Winter Themed Children's Books To Read

Winter is setting in. If I'm honest it's my favourite season. With the temperatures dropping and the nights getting darker, for me it means cosy nights sitting by the fire, getting all curled up under blankets, and this is a great excuse to have cuddles with the kids and read some winter themed books. 

Books are a great way to show children just how the seasons change and I have three books to share with you which cleverly show our little ones just what it means to be in the season of Winter, from the obvious things you can see like Christmas decorations and snow to the things you can feel like the cold in the air or the crunch of ice under your feet.

Mice Skating

Lucy loved winter. Her friends did not. "Your fur is freezing," said Mona. "Your nose is dripping," said Millie. "Your teeth are chedar-ing," said Marcello. "I know," said Lucy. "Isn't it wonderful?"

I adored this book, the illustrations are unbelievably cute and what it shows is that yes it's nice to be indoors where it is warm but it also tells children that being colder doesn't mean that you have to stay inside. 

Lucy learns to ice skate but for our kids it could be as simple as going for a nice long walk, seeing how the season has changed our surroundings. Winter doesn't mean that you have to hibernate!

Willa and the Bear

More than anything, Willa loves her rag doll, Rosie, made just for her by her Grandma. Through the seasons, they picnic, pick berries, and leap into piles of leaves. But one winter's night, on a bumpy sleigh ride to Grandma's birthday dinner, Rosie falls out of the wagon and no one notices until it is too late. Willa is heartbroken - Then Rosie mysteriously appears outside the front door. Can Willa find a way to thank the special friend who returned her doll?

My children have all had that special toy that they take everywhere and I've been ever so lucky that they've never lost them but when poor Willa loses her favourite doll, even my children felt sad for her.

Within the wintery surroundings of this tale, we get to learn that friends can be found in the most unlikely of places and we don't always need to utter the words thank you to show how grateful we are, sometimes it is in the actions we make that show how touched we are.

We Wish for a Monster Christmas

Meet a brother and sister who don't want the usual toys for Christmas but a big, hairy monster instead! When Mom and Dad refuse, the siblings take their case to Santa. And since they've been good all year, Santa delivers. But maybe having a monster in the house isn't all it's cracked up to be- as the kids discover as he gobbles up the Christmas tree and turns their playroom to rubble. Is there a way to keep their monster close by ... but not too close?

I couldn't share with you some winter themed tales without mentioning Christmas and this is a really funny story. The pictures really bring the tale to life, making my youngest two daughters really laugh out loud.

And as with any good book, there is a lesson or two to be learnt. Lets just the same the theme to this book is responsibility. You'll have to keep reading to find out just what happened to that big, hairy monster.

What are your favourite winter themed books that you've read over the years?