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[For 5-year-olds] Picture books recommended for reading in January
By the time children are five, they can enjoy a wide variety of picture books, including those with meaningful messages and those full of humor.
Fantasy picture books are especially popular—stories set in worlds of dreams and adventure, or tales where you meet unknown creatures and can enjoy the feeling of being the main character.
The sense of fantasy that often fades as we grow up is something I hope will always remain in our hearts through picture books.
This time, we’re introducing many picture books perfect for five-year-olds to read in January, so be sure to find some that will make children’s hearts flutter with excitement!
[For 5-year-olds] Picture Books to Read in January (1–10)
Happy New Year
Speaking of New Year’s, in the past children would fly kites, spin tops, and play hanetsuki—painting ink on their faces when they lost.
There were so many seasonal traditions even in kids’ play.
The look and feel of New Year’s in the Reiwa era is different, isn’t it? Here is a picture book that will make you feel as if you’ve time-traveled back to those good old days.
Your child might be fascinated by the many old customs it features.
If you’re wondering which book to choose for the winter break, I truly recommend this one.
It has few words, so it also seems great as an introduction to learning hiragana.
Grandma’s osechi (traditional Japanese New Year’s dishes)
Each item in osechi ryori carries a meaning: lotus root for seeing into the future, black beans for working diligently, shrimp for longevity, and herring roe for prosperity of descendants.
While learning about these, you can also enjoy this book as a picture book—Grandma’s Osechi.
It’s especially recommended for those who live apart from their grandmother or are too busy to leisurely prepare osechi.
This picture book, which depicts the traditional way of spending the New Year holidays, is sure to warm your heart.
omikuji (a Japanese fortune slip typically drawn at Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples)
When we go for our first shrine visit of the New Year, there’s one thing we always draw—yes, omikuji fortune slips.
Even people who aren’t very devout and hardly believe in fortune-telling somehow end up drawing one, don’t they? If the child who goes with you to hatsumode shows even a little interest in omikuji, the picture book “Omikuji” is highly recommended.
It’s a signature work by Airi Kita, also known for her “Omikuji Series” of picture books.
The story is full of playful humor—“I thought the fortunes just came out at random, but actually inside….” Of course, it’s also great for children who don’t yet know what omikuji are.
Jaga-Jaga the Pot’s Bathhouse
With a potato father and his potato child, and expressive faces on the green onion and other vegetables, this book—“Jagajaga: The Bathhouse of the Pots”—brings the characters to life.
The premise of anthropomorphic vegetables is delightful, so your child will surely slip right into the picture book’s world.
The story sets various pots as a kind of super sento (a large public bathhouse), where the potato parent and child enjoy the different pots.
Just reading it is sure to make you feel all warm and cozy! The sentence-ending “-jaga” is adorable, too.
Especially recommended for children who aren’t fond of vegetables!
The path of snowstorms is a mysterious path.
A mysterious fantasy picture book that in some ways evokes My Neighbor Totoro.
The polar bear on the cover makes a striking impression, so if you spotted this book at a library or bookstore, I think you’d reach for it right away.
And this polar bear is really dependable.
The story follows a girl who has one mysterious experience after another in a blizzard.
The chant-like lines that appear in the text—’ichi, ni, kemushi’ and ‘ichi, ni, nezumi’—have a catchy rhythm that’s easy to remember and will make you want to repeat them over and over.
They might even become your child’s new catchphrases.
The Winter Holiday of Winter Vegetables
When it comes to winter vegetables, you can’t have hot pot without Chinese cabbage, daikon makes oden delicious, lotus root is essential for New Year’s dishes, and then…? Nowadays, with all kinds of vegetables lining supermarket shelves year-round, the idea of “winter vegetables” might not ring a bell as much anymore.
So let me introduce this book: “Fuyu no Yasai no Fuyuyasumi” (Winter Vacation of Winter Vegetables).
It’s a truly fun-and-learn title where winter vegetables appear as characters.
The wordplay is delightful, making it a great read-aloud recommendation.
Enjoy it with your friends, too.
Ride on my sled!
In households with siblings, hand-me-downs often come into play—clothes, supply boxes, even school gym uniforms from older brothers or sisters.
This picture book works like magic to gently transform those feelings into something warm.
In the story, all the animal friends are eagerly waiting for snow, but the squirrel, who doesn’t have a sled, and the bear, who only has an old sled from his grandfather, can’t quite feel excited… Of course, a lovely happy ending awaits, and you’ll surely be left with a gentle, warm feeling after reading.
Especially recommended for families with siblings!