Cozy Winter Reads for Kids

After a long day playing outside, it's great to cuddle up with a good book!

Updated January 5, 2026
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One frozen lake
Larson, Deborah Jo
Paper Book
Seven hours pass. Not one fish. Has anyone seen a fish? On the surface, it might seem like ice fishing, with its hours in a tiny shack awaiting an elusive crappie or pike, would not be a great match for kids. However, as scores of grandparents and parents know, this unique...
Bears in beds
Parenteau, Shirley.
Paper Book
Those adorable bears from Bears on Chairs return in an irresistibly sweet bedtime story. It’s time for Big Brown Bear to tuck all four little bears into their beds. Then he’s ready to climb into his own bed and turn out the light. Five warm beds, holding five...
A home in the barn
Brown, Margaret Wise
Paper Book
Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown's words are brought to beautiful life by Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney. This must-have for every child's library is perfect for cozy wintertime readings. "A glorious tribute to Brown's timeless classic." --Booklist (starred review)...
As warm as the sun
McMullan, Kate
Paper Book
French bulldogs Toby and Pinkie learn to live together and form a heartwarming friendship. Toby loves basking in the morning sun, snuggling in a lap in the afternoon, and toasting his tummy by the fireside at night, but somehow his warm spots never last. What Toby wants more than...
Shoe dog
McDonald, Megan.
Paper Book
Shoe Dog loves to chew...well, shoes! But when his choice of chewables leads to trouble, a feline friend has a purr-fect solution. Shoe Dog likes to chew. And chew and chew. But he doesn't chew a boring old bone. Not a squeaky old toy. Not a smelly old sock. Nope. Shoe Dogs chews...
Cold snap
Spinelli, Eileen.
Paper Book
Warm up with this charming neighborly tale about a small town determined to beat the deep freeze from a beloved picture-book author and a two-time Caldecott Honor illustrator!   It's snowy cold in the town of Toby Mills. The thermometer is sinking toward zero, and the icicle...
Move over, Rover
Beaumont, Karen.
Paper Book
It's raining cats and dogs! Good thing Rover is snuggled safe and dry inside his doghouse--until, one by one, a soggy menagerie of creatures shows up looking for a cozy place to sit out the storm. But who's the very unwelcome surprise visitor? Skunk, of course. Suddenly that doghouse isn't quite so...
The house in the night
Swanson, Susan Marie.
Paper Book
This Caldecott Medal-winning picture book gets children ready for bed with rhythmic text and glowing illustrations that explore the warmth and light that makes us feel at home. "Here is the key to the house." Inside the house are nighttime things both...
Lost and found
Jeffers, Oliver.
Paper Book
From the illustrator of the #1 smash hit The Day The Crayons Quit comes a humorously warm tale of friendship. Now also an animated TV special! What is a boy to do when a lost penguin shows up at his door? Find out where it comes from, of course, and return it. But the...

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