Classic Winter Children’s Books

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These classic winter children’s books are sure to evoke memories as you read them to your kids. Discover a mix of picture and chapter books!

With a mix of both picture books and chapter books, there is sure to be something on this list for everyone. They make great read-alouds, and they work for independent readers, as well. 

Grab your favorite winter books for kids, find a cozy spot, and head to another world courtesy of your favorite characters. 

Classic Winter Children’s Books

Below, I’ve featured just a handful of classic winter children’s books that will help your kids celebrate all things winter.

You should be able to find them at your local library or bookstore. If you can’t find them locally, you can click each image cover to purchase them on Amazon.

 

The Snowy Day – Universal in its appeal, this story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child’s wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever.

The Mitten – One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse and what happens next makes for a wonderfully funny climax.

Snowflake Bentley – From the time he was a small boy in Vermont, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. Bentley’s enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful. 

 

Katy and the Big Snow – Katy, a brave and untiring tractor, who pushes a bulldozer in the summer and a snowplow in the winter, makes it possible for the townspeople to do their jobs.

Owl Moon – Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird. But there is no answer. Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don’t need words. You don’t need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn’t an owl, but sometimes there is.

The Snowman – A wordless story. The pictures have “the hazy softness of air in snow. A little boy rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, which comes alive in his dreams that night. The experience is one that neither he nor young ‘readers’ will ever regret or forget.

 

Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening – ver since it was published in 1978, the picture-book presentation of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” has been an enduring favorite.

The Big Snow – The woodland animals were all getting ready for the winter. Geese flew south, rabbits and deer grew thick warm coats, and the raccoons and chipmunks lay down for a long winter nap. Come Christmastime, the wise owls were the first to see the rainbow around the moon. It was a sure sign that the big snow was on its way.

White Snow Bright Snow – When the first flakes fell from the grey sky, the postman and the farmer and the policeman and his wife scurried about doing all the practical things grownups do when a snowstorm comes. But the children laughed and danced, and caught the lacy snowflakes on their tongues.

 

Snow Treasure – This classic story of how a group of children outwitted the Nazis and sent the treasure to America has captivated generations of readers.

Miracles on Maple Hill – Marly and her family share many adventures when they move from the city to a farmhouse on Maple Hill.

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates – Hans Brinker is a classic children’s story set in the Netherlands, following the titular character as he aspires to compete in ice skating races and help his family.

 

Mr Popper’s Penguins – A humble house painter is sent a male penguin by the great Admiral Drake and, thanks to the arrival of a female penguin, soon has twelve penguins living in his house. 

The Long Winter – The fledgling town of De Smet in the Dakota Territory is hit hard by the brutal winter of 1880-1881. Laura, Pa, Ma, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace face the winter as best they can, but soon, blizzards have covered the town in snow that piles up to the rooftops, cutting the town off from supplies and trade. 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

Winter Chapter Books

More Winter Book Lists

If you’d like to browse through some more winter book lists, be sure to check these out:

• Winter Read-Alouds for Kindergarten
• Winter Chapter Books
• Winter-Themed Books for Toddlers
• Children’s Books About Winter

Round Out Your Unit with These Activities:

This set of Chronicles of Narnia peg dolls are perfect for allowing kids to reenact and retell the stories in this book series. 

When you give little girls a pioneer dress and bonnet to add to their dress-up center, you will inspire hours of imaginative play!