The holidays have come and gone, but the cold winter weather still remains for a few more months. This provides a fun opportunity for learning about weather changes and discussing the seasons with young learners.
To spark curiosity and help start the conversation, we are sharing some of our favorite winter books. These stories can be enjoyed as a group during circle time or set up in your classroom’s book corner for independent exploration.
This is a fun, sing-a-long book that tells the story of a baby beluga whale who lives in the ocean. Children will enjoy the song and the pictures of cold weather animals. There’s also a video on YouTube of Raffi playing the guitar and singing Baby Beluga.
Elhert’s stories are always a classroom favorite. This short, beautifully illustrated book is all about snow, including a demonstration of how to build a snowman.
This book tells the story of a brother and sister investigating the snowy landscape outside their home. The two build a snowman, go skating and sledding, and make snow angels. The book’s colorful illustrations and witty dialogue will be enjoyed by young readers. There’s also a video read-aloud of this winter story.
In this sweet book, a variety of animals and birds find their way into Bear’s cave to warm up and escape the winter. Children will enjoy all the animals presented in this story, and will learn about hibernation and how animals manage to escape the cold! You might try the video read-aloud version of this cozy book.
This story is about a polar bear’s search for a friend to play with. The book’s friendly illustrations in icy blue colors make this story engaging for young readers while themes of friendship and perseverance will allow for meaningful conversations with young children.
This book explores the penguin father and his devotion to the egg. It shares the struggle of spending the winter outdoors in Antarctica without anything to eat, while keeping an egg warm under its feet for two whole months, until it is time for the egg to hatch. Children learn interesting facts about penguins in this beautifully illustrated book.
This colorful book explores how a variety of different animals cope with winter weather. Children will enjoy learning more about some of their favorite animals and their winter habits.
Babies’ Favorite Books 
Buzzin’ Exploration! Activities to Pair with Children’s Books about Bees
Exploring Cold Weather: Winter Activities & Books for Young Children