[For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
After the New Year holidays, our lively three-year-olds are coming back to preschool.
Some children might feel a bit nervous returning to daycare or kindergarten after such a long break.
So today, we’d like to introduce some recommended picture books for January that three-year-olds can enjoy! You might find books about New Year’s traditions, bath time, hot pot, snow, and other familiar experiences that children may have had—now brought to life in picture-book form.
We’re sure their eyes will sparkle with excitement.
Enjoy reading them together while chatting with the children!
- [For 3-year-olds] Recommended Picture Books to Read in March
- [For 2-year-olds] Recommended picture books to enjoy reading in January
- [February] Picture books for 3-year-olds with themes of Setsubun and winter
- Recommended Picture Books to Read in January for 0-Year-Olds
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended Picture Books for Spring | Exciting and Thrilling Reads
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- [For 2-year-olds] Let's read together! Recommended picture books for March
- Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that will captivate 3-year-olds
- [For 1-year-olds] Recommended picture books to read together in January
- [For 5-year-olds] Picture books recommended for reading in January
- [For 3-year-olds] Perfect January Winter & New Year Crafts! A Collection of Fun, Hands-On Ideas
[For Age 3] Recommended for January! A Heartwarming, Exciting Picture Book Collection (21–30)
My cloak has a hood.
“My cloak has a hood”—the rhythm makes you want to read it in a lilting 5-7 cadence.
The little bear girl who appears in the story wears a bright red cloak trimmed with fluffy fur along the edges.
On sad days and happy days alike, she always keeps this cloak on.
If you love wearing cute cloaks instead of coats in winter, this is a must-read.
The bear’s expressive face is utterly charming, and you’ll truly want to read it again and again.
What kind of clothes does your child love most? Just like the bear in this story, favorite outfits are the ones you want to wear over and over.
Six Frogs and a Chilly Night
There are times when you want to sleep but just can’t, right? Kids are full of energy too, and sometimes they just can’t fall asleep even at night.
In this picture book, you’ll meet some frogs who took it so easy that they forgot to hibernate.
You’d think they’d hate the cold, but when they saw snow for the first time, they were thrilled and started playing in it.
Children are sure to be captivated by the adorable frogs and the heartwarming story.
And if they copy the frogs and play in the snow, they might sleep soundly at night.
Aokun Fukuchan
Speaking of Setsubun, it’s the event where ogres show up…
As February approaches, children might be getting nervous with excitement.
In this picture book, Ao-oni the blue ogre and Fuku-chan, the god of good fortune, make an appearance.
It seems the two of them are talking about switching the roles of ogre and fortune.
With a heart-thumping, exciting turn of events, children may forget their fear and simply enjoy the story.
Rather than a typical holiday-themed picture book, this one shines for its engaging narrative, and I highly recommend reading it as Setsubun draws near.
red gloves
This picture book charms with its gentle illustrations and storytelling, focusing on a child’s red mittens.
The two red mittens are always together, warmly wrapping a pair of small hands.
They helped when the child made a snowman for the first time and when rolling snowballs.
The way the red mittens are spoken of like close friends leaves your heart feeling softly warmed.
Children often lose their mittens, so if they think of them as friends like this, they might take better care of them.
In this book, the child loses one of the red mittens, too.
Let’s hope it’s found safe and sound…
Let’s warm up.
A warm bath in winter feels so comforting, doesn’t it? In this picture book, a little rabbit finds a hot spring and tries to get in.
But it turns out to be the monkeys’ hot spring, or the bears’ hot spring, so they won’t let the rabbit in.
Will the rabbit be able to warm up in a hot spring? Winter baths are cozy once you’re in, but getting in can be tough.
Still, after reading this picture book, kids might feel like they’re enjoying a hot spring themselves.
Pikopiko the Rabbit
A rabbit parent and child find a basket in the forest.
When they open it, they discover a stuffed rabbit named Pikopiko inside.
The rabbits look puzzled at its appearance, which is a little different from their own.
Pikopiko keeps being fussy—refusing tiny strawberries and insisting it can’t sleep without a fluffy blanket and a music box.
But freshly picked strawberries are delicious, and a blanket of leaves is warm…
In the end, they spend time together like a real family.
It might remind you a little of a child going through the “no” phase.
Teach me! Amu-amu-san
The picture book “Teach Me! Amu Amu-san” is set in a little knitting shop in the forest.
One day, a bear comes to the sheep Amu Amu-san’s store and hands over a sweater that has become too small.
Amu Amu-san swiftly unravels the yarn and begins to re-knit it.
What she finishes becomes gifts for the animals: ear warmers for the rabbit, a tail cozy for the fox… Our hearts dance at the warm items that will gently wrap everyone.
It’s a wonderful book that portrays cherishing belongings and caring for friends.