[February] Picture books for 1-year-olds: books that evoke winter and Setsubun
When children are around one year old, they grow almost daily—showing interest in what’s right in front of them and displaying richer facial expressions.
If you’re wondering what picture books to read aloud to your child, you’re not alone.
In this article, we’ve gathered picture books for one-year-olds with a February theme.
We’ll mainly introduce works that let you feel the winter season, featuring themes like winter itself and Setsubun ogres (oni).
Be sure to check out these books that inspire children’s free ideas—pointing at the characters that appear, trying to imitate them, and more.
- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- [For 1-year-olds] Recommended picture books to read together in January
- [February] A collection of picture books we want to read with the 0-year-old class
- Recommended Picture Books to Read in January for 0-Year-Olds
- [For 2-year-olds] Recommended picture books to enjoy reading in January
- [Picture Books] Savor the fun of words: A special feature on recommended onomatopoeia picture books
- [March] Picture books that 0-year-olds will find interesting and enjoy
- [For 2-year-olds] Let's read together! Recommended picture books for March
- Have fun with one-year-olds! A collection of craft ideas featuring recommended January motifs
- [For Preschoolers] Fold with Fun! January Origami Ideas for Little Ones
- [For preschoolers] A collection of origami ideas to enjoy February, including Setsubun and Valentine’s Day
- [February] Picture books for 3-year-olds with themes of Setsubun and winter
- Winter picture books 1-year-olds will love! A heartwarming collection of read-aloud ideas
[February] Picture books for 1-year-olds. Books that evoke winter and Setsubun (21–30)
Whose footprints?
It’s fun to leave footprints in the snow when you walk, isn’t it? In this picture book, the animals follow footprints in the snow, wondering, “Whose are these?” Each set of footprints appears on one page, and the next page reveals the creature, so you can enjoy it like a quiz.
You’ll feel excited to see which animal appears next, and it’s interesting to spot the small differences in the tracks—some big, some small.
Rabbits, bears, foxes, and many other animals that kids love all make an appearance, making it perfect for winter read-aloud time.
To-kun Truck: Vroom-Vroom on a Snowy Day
This is a charming picture book about a little boy named Tokkun playing in the snow with his toy truck.
He heads into the forest, loads snow onto the truck, and pulls it along…
but the truck won’t move very well.
Then the forest animals come to help.
They push the truck, shovel snow to clear a path, and work together with Tokkun to build a road.
There are many ways to play in the snow—like making snowmen or having snowball fights—but this kind of free play is a lot of fun too.
Reading this book warms the heart and sparks interest in snowy adventures.
brown bear
From autumn to winter…
and then spring.
This is the story of a brown bear mother and her cub, told alongside the changing seasons.
In autumn, brown bears eat plenty of nuts and fruit; when winter comes, they spend their time in a den—and that’s when new life is born.
What might the cub feel as it bursts from the dark den into the warm, vivid world of spring? The illustrations, rendered mainly in black, are a bit distinctive, yet they also convey a certain warmth.
Bears are popular animals among children, so I hope this picture book offers a glimpse into a bear’s life.
Speaking of winter…
This is a book where you can enjoy all sorts of things related to winter.
Speaking of snowmen? Cold hands.
Speaking of cold hands? Mittens… and so on, like a word-association game.
With each page you turn, you can feel winter from different perspectives.
It’s a small picture book just the right size for babies and toddlers, so they can turn the pages themselves and have fun.
The simple illustrations are easy to understand, making it a great first seasonal picture book for winter.
After reading, try finding lots of wintry things around the house or on a walk.
Look closely at the pure white snow.
This is a counting picture book I highly recommend for babies.
Its charm lies not only in helping little ones get familiar with numbers, but also in the flocked illustrations of rabbits that offer a soft, fuzzy texture to touch.
The fluorescent-colored animals that stand out against a world of white and gray, along with the shimmering snowflakes, are strikingly vivid.
Every page turn brings a new delight, drawing in the adults reading along as well.
The design is stylish, too—leave it open for display and it could even serve as interior decor.
Mole-kun and Winter
The picture book Mole and Winter features an inquisitive little mole.
Thinking it was snowing, Mole took out his sled—but it turned out not to be snow at all, but frost.
So Mole asks the clouds to let it snow.
Can they really do that? If you give them some water to drink, they grant his wish and make it snow.
It’s a dream-filled tale that’s sure to delight children.
With its clear, simple story, even very young kids can enjoy it.
The mountain bathhouse
The picture book “Yama no Ofuroyasan” is set in a mountain bathhouse.
All sorts of animals come to the bath in the mountains—monkeys, wild boars, and… huh? Even a snowman shows up! You can’t help but worry: won’t it melt if it gets in the hot water? So, what will happen to the snowman? The surprising secret of the bath at the end is delightful, and you’ll finish the story with a smile.
It’s a perfect book to read aloud before a cozy winter bath.