Winter Books (2019)

“One wintry day I made a snowman, very round and tall. The next day when I saw him, he was not the same at all! His hat had slipped, his arms drooped down, he really looked a fright – it made me start to wonder: What do snowmen do at night?”

– Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

We spent an extremely chilly New Year’s Eve touring around the beautiful Blossoms of Light exhibit, at the Denver Botanic Gardens. It was the coldest night so far, this winter season (just under 10 degrees) and it was snowing. We were bundled up (with hand-warmers in our boots and gloves) and a thermos full of hot cocoa to enjoy as we strolled. Despite the frigid temperature, it was a truly magical experience. The light displays were gorgeous and mesmerizing and the snow flurries made us feel as though we were walking in a winter wonderland. It was the perfect way to welcome winter… since we didn’t get a white Christmas this year. And with the holidays officially behind us, we’re now ready to celebrate the snowy season! To kick things off, we obviously had to round up some amazing winter stories to share.

We’ve made sure to find time every day to snuggle up on the couch and read our fantastic collection of snow-filled stories. Some of them make us laugh, some make us shiver, some warm our hearts…while others make us want to don all of our cold-weather gear and rush out to play in the snow!

**Note: The below list contains Amazon Affiliate links, for convenience. See Disclosure Policy for more details.**

William’s Winter Nap by Linda Ashman
- This adorable story is our daughter’s absolute favorite this winter season! We read it Every. Single. Day. 🙂 So, I guess it’s lucky that it’s loved by the rest of the family too. William is just drifting off to sleep inside his warm and cozy cabin, when he hears a tap, tap, tap on his window. He sits up in bed to find a little lost squirrel who is cold and tired, and who would love to come in and stay. Will scooches over…sure they will fit…and they say goodnight. But soon, a new noise fills the room. More animals arrive, seeking shelter from the cold. How many more animals can the little bed hold?
The Little Snowplow by Lora Koehler
- The big trucks on the Mighty Mountain Road Crew are not pleased when the little snowplow joins their ranks. He will never be able to handle the big snowstorms – at least that’s what they all think. But the little snowplow is determined to prove them all wrong, and when a big blizzard arrives, it’s his time to shine! This charming story about perseverance reminds us of the Little Excavator book, by Anna Dewdney, that made an appearance on our list of Favorite Construction Truck Books.
Penguins Love Colors by Sarah Aspinall
- Tulip, Tiger Lily, Dandelion, Broccoli, Bluebell, and Violet were all named after Mama Penguin’s favorite flowers. One day, the little penguins decide to paint a beautiful picture for their mama – in a rainbow of colors. Will Mama Penguin be able to tell which penguin painted what? Absolutely! And I would hedge a bet that you could make a good guess too.
Penguins Love Their ABC’s by Sarah Aspinall
- We’re back with our favorite family of penguins…and this time Mama Penguin has set up a lovely little alphabet scavenger hunt for her little ones (and yours) to enjoy. When the six little penguins complete their ABC hunt, they are all famished…so Mama whips up a hearty bowl of alphabet soup. Yum!
One Winter’s Day by Christina Butler
- When a strong winter storm blows Little Hedgehog’s house away, he dons his warm hat, scarf, and mittens, and sets off for his friend Badger’s house. Along the way, he finds some of his friends cowering in the cold. One by one, he gives away his cozy winter gear to those in need. When he reaches Badger’s house, he’s shivering and covered in snow. Luckily, a hot cup of tea and a warm fire await him inside. When the storm has passed, Little Hedgehog makes his way back to where his nest used to be. How will he ever rebuild after the storm blew all of the twigs and leaves away? As he rounds the last corner, he stands in awe…he doesn’t have to rebuild his nest…because his friends (the ones he had kindly shared his warm winter gear with during the storm) had built him the coziest nest he had ever seen. We love this beautiful story about friendship…especially because the hat, scarf, and mittens on each page are made of a soft felt material – giving the book an added textural/sensory element for readers to enjoy.
Ladybug Girl and the Big Snow by David Soman & Jacky Davis
- Feeling slightly defeated after her snow fort falls apart and a tree branch drops cold snow on top of her head and down her neck, Lulu is ready to head inside and call it quits on her snow day. But then she remembers that she’s Ladybug Girl…and Ladybug Girl can do anything! So she sets back out on a magical, snow-filled adventure with her dog, Bingo. And with the help of her older brother, they fill the backyard with an entire zoo of snow animals!
Mika: The Bear Who Didn’t Want to Sleep by Erik Kriek
- After Cara and Kinley shared this winter story on their @raising.kinley Instagram page, we decided to snag a copy from our local library. We immediately fell in love with Mika, the little bear who desperately wants to stay awake, so he can see the northern lights…instead of hibernating in a warm cave with his parents. Will he find the magical lights he’s looking for? Or will he get in trouble for sneaking out in the middle of the night?
Princess Snowbelle by Libby Frost
- Snowbelle, princess of Frostovia, was excited to sing the opening song at the annual snow ball. Excited…and a bit nervous…since it was her first time performing in front of the entire kingdom. At least she would have her best friend, Sparkleshine, by her side. Or would she? When a blizzard traps Sparkleshine in the forest, Snowbelle sets out to save her. Will they both become lost in the snowstorm? Will they make it back to the castle in time for the big show? You will just have to read the story and see how it goes.
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
- We loved reading Snowmen at Christmas, as part of our holiday books, so we decided to grab another story in this silly series. Do you ever wonder what snowmen do at night? Well…they glide right down to the park, where they compete in several snow games (including snow baseball), delight in snowball fights, and sip ice cold cocoa…before sledding down the big hill and back into their respective yards. So when you wake up in the morning to find your snowman looking a big disheveled…you’ll know the reason why.
Snow by Sam Usher
- Everyone gets excited for a good old-fashioned snow day, and Sam can’t wait to be the first to get out and enjoy the winter wonderland. But he has to wait for Granddad to get ready…and Granddad is taking forever. Needless to say, they are not the first ones outside. In fact, it seems that an entire zoo has beat them to the punch (along with the rest of the neighborhood kids). When they finally arrive at the park, Sam finds that there is still loads of snowy fun to be had. And by the end of the day, he realizes that some things are definitely worth waiting for.
Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis
- Everyone knows that penguins live at the South Pole…but when the Pilchard-Brown family gets lost on their way to a picnic, they end up coming face to face with a giant polar bear – all the way at the North Pole. Mr. White (the polar bear) happily guides the penguin family back to the opposite side of the Earth (while making stops in the United States, England, Italy, India, and Australia). And he becomes the very first polar bear to ever visit the South Pole. The penguins beg him to stay, but his real home is 12,430 miles away.

So…welcome winter! We can’t wait to go sledding, build snowmen and snow forts, make snow angels, ice skate, ski…and maybe even have the occasional snowball fight. 🙂 And we’ll make sure to have lots of marshmallows on hand, for all of the hot cocoa we will inevitably be drinking to warm ourselves back up.