[For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
By the time children are four, some can read hiragana and even picture books on their own.
So this time, I’d like to introduce picture books for January that let four-year-olds enjoy the winter season.
We’ve gathered lots of exciting books with real stories—perfect for four-year-olds who are starting to enjoy plot and wonder what will happen next.
You’re sure to find a new favorite.
Whether reading alone or listening to a teacher read aloud, enjoy exploring many picture books!
- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
- [For 5-year-olds] Picture books recommended for reading in January
- A collection of recommended picture books to read with 4-year-olds that will make the wait for Christmas exciting
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
- [For 2-year-olds] Recommended picture books to enjoy reading in January
- [March] Recommended for 4-year-olds! Picture books that will make you smile and grin
- [Picture Books] Savor the fun of words: A special feature on recommended onomatopoeia picture books
- For 4-Year-Olds: January Crafts! A Collection of Fun Ideas with Winter and New Year Themes
- [For 1-year-olds] Recommended picture books to read together in January
- [February] A collection of picture books we want to read with the 0-year-old class
- Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter: Heartwarming Recommended Stories
- Picture Books to Read with 5-Year-Olds: Recommended Titles to Make Winter More Fun
- Picture books to read in winter! Story ideas that will captivate 3-year-olds
[For Age 4] Must-Reads for January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter (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?”
[For 4-year-olds] Must-read in January! Picture books to enjoy winter (31–40)
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.
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.
Pore Pore in the Snow
Although it’s become harder recently due to the mild winters, there are still regions where you can play in the snow when winter comes.
Some children get super excited about winter-only activities like making snowmen and having snowball fights, don’t they? And if you could also observe the aurora, which can be seen in winter, the kids would probably get even more excited.
These scenes are depicted through Yagi-kun, Harinezumi-kun, and Zou-kun.
You can also feel the beauty of the snowy landscapes and the aurora spreading across the sky.
Among the children who read the picture book together, some might even become interested in the aurora.