Winter Reads for Kids

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The picture shows a child in a blue snowsuit with a blue and white striped scarf and mittens walking with a colorful cityscape in the background, with red, peach, and yellow buildings and a lamppost. There are piles of snow on the sidewalk and snowflakes falling from the wintry blue sky above.

by Eliana H.

Winter is here! Are you ready to snuggle up with a seasonal book to share with your child? You can find a few of my favorites for various ages below, and feel free to call or visit any HCLS branch to ask for personalized recommendations. Whatever you choose, we wish you a safe, warm, and joyous winter season. 

For youngest readers (board books): 

A Winter Walk in the City by Cathy Goldberg Fishman 

An unnamed narrator walks through a diverse city, counting objects they see along the way, from one to ten. The items seen show that residents are celebrating a range of holidays spanning the winter season. 

The book cover shows some cartoonish mammals with big eyes - a polar bear, a fox, a chipmunk, and a squirrel - surrounding a snowman against a snowy but sunny backdrop. Another chipmunk is scaling a tree limb above the gathering.

Hooray for Snowy Days! by Susan Kantor 

Cartoonish woodland creatures celebrate many parts of a snow day. Getting ready to go outside, enjoying fun snow activities with friends, and cozying back up at the end of the day are all included. 

To share together (picture books): 

The book cover is a photograph of a blue jay perched on a snowy branch of a bare tree.

Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre 

Beautiful, detailed photographs showing nature and animals in real snow and ice accompany rhyming text in this appealing volume. Enjoy the opportunity to take a closer look at what might be a familiar experience, while using some terms that you may not usually choose to talk about snow. Bonus snow facts at the end can help answer questions for curious readers! 

The book cover shows a young woman walking with an elder; both are wearing winter coats, scarves, and hats. There are four bare trees in the background with snow on the branches, and several buildings in the distance with snow on the roofs.

Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper 

Lina wakes up to a world transformed by an overnight blizzard blanketing everything in snow. But that won’t stop her from going to help her grandma, Sitti, who has trouble seeing, make grape leaves. On the way Lina notices different sounds associated with the snow. After they make the stuffed grape leaves, she shares them with Sitti, and they find one final way to hear snow together. 

For older readers (chapter books): 

Cornbread & Poppy by Matthew Cordell 

The book cover depicts two mice in winter clothes, seated at a table with a teapot and teacups. They are next to a window that shows a snowy mountain in the distance.

Cornbread and Poppy are best friends, but they are very different. While Cornbread prepared for winter well in advance, Poppy was too busy enjoying other activities. Now winter is here, and Poppy is not ready! Cornbread would never let her go hungry, but he doesn’t have enough for both of them. The two set off on a surprising adventure to find food to last Poppy through the winter. Enjoy colorful illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell in this beginning chapter book, a great choice for a family read-aloud as well. 

The cover depicts a child seated at the edge of a body of water, with snowy pine branches extending all around and raindrops falling into the blue-green water. The child wears a red duffle vest and a red bobble hat.

The Sea in Winter by Christine Day 

Maisie Cannon is having a hard time. She has been taking ballet since the age of four, and her studio has been her sanctuary and second home. Now twelve, Maisie is months into hard work at physical therapy after an injury, trying to resume her training and catch up with her friends. As Maisie’s family, of mixed Native American backgrounds, prepares for a midwinter trip to connect with their heritages, Maisie struggles with feelings of frustration and disconnection. Although it lacks a simplified happy-ever-after, Maisie is supported by her family and working to find a path through her struggles at the story’s end. 

Eliana is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at the Elkridge Branch and co-chair of the HCLS Equity Committee. She loves reading, even if she’s slow at it, and especially enjoys helping people find books that make them light up. She also loves being outside and spending time with friends and family (when it’s safe).

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