Tag Archives: Winter

Elem. – The Christmas Sweater

Posted on by

Brett, Jan. The Christmas Sweater. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2025. 978-0-593-53391-8. 30 p. $19.99. Grades PreK-3.

When Theo’s Yiayia (Greek for grandmother) knits his dog, Ari, a bejeweled and wildly decorated sweater for Christmas, Ari is not impressed. Theo receives snowshoes as his gift and decides to put Ari in his sweater and take him on a hike to Echo Lake through the snow. Along the way, Theo does not notice that Ari’s sweater gets snagged on a branch and begins to unravel. As they walk and the sweater continues to unravel, bells and other decorations are dropped in the snow, catching the attention of woodland creatures, especially the magpies who begin to collect all the falling treasures from Ari’s sweater. Once at the lake, Theo realizes that he is lost, but soon discovers he can follow the red yarn from the sweater back to Yiayia.

THOUGHTS: This is a delightful holiday book that will not disappoint Jan Brett fans. Her traditional style of illustrations in the side panels of each page provide visual foreshadowing and emphasis for key points in the story. There are many details to pore over in the wintery, holiday illustrations that provide a second story in the story.

Picture Book
Holiday

Elem. – Winter is the Worst!

Posted on by

Tavis, Dan. Winter is the Worst! Amicus Books, 2025. 979-6-889-88016-5. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

Winter is the Worst! follows a penguin who really doesn’t love winter. He doesn’t like all the puffy coats, the hats, the gloves, the boots! However, there is one thing the penguin does love about winter, and that is playing games with his friends.

THOUGHTS: This is a charming picture book about winter activities through the lens of someone who isn’t a huge fan of winter. The pictures are simple, plus the addition of the simple phrases make this book a great read aloud for younger grades. 

Picture Book 

Elem. – The Snowball Fight

Posted on by

Ferry, Beth. The Snowball Fight. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Clarion, 2025. 978-0-063-32707-8. 48 p. $19.99. Grades PreK-3.

“YAY! HOORAY! It’s a Snow Day!” where two friends spend the day building forts, having snowball fights, dodging snow falling from the roof, sledding, building a snowman, and cuddling with hot cocoa – all culminating in the perfect snow day home from school. Told in rhyming couplets, the text is perfect for beginning readers, and the illustrations are simple yet detailed enough to depict the joy and humor felt by the main characters. 

THOUGHTS: The Snowball Fight is the perfect read-a-loud for snow days. My own child was delighted, giggling along and sounding out the words as he learned to read. I was reminded of the many snow days that filled my childhood and can’t wait to read it again. Highly recommended for elementary collections!

Picture Book

Elem. – Robot’s First Snow

Posted on by

Sharaf, Billy. Robot’s First Snow. Hannah Abbo. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2025. 978-1-728-27999-2. $17.99. 33 p. Grades PK-3

A robot spends all day working in the factory but wants to play with bots. However, all the other bots are busy working on a production line. But, when these fluffy, mysterious white crystals start falling from the sky, and the humans don’t come into the warehouse to work for the day, robot gets to play, and help other robots learn to play. 

THOUGHTS: I absolutely loved this book. I think Pre-K through first would LOVE this although it certainly could go up to third grade. I love the rhyming in this books and the playfulness. 

Picture Book

Elem. – The Old Sleigh

Posted on by

Pumpfrey, Jarrett, and Jerome Pumpfrey. The Old Sleigh. Norton Young Readers, 2025. 978-1-324-05412-2. $18.99. 48 p. Grades PK-3. 

An old sleigh is used throughout a small town to deliver items like wood to townspeople bringing with it joy. However, when the town gets bigger, the sleigh breaks from being overwhelmed with the increased load. Another one is built, and the tradition is carried on with a new generation.

THOUGHTS: I enjoyed this picture book and think it will be a great addition to any winter read aloud list. The illustrations are beautifully done, and while it takes place in the winter, it is not holiday specific.

Picture Book

Elem. – Harold Hates to Hibernate

Posted on by

Kousky, Vern. Harold Hates to Hibernate. Random House Studio, 2024. 978-0-593-71233-7. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades PreK-1.

Harold is a bear who loves everything about fall: honey, apples, and playing outside with his friends, the crows. However, as the days get shorter and outdoor playtime begins to diminish, the other bears start talking about hibernating. Harold may be tired, but he doesn’t want to hibernate! What if his friends forget about him while he’s gone? In order to prevent this, Harold does everything he can think of to stay awake. He climbs, jumps, bathes, eats, and finds some warm clothes–all with the help of the crows. Will these actions be enough, or will Harold eventually succumb to his sleepiness? Will his friends remember him if he does? Digitally manipulated illustrations in pencil, pen, and watercolor complement this pleasant, reassuring narrative.

THOUGHTS: This would be the perfect bedtime story for young children who fight sleep due to the fear of missing out. It would also be a great introduction to the changing seasons and the state of hibernation. Although it is a follow-up to Harold Loves His Woolly Hat (2018), it is not necessary to read the first book in order to understand this one.

Picture Book    

Elem. – Wonder & Awe

Posted on by

Herzig, Annie. Wonder & Awe. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-1-665-94753-4. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

One winter morning a young girl builds a snowman. Because everything is so new and exciting to the snowman, the young girl names her Wonder and then wonders, “How did I miss this before? I’m in awe.” Beautiful illustrations show winder days full of magic. Though they know their magical time is coming to an end, spring comes early and the young girl is not prepared to say goodbye to her friend. After many days, she is able to “open [her] eyes again…to the wonder all around [her].” Beautiful warm days follow until a crisp, cool breeze reminds her winter isn’t far away. When she awakens to a snowy morning once again, the two friends reunite and share all they missed during their time apart.

THOUGHTS: This is a beautiful friendship story that truly shines with incredible illustrations. Readers will enjoy paging through to look at all of the wonderful things and then reflect on the things they see in their own lives. Highly recommended.

Picture Book

Elem. – Snow Is…

Posted on by

Gehl, Laura. Snow Is… Illustrated by Sonia Sanchez. Simon & Schuster, 2024. 978-1-368-07795-8. $18.99. 32p. Grades K-2.

“Snow is a feeling the moment you wake.” 

When a little boy wakes up to find that it is snowing, he races outside, pulling his boots and mittens on in a hurry. When he gets into the freshly fallen snow, he enjoys every possible moment of the day: catching snowflakes on his tongue, building a snowman, throwing snowballs, sledding, and making snow angels. As the day comes to an end, the little boy reluctantly goes back inside to warm up and later falls asleep dreaming about his perfect day.

THOUGHTS: I’ve always loved snow days, and this book is able to capture every magical moment of the first snow. This charming, yet simple, picture book will evoke memories of snow days past in both younger and older readers, and the rhyming words make it the perfect choice for a read aloud. 

Picture Book    

Elem. – In the Winter

Posted on by

Kukla, Lauren. In the Winter. Jolly Fish Press, 2024. 978-1-963-80200-9. 32 p. $19.99. Grades PreK-3.

This picture book is both charming and informative as it demonstrates to readers how both animals and people prepare for the winter months. The first pages highlight weather changes then subsequent pages move to show how some animals hibernate and some are still quite active during the cold months. Kukla also shows people celebrating different cultures with various traditions.

THOUGHTS: The clear and concise text combined with the gorgeous illustrations makes this a beautiful book to share with children through the course of the winter months. This would be a great addition especially for younger readers just learning about the seasons.

Picture Book

Elem. – Frostfire

Posted on by

MacKay, Elly. Frostfire. Tundra, 2024. 978-0-735-26698-8. $18.99. 28 p. Grades K-3.

Follow Miriam and Celeste on their magical winter adventure in Frostfire. The two sisters journey through the snowy forest looking for signs of the elusive snow dragon. Along their mystical quest through the diamond dust, they spot frostfire and build a snow fort. Miriam teaches Celeste all about snow dragons, where they like to hide, how they travel, and what they like to eat. When Celeste finally comes across a snow dragon, is it truly real or just her imagination? Celeste and Miriam watch together as the snow dragon flies away in the clouds and then make their way home through their snow kingdom. 

THOUGHTS: This is a really sweet story of a beautiful winter adventure between sisters. The illustrations match the magic in the story creating a winter wonderland. This story captures a child’s imagination and sense of wonder, perfect for ages 4-8. 

Picture Book