Books to Enjoy Winter With: Picture Book Ideas to Read with Your Two-Year-Old
On a cold winter night, why not spend a cozy picture book time indoors with your two-year-old? In this season, picture books featuring snow and winter scenes have a special charm.
Especially for two-year-olds, it’s an important time to learn words and expand their imagination through books.
Here, we’ll introduce a variety of heartwarming picture books perfect for two-year-olds in winter.
Please use this as a guide to create wonderful seasonal memories through stories that both children and adults can enjoy!
- Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that will captivate 3-year-olds
- Winter picture books 1-year-olds will love! A heartwarming collection of read-aloud ideas
- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- Winter picture books that captivate infants: A collection of heartwarming read-aloud ideas
- A special feature of recommended picture books for Christmas that will captivate 2-year-olds!
- [For 2-year-olds] Recommended picture books to enjoy reading in January
- Picture Books to Read with 5-Year-Olds: Recommended Titles to Make Winter More Fun
- Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter: Heartwarming Recommended Stories
- [February] Picture books for 3-year-olds with themes of Setsubun and winter
- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
- [February] Picture books for 1-year-olds: books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- Toddlers will love it! A fun picture book selection to enjoy the feeling of autumn
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
Ideas for Picture Books to Enjoy Winter with a Two-Year-Old (1–10)
Bean scattering, parra-para
While Christmas and New Year’s are also winter events, isn’t Setsubun the one that makes children’s hearts pound in many different ways? This picture book centers on the bean-throwing custom.
As you toss beans, you drive away the ogres with the familiar chant, “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi”—“Demons out, good fortune in.” Children might feel a little scared, wondering if real ogres will come, but it’s reassuring to know from this book exactly how to send them away.
As a seasonal picture book, why not include it in your winter read-alouds?
Tom and Pippo go out for a walk
This is a heartwarming picture book that depicts the simple moments of everyday life.
Tom and Pippo, Sal’s stuffed toy, are very close friends.
It’s full of stories that make you nod in recognition at ordinary scenes.
Tom imitates what his mother does for him and does the same for Pippo.
Perhaps Tom’s kindness is the kindness he received from his mother.
Within these short stories, the book is filled with love and warmth.
It’s easy for little ones to understand, so please enjoy reading it together as a parent and child.
Cozy soup
When it comes to picture books perfect for the deepening winter chill, “Poka-Poka Soup” is the one to pick.
One day, Takkun catches a cold and is lying in bed when he hears a voice coming from deep inside the futon.
As he ventures further in, he finds a chef making warm soup just for him.
After drinking the soup, his whole body feels toasty warm.
The soup his mother made tastes just the same as the chef’s.
It’s a story set deep within the futon that will make you feel warm inside, too.
After you finish reading, you might just feel like peeking under your own covers.
Ideas for Picture Books to Enjoy Winter With Your Two-Year-Old (11–20)
Go for it! Lululolo: Lots of Snowmen
The twin sisters Lulu and Lolo help shovel the snow that has piled up in the garden.
As they roll the snow, they also make a snowman.
What kind of snowman will Lulu and Lolo create? For adults, shoveling snow can be hard work, but with a little creativity, doing it together with children might lead to new discoveries and fun.
You can enjoy the anime currently airing on NHK Educational TV as an original picture book.
The interactions between Lulu and Lolo are very adorable, too.
It’s a perfect picture book for the cold winter season.
Chiikuma-chan and Shimakuma-chan
The picture book Chiikuma-chan and Shimakuma-chan, filled with the wintry atmosphere of its snowy illustrations, is perfect for the cold season.
The best friends—Chiikuma-chan, a little polar bear, and Shimakuma-chan, a striped stuffed bear—are always together.
They ride a red sled to play in the snow, climb snowy hills, and build snowmen.
A warm drink enjoyed out in the cold might taste especially delicious.
Chiikuma-chan and Shimakuma-chan is a heartwarming read that will leave you feeling cozy and happy—please enjoy it together with your child.
Ride on my sled!
The picture book Full of Kindness and Compassion, “Ride on My Sled!”, is a gentle story that will warm your heart with the interactions between Little Bear, Little Squirrel, Little Fox, and Little Rabbit.
Delighted by the falling snow, they all brainstorm ideas for what to play.
They promise to go sledding, but Little Squirrel doesn’t have a sled.
Little Bear feels embarrassed about the old sled he owns.
This picture book overflows with thoughtfulness and kindness, and after reading it, you might just feel like being kind to someone yourself.
snow play
On a cold winter morning, when children look out the window and see the snow has piled up, they get excited, don’t they? This picture book lets parents rediscover that sense of excitement and enjoy it together with their children.
The story begins when Little Pig looks out the window in the morning and sees that snow has fallen.
On snowy days, it’s thrilling to think about what kinds of games to play outside.
Snowball fights, sledding, building snowmen—many activities come to mind, but what did Little Pig choose to do? It might be nice to ask children what games they’d like to play when it snows.