Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter: Heartwarming Recommended Stories
How about spending a lovely time with your 4-year-old by reading picture books that are perfect for winter? Here, we’ll introduce winter-themed picture books that spark a 4-year-old’s curiosity and nurture their imagination.
From playing in the snow and cozy hot-pot meals to fun Christmas moments, there are plenty of heartwarming stories featuring snow and winter creatures—perfect for snuggling up and reading indoors.
Story time with your 4-year-old will become even more enjoyable.
Through these picture books, you’re sure to find hints for making the cold winter season fun!
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Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter: Heartwarming Recommended Stories (11–20)
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.
Christmas on December 26
“Christmas on December 26” is a story that takes place after Christmas.
A girl who received a dog from Santa sets out to find him so she can say thank you.
She must have been overjoyed to want to search for someone just to say “thank you”… It’s a work whose pure-hearted childlike sentiment will move adults as well.
Precisely because getting presents at Christmas has become so commonplace today, I hope children will never forget this sense of gratitude.
13 Santas
If you want to choose a Christmas picture book with impact, how about “The 13 Santas”? The characters are 13 mischievous Santas…
or are they? They don’t wear red suits like the Santa we all know; instead, they lick frying pans, bang doors, and do all sorts of quirky things.
They look different from the widely recognized image, but they’re full of personality and really fun.
Set in Iceland, the story also offers a glimpse into people’s everyday lives there.
Enjoy each unique character and be sure to read it together as a parent and child.
Before the morning comes
It seems that the mother in this story has to go to work after the children have fallen asleep.
Her job is a pilot… Even though it can’t be helped because it’s her work, she must be worried about her kids.
Perhaps that’s why, in this picture book, someone wishes to “change the world before morning.” Is it because heavy snowfall can cancel flights? Is it the mother’s wish, the children’s wish… or perhaps both? This is a wintertime picture book I recommend, one you’ll want to read carefully and savor.
Merry Christmas
Many children write letters to Santa at Christmas, don’t they? The siblings in this story, Yoshi and Na-chan, also wrote to Santa every year and set out some juice for him.
But then their mother suggests that, instead of juice, they should leave alcohol on Christmas.
It seems she’s planning to keep all the presents in the world for herself.
However, Yoshi doesn’t want everyone to end up feeling sad, so he…? This gentle, Christmas-themed tale depicts children’s growth.
Please pick it up and give it a read.
Hikari’s Adventure
Betty is a girl who loves picture books.
One day, a bear named Cosmo popped out from the pages.
Though Cosmo is afraid of the dark, Betty invites him into the nighttime world, and their adventure begins.
It’s a charming story with gently dreamlike illustrations that make this a delightful book.
The very idea of an animal leaping out of a picture book is enough to fill any child with excitement.
Maybe Betty wanted to keep playing with Cosmo all along.
It’s also a perfect choice for bedtime reading.
Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter! Heartwarming Recommended Stories (21–30)
Fir Tree’s Wish
Fir trees have those distinctive jagged needles, don’t they? The fir tree in this picture book absolutely hates its own leaves and longs for the soft, rounded leaves of others.
So it asks a fairy to change the shape of its leaves.
The fir tree is delighted—but once its leaves have changed, new problems it had never imagined begin to appear…
It’s an intriguing setup, with the fir tree—often the star of Christmas—struggling with self-doubt, and it makes you want to know what happens next.
Will the fir tree learn to like the way it looks, different from those around it, and find confidence in itself?