We live in northern California, and our experience of snow is going to Yosemite or Lake Tahoe. You may live in a part of the world where outside right now it’s a freezing cold landscape. Or, it may be palm trees waving in the breeze and not a snowflake in sight.

Children’s books, without having to put on jackets and snow boots, transport us to mythical journeys in winter landscapes, the poetry of snow, true stories of Antarctica, the beauty and wildlife of winter woods, joy and imagination of a city changed by snow overnight.

 

• When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin.
• Fabulous fantasy adventure, inspired by Chinese folktales, the Black Tortoise of Winter has turned the sea to silver, Pinmei, her grandmother, and other villagers who live on the mountain are freezing, spring is overdue. Pinmei and her companion Yishan set off on a journey in snow and ice to the City of Bright Moonlight. (Chapter book)
• Who’s Hiding in the Snow? by Katharine McEwen.
• Lift the flaps on a snow evening in the Arctic. What are polar bears, huskies, narwhals, harbor seals, falcons doing? (Board book)
• Shackleton’s Journey by William Gill.
• Feeling winter weather is too cold and snowy? In 1914, Ernest Shackleton and a crew of brave men set out to explore Antarctica. Stuck in the ice, their ship cracked to pieces and sank. The men survived on an ice floe, sailed in open boats through monstrous waves, hiked across a frozen mountainous island, and every man survived. Spectacularly illustrated, a true story of courage and endurance. (Picture book)
• Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer, Richard Jones.
• Snowflakes float through the air, what should a fox do in winter? Turtles go underwater, geese fly away, snowshoe hares turn white, bears go to sleep, but foxes … dance! (Picture book.)
• Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre.
• A freeze. A breeze. A cloud.
  Snowflakes land on a squirrel’s nose.
• A poetic look at snow as it sails, settles, clumps and clings, is mushy and slushy, drifts, until … Gorgeous large-size photos of snow birds, animals, snowflakes and icicles capture the extraordinary secrets of snow, and our precious natural resource. (Picture book)
• The Snowy Day by Jack Ezra Keats.
• One winter morning, a boy wakes up in the city and looks out his window. Everything is covered in deep snow! He puts on his snowsuit and runs outside. Fabulous collages capture a child’s joy and imagination exploring his world – this classic is timeless. (Picture book)
• Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson.
• Step into a winter fantasy, the Moomin family normally sleeps from November to April, but young Moomintroll wakes up, to find their house snowed in, the valley pure white. Magical and humorous adventures with the delightful creatures of Moomin Valley in a world transformed, but spring will come. (Illustrated chapter book)
• Winter Lullaby by Dianne White, Ramona Kaulitzki.
• Winter is coming, time for Mama Bear and Small Bear to tuck into their snug den for a long sleep. Other forest animals are getting ready, but Small Bear isn’t ready to go inside. Lovely illustrations of winter, and dreams of spring to come. (Picture book)
• Chirri & Chirra, The Snowy Day by Kaya Doi, Yuki Kaneko.
• When the first snow falls, Chirri and Chirra explore a winter landscape. Stepping through a door made of ice, they sip warm drinks in a cafe, play games with the forest animals, hop into a bubbling hot spring, and go into sleep in big cozy bed in an igloo. A magical story, enchanting illustrations. (Picture book)