The Best Children's Picture Books About Winter

There are many children's picture books about winter and snow, but the best children's picture books have gorgeous illustrations and simple text that will keep kids interested. Here are some of the best children's picture books to read on a cold winter night or during a winter-themed story time.

The Snowy Day- Ezra Jack Keats. This groundbreaking, 1963 Caldecott winning book about a young African American boy named Peter and his wondrous day in the snow is a classic. According to author Ezra Jack Keats' website, a photo from Life magazine inspired the character of Peter. Keats said, "Then began an experience that turned my life around-working on a book with a black kid as hero. None of the manuscripts I'd been illustrating featured any black kids.... My book would have him there simply because he should have been there all along". The Snowy Day features unique collage artwork by Keats.

On a Wintry Morning- Dori Chaconas. This book is about a special winter day between a father and his baby daughter. Daddy and baby go for a sleigh ride, look for bunny tracks in the snow and make snow angels before a tuckered out baby goes down for her nap. The illustrations by Stephen T. Johnson are fabulous and the rhyming text is fun to read, especially to very young children.

The Mitten- Alvin Tresselt. This book was originally published in 1964 and the retro style illustrations by Yaroslava are charming. This Ukrainian folk tale is about a lost mitten that surprisingly provides shelter for winter animals.

The Three Snow Bears- Jan Brett. Any fan of children's picture books knows who Jan Brett is. Her stories and illustrations are very detailed and distinctive. Brett has written several books with winter themes (she too has one called The Mitten) but this Arctic tale about an Inuit girl and her animal friends is a favorite.

Snowballs- Lois Ehlert. This s a very unique book, filled with photos of everyday images put together to create a snow family. Kids love this book's collage-style artwork and will want to search through to find all of the items that the snow family is made of. A reading of this book may just result in a craft project though, so be prepared.

The Twelve Days of Winter- Deborah Lee Rose. This winter take on the classic Christmas song is not only a great counting book, but a great book for any elementary school teacher to read to her class. Kids love to count down the winter surprises along with the class in the book.

Snowmen at Night- Caralyn Buehner. This book, by husband and wife team Mark and Carolyn Buehner, captures the "secret" life of snowmen after dark. It has easy to read rhyming text, while Mark Buehner's telltale illustrations make this book stand out.

Winter Wonderland- Dick Smith. I love this little book from Scholastic. It has cute illustrations by Jacqueline Rogers but the "story" is also the lyrics to the classic holiday song of the same name. It's a great illustrated version of a classic song that many people don't know the words to.

One Winter's Day- M. Christina Butler. This sweet book, about a little hedgehog that is getting his bed ready for winter, features adorable pictures by illustrator Tina Macnaughton.

Snowbear's Winter Day- Dorothea DePrisco. This is a sweet winter tale about Snowbear and his friends who play in the snow, go ice skating, and eat strawberry pie by the cozy fire. And isn't that what winter is all about?

Sources:

http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/about/index.html

Amazon.com