[February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
There are many occasions where we read books to children, such as storytime sessions held indoors at preschools.
Some of you may be wondering which picture books to read in February.
In this article, we’ve put together a selection of picture books that are perfect for February and recommended for four-year-olds.
We’ll introduce works that let children feel the chill of winter, as well as ones themed around events like Setsubun and Valentine’s Day.
How about reading picture books with stories that warm the cold winter for the children?
- Picture Books to Read in February [For 5-Year-Olds]
- [March] Recommended for 4-year-olds! Picture books that will make you smile and grin
- [February] Picture books for 3-year-olds with themes of Setsubun and winter
- [February] Recommended picture books for 2-year-olds: Books that evoke winter and Setsubun
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- [For 4-year-olds] Enjoy February! A Collection of Craft Ideas
- [Picture Books] Savor the fun of words: A special feature on recommended onomatopoeia picture books
- March: Picture Books Recommended for Enjoying with 5-Year-Olds
- [February] A collection of picture books we want to read with the 0-year-old class
- [For 1-year-olds] Recommended picture books to read together in January
- For older kindergarteners: Let’s make it! A collection of recommended origami ideas for February
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Recommended Spring Picture Books | Engaging with the World and Friends
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
[February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let you feel winter at daycare (21–30)
Snow Theater
From works that depict lives blanketed in snow, you can sense a certain warmth.
A boy tears his father’s treasured butterfly field guide in a scuffle with friends.
He straps on skis and dashes into the snowy mountains, where beyond a hollow he’s fallen into lies a theater of snow.
The Snow Queen, snowmen, and white horses perform in dazzling fashion.
Before he knows it, the boy is on stage too, singing along.
It must have been such a wonderful space that he even forgets about the torn field guide.
This is a piece that lets children fully savor a fantastical snowy world.
The scene where the father comes to pick him up is truly heartwarming.
The voice of snow
Snow seems to have a way of absorbing sound, and people say that the silence of a snowy country’s night is a feeling only those who live there can truly understand.
Can you imagine a world where every sound is swallowed up? This is a book that portrays only the world of snow and the sounds snow makes—one I especially hope people living in areas with little snowfall will pick up.
The page that expresses the sound of stepping on snow as “kusususu!” is fantastic.
It also sounds fun to talk with your child about the title and ask, “I wonder what the voice of snow is?”
Gifts from the Snowy Forest
This exquisitely beautiful book by Dutch artist Linde Faas, depicting a Nordic world of snow, irresistibly calls to mind Disney’s hit film Frozen.
Sophie, the protagonist, is left alone at Christmas because her father is busy with work.
Lost in a snowy realm, she meets a gentle moose and steps into a mysterious world…
The vast, wintry otherworld feels both wondrous and strangely nostalgic.
It’s a highly recommended work that adults can enjoy just as much as children.
Beloved Valentine’s Day in the Yokai Village
Valentine’s Day has become firmly established in Japan.
Here’s a curious picture book that combines Valentine’s Day with yokai (Japanese spirits).
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the boy yokai are all fidgety, and the girls seem to be having fun with something, too.
But after the yokai eat chocolates handed out by a certain teacher, the next day turns into a big commotion… The modern, anime-style illustrations are sure to appeal to kids.
Even truly scary yokai like the one-eyed boy and the ohaguro-bettari look adorable here.
It’s a safe pick even for children who don’t usually show interest in books!
The Yokai Grandma of Yokai Village
Where do you all go back to in the countryside? For children, visiting Grandma’s house in the country is something novel and exciting—and even more so if it’s Great-Grandma’s.
Perhaps this picture book–like world exists somewhere between daydream and reality.
The heroine, Sumire, goes to stay over at her great-grandmother’s house, and when Great-Grandma starts moving her mouth and beckoning with her hand… Well, you’ll have to read to find out.
A highly recommended book that will make you want to visit Yokai Village!
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.
Princess Snow and the Unicorn
Princesses and unicorns are popular with five-year-olds, aren’t they? Just having a princess and a unicorn on a picture book cover is enough to get kids excited.
The sparkling snow globe pictured alongside them lets you feel the winter atmosphere.
It’s a story about Snow, a lonely princess who wishes for friends and sets off on an adventure into a magical world.
Along the way, she meets not only a unicorn but also a snowman and maidens of ice.
The heart-fluttering tale and the book’s illustrations are sure to delight children.