Who isn’t excited to wake up to snow on the first snowy day of the year? Even die-hard snow haters have to find the first snowfall of the season magical. These are great books to curl up and read with hot chocolate on a snow day or on a day when you are wishing for snow.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is an absolute classic. It perfectly catches the wonder and excitement of a child exploring and playing in a snowy city.
Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper follows another child as she wakes up to the quiet of the world after a snowstorm and then goes out walking to visit her grandmother.
In Kevin Tseng’s One Snowy Morning a squirrel and a chipmunk find a most unusual creature (a snowman). They quickly figure out what all the parts are. Kids will laugh at the duo’s confusion (the carrot is a rare dragon’s tooth in their eyes).
Snowzilla by Janet Lawler features a mammoth snowman made by a young girl and her brother. At first everyone loves it but when some townspeople start to complain the girl has to find a way to save her creation.
A young boy wakes up thrilled to see the newly fallen snow in Sam Usher’s Snow. He wants to be the first one out but his grandfather seems to take forever to get ready. But once they do get out they have an adventure together. This is the first in a series of picture books featuring the boy and Grandad duo having adventures together.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is a gorgeously illustrated version of the famous poem by Robert Frost with illustrations by Susan Jeffers. The mostly black and white pencil drawings have animals hidden in the trees for kids to find and are highlighted by a brightly colored figure traveling by sleigh.
Snowmen at Night by Carolyn Buehner envisions the secret lives of snowmen when we aren’t watching (they meet up in the park and play on the swings and drink hot cholocolate).
If Winter comes, Tell It I’m Not Here by Simona Ciraolo features a young girl teasing her younger brother in the summer as she lists all the things he’ll have to give up when the seasons change. Ice Cream. The pool. As she tells him how awful it will be in the text, the illustrations show the two of them playing in the snow, enjoying cozy times on the couch and enjoying the new season.