[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 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Heart-Pounding, Heartwarming Picture Book Collection (41–50)
Nemu in winter hibernation
Nem, a hardworking boy, has come to live on his own at Ippo House.
The season of harsh winter hibernation is just around the corner.
Besides Nem, there are other residents at Ippo House: Pao, who lives in a room filled with books; Mio, who loves painting and singing; and Hiira, who is the same age as Nem.
The four of them interact as they prepare for winter.
This heartwarming book tenderly watches over Nem, leaving you with a cozy feeling.
Someday, children too will strike out on their own like this and broaden their worlds, won’t they? A work that gently spreads through the hearts of adults as well—tinged with a little loneliness and a little joy.
to make a winter coat
A cold winter has arrived.
Saki-chan wants to go play outside, but she doesn’t have a coat to wear.
Then her mother lets her wear her own red coat.
However, since it was too big, they decide to tailor it…
Watching her mother’s coat transform into a lovely coat just the way Saki-chan likes it feels like magic and fills you with excitement.
This is a book that nurtures a sense of valuing things and an interest in making things.
Feel the season of winter as you enjoy this warm 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?
Mocchiin
Let me introduce the picture book “Mocchiin,” packed with the fun and deliciousness of mochi.
The first page shows a mochi-pounding scene using a mortar and pestle.
It also teaches various tasty ways to enjoy mochi, such as with seaweed, kinako, and natto.
The adorable illustrations feature mochi with little faces, and the vertical page layout beautifully expresses mochi stretching.
When children hear the countdown—3, 2, 1—they’ll likely say “Mocchiin!” and strike a stretching pose along with the mochi.
Just imagining it is absolutely adorable, isn’t it?
The mountain bathhouse
The picture book “Yama no Ofuroyasan” is set in a mountain bathhouse.
All sorts of animals come to the bath in the mountains—monkeys, wild boars, and… huh? Even a snowman shows up! You can’t help but worry: won’t it melt if it gets in the hot water? So, what will happen to the snowman? The surprising secret of the bath at the end is delightful, and you’ll finish the story with a smile.
It’s a perfect book to read aloud before a cozy winter bath.
Yuki
This is a snow-themed picture book written in gentle, conversational language.
The snow, drawn with shadows against a white background, looks so realistic you can almost feel its texture.
Soft, pure white snow… Is it cold? Will it melt? Children will surely want to touch and find out.
It’s a book that delights the senses and captures the spirit of winter—perfect to add to your winter read-alouds.
Even children who haven’t seen snow yet will be gently introduced to its scenery and feel through these pages.
Snow (A Song Picture Book)
This is a picture book based on the lyrics of the Ministry of Education song “Yuki” (Snow).
In step with the lyrics, a little girl’s eyes sparkle at the sight of snow, and she slides down a snow-covered slide.
She’s experiencing winter with the free-spirited joy of childhood.
So captivated by the snow, she remembers her hat and scarf but forgets her gloves.
A dog later brings them to her—an adorable scene that shows just how absorbed she is in the snow.
It’s a picture book that conveys the charm of snow and the fun of playing in it, so be sure to sing along as you read it with your child.