Our favorite snow books

Looking for some fun snow books to read this winter?  Here are our favorites!

My Three has listened to countless winter books as I worked to put together our favorites for my winter theme pack.  Here are the snow books that made the cut!

Snow, by Erin Edison

This was the first book we read about snow, and I began by asking my Three what he thought snow was made of. He didn’t know. “Do you think it’s dirt?” “No.”  “Do you think it’s water?”  “No.” He was surprised to learn that snow actually is made of water, and he learned quite a bit in this simple gem from Pebble Plus.

Millions of Snowflakes, by Mary McKinna Siddals

I recommend this book for toddlers and young preschoolers, as the main character is a tot and the text is very simple. It’s a simple, sweet story that teaches counting from one to five.   You could use it with older preschoolers and kindergartners by putting the text on a pocket chart for a shared reading lesson.

Snow, by Sam Usher

This is an irresistible  book with beautiful artwork. A little boy begs his grandpa to hurry so they can be the first to make tracks in the new snow.  It takes Granddad and the boy a long time to get ready, but it’s worth the wait – zoo animals are playing at the park.  The zoo animal ending doesn’t really make sense, but it’s such an engaging book it doesn’t seem to matter.

Snow Globe Family, by Jane O’Connor

This is a creative book about a family who lives in a snow globe on a shelf.  The snow globe has been ignored for some time, and the family misses a good snowstorm. But when a baby shakes it as his older siblings go outside for a sled ride, the snow globe family gets their own fun in the snow.

Snow Sounds, by David Johnson

This book is a quick read with just sound words as a boy wakes up and hears all the snow clearing sounds (snowmobile, snowblower, snow shovel) until the bus arrives to take him to school.

It’s Snowing! by Oliver Dunrea

This is a beautiful, simple book about a quiet night when a mother shares the magic of snow with her baby.

Snow, by Cynthia Rylant

If I were still teaching the middle grades (I taught grades 3-5 before I moved down to primary), I would use this book as a model of beautiful non-rhyming poetry.  I love the poetic language, the interesting perspectives, and the peaceful language.  This book may not be the most engaging read aloud story in itself, but it’s a lovely reminder about the beauty of snow (which I need sometimes, ha!).

Winter is for Snow, by Robert Neubecker

This book was a big favorite of my Five, who liked to partner read this with me.  He would read the brother’s dialogue, and I would read the sister’s.  In the book the boy is trying to convince his sister that winter and snow are great, while she’d rather just stay inside away from the cold. Personally, I’m on her side, but in the end he wins her over.

Snow, by Uri Shulevtiz

This is a fabulous book about the beginning of  a big snowfall.  A little boy is excited to see some flakes, but the grown ups brush him off.  “It’s just one snowflake.”  Before he knows it, though, the city is covered in white.  We loved this book with its lovely artwork and very simple text.

Waiting for Winter, by Sebastian Meschenmoser

This is an adorable book which got a lot of giggles from my Three.  A squirrel, bear, and hedgehog are waiting for the first snowflake.  They only know that it’s wet, white, cold, and soft. Could it be this toothbrush?  This can?  This smelly sock?  The pictures do much of the talking.

Perfect Snow, by Barbara Reid

Here’s another book in which the pictures steal the show.  With both plasticine and ink and watercolor illustrations, this book captivated my boys who love to play in the snow.  The story doesn’t have a whole lot of plot, but it nicely captures the excitement of kids playing and creating with snow at recess.

Snowflakes Fall, by Patricia MacLachlan

This is a poetic book about snowflakes. I read it without realizing it was a tribute to the events that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.  Truthfully, the text didn’t capture my Three very much, but Kellogg’s illustrations give you a lot to look at. This book would actually be a nice model for a weather poem for older kids.

Clifford’s First Snow Day, by Norman Bridwell

Personally I feel the same way about Clifford books as I do about Curious George books… there are way too many of them, and their storylines often don’t make sense or drag on and on.  However. My Three and Five love both Clifford and Curious George.  This one is kind of cute.  Clifford the puppy enjoys his first day out in the snow, even when he’s rolled up in a snowman.

Katy and the Big Snow, by Virginia Lee Burton

Katy is a little snow plow who comes to the rescue when the entire city of Geopolis is covered in snow.  You might be surprised at how much your kids enjoy this vintage book with its simple illustrations and lengthy text.  My Three and Five love it.

Snow, by Grace Hansen

If you’re looking for an excellent nonfiction book about snow, pick this one. I just discovered Abdo Books, and I’m hooked! The books are simple enough for young preschoolers and interesting enough to hold a kindergartner’s attention. Recommended!

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow, by Lucille Colandro

We’ve enjoyed all the zany books in this series, sung to the tune of “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly…”  In this tale the cold lady swallows snow, a pipe, a hat, coal, and more… then hiccups and out pops a snowman.

Big Snow, by Jonathan Bean

We really liked this book about a preschooler who keeps asking his mother if there is going to be a big snow.  She tells him she’s not sure, but why doesn’t he help make cookies/help clean the bathrooms/help change the sheets, etc. while they wait?

Personally I completely identify with the mother who is preparing the house for company – she’s busy on every page, and she has an annoyed look on her face when she has to undo the “help” her son gives her.  After his nap he discovers that it IS a big snow, and he and his parents go out for a walk to check it out. Sweet book.

Red Sled, by Lita Judge

This is a super cute book with only sound words for text.  It’s about a bear who borrows a red sled that’s leaning against a wooden cabin.  He goes for a sledding adventure in the snow, and other animals hop on for the ride.  The book has great pictures and sound effects.  We loved it!

Snow!  Snow!  Snow!  by Lee Harper

This is a simple, short book about puppies who go sledding with their dad.  It has just the right amount of words with big, fun pictures.  We enjoyed it.

A Perfect Day, by Carin Berger

This is a very simple book about the fun you can have on a winter day. The illustrations are absolutely breaktaking, which help make up for the somewhat uninteresting text.

Tracks in the Snow, by Wong Herbert Yee

This is a great little book that my Three really loved. After a few readings your child can join in the rhyming refrain.  “Tracks in the snow. Tracks in the snow. Who made the tracks? Where do they go?” At the end of the book the girl discovers that the tracks were made by herself the day before.   My Three wanted to hear this one again right after our first reading. Recommended!

Red Sled, by Patricia Thomas

This is a super simple book with two rhyming words per page.  A bored father and son decide to take their red sled out for a slide on a steep hill.  After a fun run, they come back home for hot chocolate. This is a a nice little read and worth a trip to the library – but it’s not one you need to own.

Zooflakes ABC, by Will C. Howell

In this alphabet book, each page is an illustration of a paper snowflake cut to look like a zoo animal.  We had fun trying to identify each animal.

Snow Day! by Lester L. Laminack

A dad and his kids are glued to the weather station when the weatherman predicts a big snowfall.  They plan all the fun they’re going to have on their snow day… sleeping in, cuddling under a blanket, drinking hot chocolate, etc.

They go to bed with dreams of a snow day in their heads but wake up to find out it’s not a snow day after all!  Dad (who is the teacher) and the kids rush to school.  As a teacher who was often disappointed by the lack of a snow day, I completely sympathize!

The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats

This classic deserves a place in every book list about snow.  I love how it beautifully captures a child’s wonder at snow.

The First Snowfall, by Anne & Harlow Rockwell

This is a sweet little book about building a snowman with the first snowfall.  Anne Rockwell writes nice, relatable fiction for young preschoolers.

White Snow, Bright Snow, by Alvin Tresselt

I wasn’t sure how well this book would go over. It’s a Caldecott medal winner from 1948, but the pictures aren’t bright, and the story can be long in places. Still, I like to try vintage books, and my Three surprised me by staying interested for the whole thing.

This is a good book to talk about the old days and how things are different now (milk men, police as traffic cops, etc.)  The book has a lot of description, which got boring for me.  But it included gems like this one: “Automobiles looked like big fat raisins buried in snowdrifts ”

Snow Is Falling, by Franklyn M. Branley

I’ve always liked Branley’s nonfiction for kids. Before reading this book, ask your child or class how snow can be good or bad.  After reading, revisit your questions.  Kids will learn that snow is good for plants as a blanket, for gardens by adding moisture, and for underground animals because it warms the earth.

Frozen Noses, by Jan Carr

We liked the bright, lively rhymes and the bold artwork.   It’s a quick fun read about the fun of winter.

Stella, Queen of the Snow, by Marie-Louise Gay

This brother/sister pair are irresistible, with cautious Sam unsure of the adventures his older sister Stella wants to take.  He’s always wondering about the science of things; she just wants to have fun.

Sam: “Why is this fog coming out of my mouth?”

Stella: “When it’s this cold, your words freeze.  Each word has a different fog shape.  See?”

Sam: “I can’t read yet, ” said Sam.

Stella: “Then let’s build a fort.”

Irresistible!

Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

This is a lovely, interesting book about a man who photographed snowflakes and earned the nickname Snowflake Bentley.  I would recommend it for kindergartners, as it was a little long for my preschooler.

Snow on Snow on Snow, by Cheryl Chapman

This is a very basic book about a boy who loses (and finds) his dog in the snow. The ilustrations are simple (“Why don’t they have faces?” asked my Three).  The text has a gentle rhythym with repeating words throughout.  Immediately after finishing it, my Three asked for it “just one more time,” which is his highest praise.

 

You’ll find a printable version of this list (and other winter themed book lists) in the Appendix of my Winter Theme Pack.  Check it out! 

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