Winter picture books 1-year-olds will love! A heartwarming collection of read-aloud ideas

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

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 Toddlers Will Love! A Heartwarming Read-Aloud Idea Collection (21–30)

Surprise kotatsu

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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.

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Look closely at the pure white snow.

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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.

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Mole-kun and Winter

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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.

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Usako-chan on a Snowy Day

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Usako-chan is overjoyed to see snow for the first time.

Bundled up warmly, she has fun outside sledding and skating.

Then she finds a little bird crying.

It seems the bird is cold… So Usako-chan decides to make a home for it.

Will the little bird stop crying? This is a lovely picture book where, amid the fun of winter play and a few small mishaps, you can feel Usako-chan’s kindness.

It’s a story that even very young children can enjoy, so be sure to include it in your winter read-alouds.

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Yuki fufufu

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Let me introduce a picture book that lets you gently feel winter: “Yuki Fufufu.” The snow illustrations feel so real you could almost touch them, and the curious sound expressions that linger in your ears as you read make it a truly lovely book.

The children staring quietly up at the sky are especially striking, and it makes you wonder: what kind of faces would my own child make when they see snow? You can’t help but imagine it.

Each snowball has a little face, which is adorable, and kids will probably be delighted to spot them—“There’s one here, too!”—and eagerly point them out.

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