[February] Picture books for 3-year-olds with themes of Setsubun and winter
February, when the cold truly sets in, is a season that brings a sense of winter, with snowfall piling up and the arrival of Setsubun.
Children attending daycare are surely looking forward to events themed around playing in the snow and Setsubun.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of picture books for three-year-olds perfect for February.
We’ve picked a wide range—from stories that capture the feel of winter to tales featuring oni (ogres) as the stars of Setsubun.
From timeless classics loved across generations to buzzworthy new titles, we’ve gathered a variety to help you choose read-alouds for February.
Be sure to check them out!
- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
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- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
- Picture Books to Read in February [For 5-Year-Olds]
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended Picture Books for Spring | Exciting and Thrilling Reads
- [For 2-year-olds] Let's read together! Recommended picture books for March
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- [For 2-year-olds] Recommended picture books to enjoy reading in January
- [Picture Books] Savor the fun of words: A special feature on recommended onomatopoeia picture books
- [Quiz] A Collection of Quizzes You Can Use in February Childcare
- [February] Picture books for 1-year-olds: books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- [For 2-year-olds] Enjoy spring-recommended picture books with your children
[February] Picture books for 3-year-olds themed around Setsubun and winter (21–30)
It’s coming! It’s here! New Year Seven!
“Here It Comes! It’s Here! New Year Seven” might be irresistible for kids who love sentai-style heroes.
The ever-sudden hero, Seven, has arrived for the New Year! Let’s learn about New Year’s Eve and New Year traditions together with Hero Seven.
From year-end preparations and ozoni soup to osechi dishes and New Year’s games, this book offers a solid introduction to Japan’s wonderful traditional customs.
It even comes with a sugoroku board game, dice, and a spinning top, so the whole family can play and enjoy time together!
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.
[February] Picture books for 3-year-olds themed around Setsubun and winter (31–40)
On a night when snow falls silently
The heart-calming, cozy picture book “On a Quiet, Snowy Night” tells the story of a fox walking through a nighttime forest blanketed in snow, meeting an owl, a woodpecker, a snow hare, and more along the way.
In a forest covered with falling snow, you might discover things you don’t usually notice.
The illustrations in the book, with their use of color and depictions of animals, convey both warmth and strength.
As you read, the beauty of the forest comes through.
You may even feel as if you’re in a quiet, snowy forest yourself.
The Great Adventure of Sorachi Village
This is a story about Hiro the dog, who has all sorts of encounters while chasing a butterfly.
He meets a customer at a coffee shop, a girl throwing a party, and some delicious-looking, ripened grapes… While enjoying each new meeting, Hiro’s true goal is still the butterfly.
He chases it with all his heart—but when he comes across the grapes, uh-oh…? It seems he forgets all about the butterfly.
With each page they turn, children will surely search for the butterfly alongside Hiro and feel a thrill of excitement wondering what will appear next.
Daruma-chan and Tengu-chan
Speaking of popular New Year’s decorations, daruma dolls come to mind, don’t they? The protagonist of this story is also a red daruma boy named Daruma-chan.
Daruma-chan becomes envious of the things his friend Tengu-chan has and keeps saying, one after another, “I want the ___ that Tengu-chan has.” Then, using his own ideas and flashes of inspiration, he makes those wishes come true, and in the end he turns into something truly wonderful.
It’s a book full of a childlike sense of admiration and the joy of becoming what you admire.
Reading it is sure to bring a smile to your face.
Someone’s single glove
On cold days, lots of children go out wearing gloves, don’t they? Mako-chan, the little girl in this picture book, also puts on the brand-new gloves she just got and goes for a walk with her big sister and their dog Kunku.
Along the way, they find single gloves dropped here and there, and some of them look like rabbits and other shapes.
It’s a delightful book that showcases children’s rich imaginations.
The ending, where a miracle-like coincidence occurs, will surely put children at ease.
It also seems like a story that nurtures a sense of taking good care of one’s belongings.
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.