Picture Books to Read with 5-Year-Olds: Recommended Titles to Make Winter More Fun

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

The cold season is perfect for enjoying picture books indoors.

Here, we’ll introduce a variety of winter picture books just right for five-year-olds—stories that let them feel the changing seasons and the wonders of nature.

From falling snow and how animals live, to warm family moments, these seasonal tales will make children’s curiosity sparkle.

Even on chilly days, why not take a journey into the world of imagination through a favorite picture book? Explore the delightful world of winter-themed picture books together with your children!

Books to read with a 5-year-old! Recommended picture books that make winter fun (11–20)

Beloved Valentine’s Day in the Yokai Village

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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!

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Christmas on December 26

http://www.amazon.co.jp

“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.

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13 Santas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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.

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Before the morning comes

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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.

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Somewhere in this town

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This Town, Somewhere is a story about a boy searching for his lost cat.

It’s a bittersweet tale, yet when you finish reading, you’re left with a sense of satisfaction, much like after watching a good film.

The illustrations—of the cityscape the boy watches from the bus, the wintry snowy scenes—carry a certain poignancy, as if reflecting the boy’s inner world.

Many readers may find themselves closing their eyes, moved by the lingering resonance of the sad yet warm ending, thinking, “So that’s what it was.” It might be a work that touches the heart all the more precisely because you’re an adult.

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Merry Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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.

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sasashina

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