Winter picture books 1-year-olds will love! A heartwarming collection of read-aloud ideas
On cold winter days, picture-book time is perfect for cozy moments with a 1-year-old.
Especially at this age, picture books play an important role in expanding their world of words.
With winter-themed books, the scenes outside the window overlap with the world in the book, drawing little ones even deeper into the story.
Here, we’ll introduce winter picture books that speak to a 1-year-old’s heart, featuring snow, winter animals, and warm ways to spend the season.
Use this as a guide to enjoy a wonderful winter time with your 1-year-old!
- Winter picture books that captivate infants: A collection of heartwarming read-aloud ideas
- Books to Enjoy Winter With: Picture Book Ideas to Read with Your Two-Year-Old
- [February] Picture books for 1-year-olds: books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- [For 1-year-olds] Recommended picture books to read together in January
- Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that will captivate 3-year-olds
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter: Heartwarming Recommended Stories
- Picture books about autumn that captivate one-year-olds! Recommended reads to make fall more fun
- Picture Books to Read with 5-Year-Olds: Recommended Titles to Make Winter More Fun
- [For 2-year-olds] Recommended picture books to enjoy reading in January
- Recommended Picture Books to Read in January for 0-Year-Olds
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
- [For 1-year-olds] Picture Books to Enjoy in Spring | Wildflowers and Creatures
Winter Picture Books Toddlers Will Love! A Collection of Heartwarming Read-Aloud Ideas (11–20)
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.
Rice-Cake Bath
Set in the cozy hot spring “Poka Poka no Yu,” Omachi’s Bath weaves a uniquely charming tale.
The protagonists are Mo-chan and Chi-chan, a pair of rice cakes.
They want to take a nice, slow bath, but the soy-sauce footbath is packed with sushi folks, and the kinako bath is full of dango dumplings.
Is there a bath where the two can relax? With enticing options like a hot-pot bath and a toaster sauna, delightful tubs keep appearing, making it impossible to stop turning the pages.
A fun picture book that’s perfect for winter.
Kuupii and Kirakira-chan
The story’s main character is Kuupee the little bear.
Kuupee meets Sparkle-chan, who has been separated from her friends, and decides to help her find them.
It’s a heartwarming tale perfect for winter read-alouds, and the white parts of the illustrations—like snow and snowmen—are fluffy to the touch, so you can enjoy the tactile feel as you read.
There are also glitter details and other fun features that kids will love.
As you search for Sparkle-chan’s friends with Kuupee, enjoy the textures and scenery of winter.
Guruguru-chan and Fuwafuwa-chan
When we woke up in the morning, everything was a world of silver! Little Squirrel Guruguru was overjoyed.
But seeing that white, cold stuff for the first time, she wondered, “What is it?” Then Fluffy the Rabbit came along and told her, “It’s snow.” After that, the two of them rolled around and played in the snow, and before they knew it, they were covered head to toe in white.
This is a seasonal picture book where little ones can also enjoy peekaboo.
Seeing Guruguru and Fluffy having so much fun will surely make children look forward to playing in the snow too.
Gorongo snowman
When you think of winter, you think of snow…
and when you see snow, don’t you just want to make a snowman? In this picture book, a big snowball comes rolling along and then turns into a snowman.
He becomes friends with a dog, and they have fun racing around together.
It’s such a dreamy story, it warms your heart as you read.
The illustrations are also created with dyed fabric, with the stitches clearly visible.
The tactile, three-dimensional feel makes you want to reach out and touch it—and kids are sure to love it too.
A Guest from a Distant Star
One night, as Christmas drew near, a princess from the Twinkle-Twinkle Star paid a visit to the owl who lived in the observatory.
She asked if she could warm herself by the stove because it was cold.
After that, the two of them made ice cream under the night sky.
It sounds chilly when you imagine it, but it looks absolutely delicious.
Then they decorated a fir tree with star fragments the princess gave them! It’s the kind of dream-filled, delightful turn of events that makes your heart flutter with excitement.
The princess’s outfit is so adorable that any girl might want to try wearing it herself.
Winter Picture Books Toddlers Will Love! A Heartwarming Read-Aloud Idea Collection (21–30)
Surprise kotatsu
A warm fixture that appears in winter and is so cozy you can’t bring yourself to get out…
the kotatsu.
Falling asleep under the kotatsu and catching a cold is a classic winter scenario, isn’t it? This picture book features the kotatsu as its theme.
It’s a lift-the-flap book: when you flip back the quilt, you’ll find all sorts of things—cats, thieves, ghosts, and more.
There are clues visible before you lift the flap, so you can enjoy a guessing game, too! A perfect book to brighten winter read-aloud time, full of excitement as you wonder what will appear next.