book is all about what a family sees in winter. It’s very poetic and uses many similes and metaphors to describe the different scenes. I love how the pictures show many different people from all different backgrounds and religions, just like we would see in any city.
Lemonade in Winter: This book is awesome for kids who are interested in learning more about money. Pauline and her little brother John-John decide to have a lemonade stand in the middle of winter (even though their parents don’t think anyone will buy it). Pauline and John-John buy the supplies, set it up, attract customers, and count their money. There’s also a section in the back that explains money to our little ones.
Sneezy the Snowman: I have seen this book recommended by some of my teacher friends and I knew I had to pick it up this year, and it did not disappoint! Sneezy is a snowman who’s SO cold, so he tries to warm himself up by drinking hot coco, sitting in a hot tub, and warming himself by the fire. But each time he does a warm activity, he melts and the children have to rebuild him! As they rebuild him, they give him pieces of clothing to help warm him up. In the end, Sneezy feels too hot with all the new clothing…so the kids take him to buy an ice cream cone. And that’s when Sneezy feels just right!
SNOWMAN PANCAKES
Want to pair one of your preschool winter books with a fun snack? Try these snowman pancakes! Your little one is sure to be impressed with this wintery breakfast. You can read more about them in this post!
WINTER FREEBIES
After reading some of these winter books, you might want to add a winter learning activity to your day. Below are four free winter activities you can use with your preschooler this year.
Click the picture below to read more about these freebies & download them for your preschooler!
SHARE YOUR FAVORITES
Do you have any favorite winter books for preschool? I’d love to hear about them & add them to our list! Comment below or head over to Instagram [@littleslovelearningblog] and share there!
love these books? pin them for later!
Looking for other books lists for preschool and kindergarten? Click HERE to check them out!
Happy Learning!
