Bring a Winter Story to Life this Season: Take It Outside!

With cold weather finally upon us and snow in the forecast, there is nothing like curling up with a soft, fluffy blanket and a good story about animals in the snow. Wondering what winter story to read? Try one of our favorite winter read-alouds the next time you and your young children snuggle up for story time:

The Mitten Adapted and Illustrated by Jan Brett

In this beautifully illustrated adapted Ukrainian folktale, a young boy unknowingly drops his mitten in the snow only to become a host to different forest animals.

• Age Range: 4-7 years

Bear Snores On By Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

As Bear hibernates in his cave over the winter, uninvited guests stop by to get out of the cold. See what happens when Bear unexpectedly awakes to find the crew of critters having a party without him. 

• Age Range: 2-5 years

The Snowy Day By Ezra Jack Keats

In this classic winter tale, readers follow along in wonder while a little boy goes on a grand city adventure in the snow. 

• Age Range: 2-5 years

Katy and the Big Snow By Virginia Lee Burton

This book follows Katy, a tractor who works for the highway department in the fictional city, Geoppolis. Because of her bravery and tireless help, the town people are able to do their jobs. 

• Age Range: 4 – 7 years

Bear is Awake!: An Alphabet Story by Anna E. Harrison

This book follows an unlikely friendship and an unexpected adventure as a little girl attempts to figure out what a bear is supposed to be doing in the winter.

• Age Range: 3 -5 years

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner and Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Go on a cross-country ski journey to discover the wonder and activity that lies beneath winter’s snowy landscape in this magical book. 

• Age Range: 2-7 years

Soon enough cabin fever will start settling in. Bundle up, grab your camera and bring these other great stories to life. Head to your backyard, local park, or stick to the sidewalks and explore the wildlife in your neighborhood by looking for animal tracks in the snow! Then use an animal identifier resource to compare the animal tracks to your pictures.

Big Tracks, Little Tracks: Following Animal Prints By Millicent E. Selsam and Marlene Hill Donnelly

This book teaches young readers how to find and track animals by finding footprints and other clues in the snow.

• Age Range: 4-8 years

Whose Tracks are These? A Clue Book of Familiar Forest Animals By James Nail

This book uses clues a detailed illustrations to help identify paw prints in the wild.

• Age Range: 6-10 years

Send us a picture of the animal tracks that you found on your adventure and tell us about your favorite winter- themed book! Post them on our Facebook page or email them to info@raisingreaders.org and we’ll post them for you.

Additional Resources to Bring your Winter Story to Life:

Animal Tracking in the Snow- for kids! (includes great questions to ask older children when you spot a track in the snow)
Maine Animal Tracks

Updated February 2023