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)
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.
Everyone from the osechi, gather around!
When it comes to New Year’s feasts, yes—“osechi” is the classic.
In this picture book, the staple osechi dishes are illustrated in a cute style.
Since every dish has a little face, children can enjoy seeing each food as a character.
Mr.
Kamaboko, Shrimp-chan, Mr.
Black Beans, and Kobumaki-kun all jump into the tiered jubako box one after another, and the osechi is complete.
While enjoying the colorful osechi, it would be nice if children could also learn the meanings behind each item.
Mochi pounding
Like the children in this picture book, there may be many kids who think mochi is something you just buy at a store.
That’s exactly why we want them to experience mochi pounding for themselves.
In this book, the process is carefully shown—from preparing the tools, the usu (mortar) and kine (pestle), to putting in the glutinous rice—until the mochi is ready.
The children’s expressions, depicted with a distinctive touch, are so lively that just looking at them makes you feel happy too.
Please enjoy the fun winter event of mochi pounding through this picture book.
Komadako-san and Yukidaruma-san
Komadako, who lives in the countryside, wakes up to find that snow has fallen and decides to make a snowman.
When she finishes a snowman about the same size as herself, she sits next to it for tea time.
To her surprise, the snowman starts having tea with her, too! After that, they play together, take a bath, and spend a delightful time.
It’s like a dream where you can spend the day with a snowman as if you were friends.
Please enjoy this gentle and lovely book during winter read-aloud time.
Where are the zodiac animals going?
A picture book that summarizes traditional Japanese events for infants and toddlers, “Where Are the Zodiac Animals Going?” It’s not about memorizing the order or names of the twelve zodiac signs; instead, it tells the story of the zodiac animals aiming for the top of a mountain to watch the first sunrise of the year.
Since long ago, seeing the New Year’s Day sunrise has been considered auspicious and special for everyone.
If you can watch it together, the experience is all the more moving.
It seems all the zodiac animals make it safely and offer prayers to the first sunrise.
Will children imitate them and pray too? May the new year be filled with wonderful days.
The tiny, tiny land of ice
The picture book “The Tiny, Tiny Land of Ice,” with illustrations that make you feel gentle just by looking at them, is set in a frozen land.
One day, out-of-season snow fell on the hat-shaped house where Poko Poko lives.
Why did it snow even though the day was warm? What exactly is the silver ice cloud? With every page you turn, your excitement grows at the charming little items and cozy homes.
Wrapped in colorful, tender illustrations, it’s a delightful story.
Warm and cozy yuzu bath
It’s said that taking a yuzu bath on the winter solstice drives away bad fortune and invites good luck.
In this picture book, sparked by receiving some yuzu from his grandmother, Akkun opens a little yuzu shop.
When he cheerfully calls out, “It’s the yuzu shop!” various animals come by saying, “Yuzu, please!” This is a book that clearly presents a traditional Japanese custom.
After reading it, children will surely become interested in yuzu baths.
Why not enjoy a fun bath time with your child after story time?