[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!
- Picture Books to Read in February [For 5-Year-Olds]
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- [For 5-year-olds] Picture Books to Read in Spring | Let’s Explore Different Worlds with Children
- Picture Books to Read with 5-Year-Olds: Recommended Titles to Make Winter More Fun
- [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: Picture Books Recommended for Enjoying with 5-Year-Olds
- A collection of recommended Christmas picture books that will captivate 5-year-olds!
- [For 1-year-olds] Recommended picture books to read together in January
- Enjoy Autumn Picture Books! A Collection of Ideas to Read with Your 5-Year-Old
- Recommended Picture Books to Read in January for 0-Year-Olds
- Fun January Crafts! A Collection of Ideas You Can Make and Play With for 5-Year-Olds
- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
[For 5-year-olds] Picture Books to Read in January (11–20)
Let me knit quietly, please!
The pop-style illustrations are adorable! Here’s a recommended winter picture book for five-year-olds.
Before winter arrives, a grandmother who’s great at knitting wants to take her time and knit, but surrounded by many grandchildren, she just can’t find a quiet moment.
So she leaves home to look for a place where she can knit at her own pace.
Even when she goes into the forest, she meets bears and goats, and keeps moving on in search of a quieter spot.
How far will she go? The story unfolds to a delightful “Wait, that far?!” twist.
It ends on a heartwarming note, so be sure to read it together with your child.
Harry’s sweater
From the popular Harry series loved by children, here’s a picture book perfect for winter that we recommend for five-year-olds.
On a winter’s day, Grandma gives Harry a sweater as a present, but Harry doesn’t like the rose pattern.
When they go out, he deliberately leaves it behind, but a kind person runs after him and returns it.
What will Harry do as he tries to get rid of it somehow? It’s a wonderfully heartwarming story with a lively pace and a soothing ending, so be sure to read it together with your child.
New Year’s party—how festive, how joyful!
Some families prepare osechi for New Year’s.
The picture book also introduces recipes for the osechi dishes shown on the cover.
Making the first feast of the year together with your child could become a fond memory.
By the time children are five, some kindergartens and nursery schools may offer cooking activities that they can enjoy.
Some kids might already be interested in cooking.
New Year’s dishes are often not the kind you see on the everyday table.
It could be fun to make them while talking with your family about why we eat them specifically for the New Year.
New Year’s with osechi (traditional New Year’s cuisine)
Let me introduce you to the picture book Osechi no Oshōgatsu, which conveys the warmth of a cloth book.
As the title suggests, it’s a volume themed around the New Year’s feast, osechi.
Astonishingly, the stacked food box (jubako) turns into a car and drives along the road, picking up the dishes it encounters—like black soybeans and kelp rolls—along the way.
The dishes themselves clearly explain their meanings, too.
Since everything is crafted with needlework rather than illustrated, it offers the luxurious feel of holding a cloth picture book.
The dishes even have little faces, making them absolutely adorable.
Pumpkin Soup Bath
Here’s a humor-filled picture book by Keiko Shibata, famous for the “Bread Thief” and “Polar Bear Picture Book” series.
Even the title—“Pumpkin Soup Bath”—makes you want to read it, doesn’t it? The story follows a trio of best friends—a bear, an alpaca, and a cat—who are walking through the forest with hungry tummies when they stumble upon a pumpkin bath.
There’s a sign saying you may get in but absolutely must not drink it… Still… Well, enjoy the punchline with your child and have a good laugh! It’s a curious picture book that makes you feel all warm and cozy as you read.
Setsubun Seven
This is a picture book about Setsubun, taught by heroes.
Speaking of Setsubun, the classic tradition is driving out ogres while saying, “Demons out! Good fortune in!” It’s an event that can make children’s hearts race, but because it’s part of Japan’s traditional culture, I really want them to experience it.
This picture book carefully explains the origins of Setsubun, so I think children will clearly understand why the event is necessary and what they should do.
And if a hero is by their side, they’ll surely be fine even if an ogre shows up!
[For 5-year-olds] Picture Books to Read in January (21–30)
Elephant’s Big Snowy Walk
With their long noses and necks, elephants and giraffes might be the animals that first capture children’s interest.
The picture book series Elephant’s Walk, starring such an elephant, has been loved for over 50 years, and this is its fifth installment.
It’s a heartwarming thought: mothers who grew up reading Elephant’s Walk now reading this book aloud to their own children.
As always, the cheerful elephant sets off on a stroll, eager to show his friends the heavy snow piled on his back… With its simple, delightful repetition, this is a book you’ll want to read again and again.