Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that will captivate 3-year-olds
As the cold winter season arrives, how about filling your time with your three-year-old with the warmth of picture books? At this age, children begin to enjoy the flow of a story and their imagination expands greatly.
Here, we’ll introduce picture books that offer winter-specific delights, carefully selected from among many favorites.
Through these books, you can enjoy special read-aloud moments that are unique to this season.
Spend heartwarming time with your child, together with some wonderful winter picture books!
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- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
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- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that will captivate 3-year-olds (21–30)
Christmas market
A Christmas market set up in the town square… This heartwarming book lets you feel the connections between people, chance meetings, and kindness.
The protagonist of the story is Kuro, an abandoned dog.
Kuro meets a girl holding a white stuffed dog, forms a bond with her, and finds his own happiness.
It’s a lovely picture book where you can enjoy the lively, cozy atmosphere of the market while experiencing a moving story.
You’ll also learn what a Christmas market is like, and Kuro’s determined efforts to deliver something to the girl will touch your heart.
Coco-chan the Santa
When you think of Santa, you probably picture an old man with a white beard.
But the Santa who appears in this story is more like a little puppy named Coco-chan.
Coco-chan prepares presents for her friends in the forest and rides a reindeer to deliver them.
What kind of gifts did Coco-chan prepare? Were her friends happy to receive them? From the cover illustration, you can feel the charming, heartwarming atmosphere of this lovely book.
If you like, give it a read at Christmas.
Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that captivate 3-year-olds (31–40)
Pikki’s Christmas
This is a story about Pikki the doll, who tries hard to make her way back to Rina.
Rina cherished Pikki very much, but she dropped her while shopping.
Pikki tried to find a way home, but, unfortunately, she was run over by a carriage.
The one who helped the immobilized Pikki was an old man with a white beard—yes, Santa Claus.
Seeing Pikki’s earnest efforts, children will surely cheer for her with pounding hearts, wondering, “Will she make it home?” It’s a lovely Christmas picture book that also nurtures a spirit of taking good care of toys.
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.
The Mochi’s Feelings
It seems mochi have worries that only mochi can understand.
The star of this picture book is a splendid kagami mochi.
But its expression is anything but cheerful… Apparently, it’s on edge, wondering when it’s going to be eaten.
Being eaten means being torn and kneaded—enough to make any mochi dread the whole ordeal.
Some children might even think, “Poor Mr.
Mochi,” but don’t worry.
The kagami mochi escapes on its own two feet, and a surprising turn of events awaits! It’s a delightful winter tale about mochi.
Be sure to give it a read.