![[For 2-year-olds] Recommended picture books to enjoy reading in January](https://media.ragnet.co.jp/img/1200__jpg__https://www.studiorag.com/files/2024/12/21402fd6010c8a111b909b2797096c8b.webp)
By the time children are two, some begin to enjoy the humor of repeated words and feel a fondness for characters, discovering picture books in ways that differ from when they were zero or one.
With that in mind, here are some recommendations: picture books perfect for two-year-olds to enjoy in January.
Two-year-olds’ picture-book world expands quickly—they get excited just seeing the cover, and they start remembering simple words and imitating them.
In this article, we introduce a variety of picture-book worlds.
Let’s read the books that catch your child’s interest together and have fun!
- [For 1-year-olds] Recommended picture books to read together in January
- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- [For 2-year-olds] Enjoy spring-recommended picture books with your children
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
- [For 2-year-olds] Let's read together! Recommended picture books for March
- Recommended Picture Books to Read in January for 0-Year-Olds
- Picture Books to Read in February [For 5-Year-Olds]
- [For 0-Year-Olds] Picture Books to Read in Spring | Enjoy Picture Books with Your Children
- Books to Enjoy Winter With: Picture Book Ideas to Read with Your Two-Year-Old
- [For 5-year-olds] Picture books recommended for reading in January
- [February] Picture books for 1-year-olds: books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- A special feature of recommended picture books for Christmas that will captivate 2-year-olds!
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
[Age 2] Recommended Picture Books to Read and Enjoy in January (1–10)
Abuku-tatta
Nursery rhymes are simple yet profoundly rich songs, aren’t they? In this picture book of the nursery rhyme Abukutatta, a little mouse makes sweet red bean soup while singing the song.
The language is simple and easy for two-year-olds to understand, and during the “It’s not done boiling yet” part, many children respond by waving their hands or shaking their heads, making it a perfect book for kids around age two.
When you read it, it’s best to keep a lively, rhythmic tempo.
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game; literally “pushing manju buns”
Red-and-white manju buns are starting a game of oshikura manju (a playful pushing game).
The words and rhythm when the buns push against each other are very soothing, making this a perfect picture book for two-year-olds.
If you read it slowly, your child may find it easy to imitate and might start echoing the words as you go.
Striking the oshikura manju pose together with your child could make it even more fun.
With its simple, humorous style, this picture book would also make a delightful gift.
The King of Oden
When winter comes, many people start craving warm oden.
In this picture book, “The King of Oden,” the ingredients simmering in the pot begin to boast about their own good qualities.
It’s full of humor, and by the time you finish reading, you might find yourself wanting to eat oden.
You might even learn a bit more about it, too.
What oden ingredients do you like? The ingredients vary by region, but please enjoy imagining a steaming-hot pot of oden as you read.
Mr./Ms. Onabe
A pop-up book about a little hot-pot shop that uses a pot to create all kinds of dishes.
When you turn the interactive pages, dishes perfect for a cold winter appear along with cooking sounds.
The illustrations feature lots of vegetables and meats that look so realistic you might find yourself wanting to eat them.
Flip the flaps again and again to enjoy the hot pot.
It might also spark an interest in cooking.
Be sure to talk with your child about which hot pot they like best.
Who is this snowman?
“Whose snowman is this?” In the winter snow, animals tumble out of a little girl Momi-chan’s sled, rolling across the snow and turning into snowmen.
With every page turn, it gets funnier, and you can’t help but wonder who’s hiding inside each snowman.
Sledding on snowy days is so much fun for kids! The rhythmic story and heartwarming illustrations are highlights, too.
It’s the perfect picture book for the chilly season, when you can discover the joys of winter.
Be sure to enjoy reading it together with your child.
White, white Korowan.
Many books have been published in the Korowan series, but Shiroi Shiroi Korowan (White, White Korowan) is the final picture book in the series.
One winter evening, the puppy Korowan is outside when snow begins to fall from the sky.
After a single night, everything is blanketed in white, and Korowan is overjoyed by the snow.
For some children, this picture book might be their first introduction to snow.
For adults, it may be a story that brings back memories of the excitement they felt when it snowed in their own childhood.
Enjoy this perfect picture book for the cold winter season together as a parent and child.
gloves
Let me introduce the picture book “The Mitten,” recognizable by its warm yellow color and slightly oversized, picture-book-like shape.
The story is set in a winter forest, where a mouse finds a mitten dropped by an old man and decides to live in it.
One by one, other animals also squeeze into the cozy mitten.
However, as larger and larger animals climb inside, the mitten quickly becomes full.
Then, at the very end, a huge wild boar appears.
What will happen to the mitten and the animals? “The Mitten” is a story often used as a play in preschools and kindergartens.
Be sure to read it with your child during the cold winter season.