Last Updated on January 12, 2026 by Laura
Winter is here, bringing frosty mornings, warm coats, and the perfect opportunity to share winter picture books with your students! Whether your students are bundling up for snowy adventures or dreaming of what snow might feel like for the very first time, winter-themed stories are perfect for your January library lessons. So, it’s time to stock up on some fun winter picture books that will captivate your students, no matter the weather outside!
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The Queen of Winter Picture Books
Jan Brett’s detailed and fun picture books are still some of my favorites to celebrate winter in the library and elementary classroom. Your students will love spending time with the detailed illustrations, noticing many hints, treasures and surprises!
The Snowy Nap Hedgie the hedgehog decides not to hibernate in order to experience winter for the first time. Along the way, he learns about the joys and challenges of the season.
Cozy A lovable musk ox named Cozy provides shelter for a group of animals during a snowstorm, teaching lessons about kindness and cooperation.
The Mitten In this classic retelling of a Ukrainian folktale, a boy loses his mitten in the snow, only for it to become a cozy refuge for a variety of woodland animals.
The Hat Hedgie makes his first appearance in this fun story when he discovers a woolen sock and accidentally starts a fashion trend among the farm animals.
The Three Snow Bears In this beautiful retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Aloo-ki, a young Inuit girl, stumbles upon an igloo belonging to a polar bear family.
Snowy Nonfiction Books
These snow-themed winter picture books encourage exploration and are great for introducing winter science topics.
The Snow Man, a True Story by Jonah Winter This biography recounts the fascinating life of Wilson Bentley, the man who first photographed snowflakes. It combines history with inspiring messages about curiosity and perseverance. (Pair this with the classic Caldecott winner Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Mary Azarian.)
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner This beautiful book, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, explores the winter world from above and below the snow, introducing children to animal habitats during the colder months.
Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman This book explores the lives of animals during winter. Each poem captures the unique ways they survive in the cold, with additional facts about the animals and the season.
More Winter Picture Book Fun
The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming The sweet, repetitive text encourages participation – in fact, you could sing it to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas! showing the changes and surprises of the first day of winter.
Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes Beautiful illustrations celebrate the winter season through the magic of snow, icy lakes, and cozy moments indoors. Kids will delight in the snowman created!
A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett Follow a polar bear as it emerges from the snow, over the ice, through the water. What will it do next? Beautiful torn paper illustrations by Shawn Harris
Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper A young girl visits her grandmother on a snowy day and discovers the quiet beauty of winter as she observes 10 ways to pay attention. A celebration of intergenerational connections and mindfulness.
So Much Snow by Kristen Schroeder This fun story explores what happens as snow continues to fall, building up around seven forest animals in a playful and cumulative way.
All Right Already!: A Snowy Story by Jory John Duck is excited about the snow, while Bear prefers to stay cozy inside, leading to funny and relatable situations.
Winter Bookmarks to Color with Jokes
Choose a couple of these winter picture books to use in a snowy storytime lesson with your kindergarten, first and second grade classes! Get the wiggles out with a fun scavenger hunt, Bingo and Memory games, music and movement activities and more! Active learning + Purposeful movement = Win-Win for you and your students! Spread some winter fun in your elementary library or classroom!
Save these Winter Picture Books for later!
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Be the light! ~
