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!
- Books to Enjoy Winter With: Picture Book Ideas to Read with Your Two-Year-Old
- 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
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
- Winter picture books 1-year-olds will love! A heartwarming collection of read-aloud ideas
- Picture Books to Read with 5-Year-Olds: Recommended Titles to Make Winter More Fun
- Winter picture books that captivate infants: A collection of heartwarming read-aloud ideas
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- Autumn Picture Books That 3-Year-Olds Will Love! A Recommended Collection Perfect for Read-Alouds
- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
- [For 3-year-olds] Recommended Picture Books to Read in March
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended Picture Books for Spring | Exciting and Thrilling Reads
- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that captivate 3-year-olds (31–40)
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.
Go for it! Lululolo: Lots of Snowmen
The twin sisters Lulu and Lolo help shovel the snow that has piled up in the garden.
As they roll the snow, they also make a snowman.
What kind of snowman will Lulu and Lolo create? For adults, shoveling snow can be hard work, but with a little creativity, doing it together with children might lead to new discoveries and fun.
You can enjoy the anime currently airing on NHK Educational TV as an original picture book.
The interactions between Lulu and Lolo are very adorable, too.
It’s a perfect picture book for the cold winter season.
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.
Sakura and Yuki
Sakura and Yuki is a book depicting the spirits of cherry blossoms and snow who wish to meet “just once more.” Although the two meet and become friends, they find it hard to see each other again, and their longing only grows.
The way they ask a cat and a little bird about one another is endearing and a little bittersweet.
Just looking at the beautiful illustrations, drawn with a delicate touch, invites you to imagine a gentle, warm story.
It’s a picture book to enjoy by looking and listening, filled with stunning snowy scenes and cherry blossoms in full bloom.
White, white Korowan.
This is a recommended winter read starring Korowan, a little puppy.
While Korowan is playing in front of his house, something like white fluff starts to fall from the sky.
When it touches his nose, it’s cold and melts right away.
When he asks his mother, she tells him, “That’s snow.” The snow keeps falling through the night, and by the next morning everything is pure white! Overjoyed, Korowan romps around in the snow.
Seeing Korowan play so happily will surely make children want to join in some snow play too.
Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas (41–50) that 3-year-olds will be captivated by
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.
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.