Recommended Picture Books to Read in January for 0-Year-Olds
This time, we’re introducing picture books perfect for 0-year-olds that you’ll want to read with them in January.
Whether your child has been enjoying picture books since spring or was just recently born, picture books are something everyone loves.
There are so many kinds of picture books that it can be hard to choose, right?
In this article, we’re sharing lots of recommended picture books for 0-year-olds.
Children enjoy different aspects—like the fun of repeated words, shapes, and colors—so please use this article as a guide to find the perfect picture book for your child!
[For 0-Year-Olds] Recommended Picture Books to Read in January (1–10)
Brr, it’s freezing.
A song picture book recommended for 0-year-olds! This is part of Miyoko Matsutani’s Baby Warabe-uta series, which tells stories through pictures and songs.
It expresses the flow of traditional play through nursery rhymes like “Oosamu Kosamu,” “Oshikura Manju,” and “Kono Yubi Tomare.” The animals illustrated by Teruyo Endo in oil pastels and watercolors are also very cute, so I highly recommend it.
This picture book is perfect for the cold season—you might even feel like playing Oshikura Manju after reading it.
The Daruma doll
Let me introduce the Daruma-san picture book series, popular with all ages.
Of course, even infants can enjoy it.
A round, red shape stretches, shrinks, tumbles—captivating even children who don’t yet know what a daruma is.
The author focuses on “sound,” “objects,” “movement,” and “imaginative play.” One of the best things about these books is that simply looking and listening is fun.
Adults might even find themselves laughing at the call-and-response rhythm of the words.
Be sure to read them while enjoying some close, playful time with your child.
Born in January (birthday in January)
Let me introduce a recommended birthday picture book for babies born in January! It’s a story about a shy little rabbit born in January who makes a snowman friend.
Besides the birthday theme, it’s packed with various events related to birthdays.
You can also have fun looking up and exploring these events, so it’s a great gift not only for 0-year-olds but also for any friend born in January.
The text is printed in large letters to make it easy for small children to read, so please give it a try!
So, about Omochi…
A picture book that everyone can enjoy at New Year’s—from babies to adults! Here’s a soothing, cute-illustrated recommendation.
This is the 13th book in the popular “Delicious Friends” series for children.
It’s a fun story where mochi is flipped to grill both sides in one go, puffs up with a whooosh and then deflates, and gets dunked into soy sauce with a splash.
The sizzling, crackling sounds of it cooking are also depicted, making you crave freshly pounded mochi.
The charming illustrations will soothe adults, too.
Even the drawings on the inside of the dust jacket flaps are adorable—highly recommended.
Rice cake!
Get into the mochi-pounding spirit! Here’s a picture book even babies can enjoy.
On this fun mochi-pounding day, the freshly pounded mochi keeps transforming into all sorts of things! The best part of this book is its lively rhythm.
If you read it as if you’re singing, both the reader and the listener will have a great time.
Chihiro Ishizu’s playful words spin a story full of dreams, perfectly matched with Yasunari Murakami’s cheerful, bright illustrations—together they make a wonderful book that lets you enjoy the joy of pounding mochi.
The cute animals’ expressions are another highlight! It’s a perfect New Year’s pick that will make the mochi you eat for the holiday taste even better.
Gorongo snowman
Speaking of January, there are regions where it snows.
When children see snow, they get excited and shout, “Wow!” So for a January picture book, I’d like to introduce Gorongo the Snowman.
A snowball comes rolling along.
Then another one rolls in, and when it hops on top—ta-da! The snowman is complete! From there, the story unfolds with the snowman at the center.
This picture book is made entirely of fabric, giving it a very warm feel.
Be sure to read it with babies from 0 years old and enjoy the full charm of winter and snow.
Whose footprints?
When you walk on snow, you leave footprints, right? This picture book, “Whose Footprints Are These?”, invites you to look at footprints left in the snow and wonder, “Whose footprints could these be?” You then turn the page to find the answer.
You’ll meet all sorts of animals—pigs, bears, rabbits, mice, chickens, and more.
It has a quiz-like element while also letting you enjoy winter scenes, making it a recommended read for January.
If it snows, encourage children to make their own footprints and have fun observing what shapes they make.