Looking for winter read-alouds for first grade? These are the 13 winter books I reach for every December, January and February after 24 years of teaching first grade. They work for kindergarten through second grade, and each one comes with an easy way to extend it in your classroom.
Since I’m in California, we don’t really get a winter {sending warm thoughts to those of you in super chilly climates!}, so I love reading stories that bring a little snow into our classroom.
The quick list:
- Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- The Mitten by Jan Brett
- Snowman Magic by Katherine Tegen
- Penguin Huddle by Ross Montgomery
- Snowflakes on Our Tongues by Mike Ornstein
- Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
- Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper
- Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright
- Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
- My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
- The Snow Thief by Alice Hemming
- All Right Already! by Jory John
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Snowman Magic
Who doesn’t love this modern classic about winter? These snowmen get up to all sorts of fun as soon as the sun goes down.
I got Snowman Magic in the Scholastic Book order years ago and it’s a favorite bedtime read for us here at home. On a boring snowy day, George builds a snowman that turns into his magical playmate. It’s so cute!
Snowmen at Night
Who doesn’t love this modern classic about winter? These snowmen get up to all sorts of fun as soon as the sun goes down.
Extend it: Create a class book about “What Else Snowmen Do at Night!” You can find this activity in January’s Class Books. It’s so fun to see what the kids come up with.
Penguin Huddle
This book is so cute and has a great message! All the penguins huddle together in the cold…until one day they are stuck together. They must figure out a way to break apart. The littlest penguin turns out to be the real hero!
Talk about it: Ask students about a time someone small made a big difference.
Snowflakes on Our Tongues
Your students will HOWL listening to Snowflakes on Our Tongues. When snow begins falling on the farm, the animal antics begin! Super cute rhyming read-aloud.
Related: Pattern Block Snowflakes Activity
Ten Ways to Hear Snow
While this may be a “counting book” it is so much more! It peeks into the life of Lina on her way to see her grandmother in a care home and how you can hear snow!
My Penguin Osbert
We’ve all asked for BIG things on our Christmas list and that’s exactly what happens in My Penguin Osbert. When Joe makes it very clear to Santa that he’d like a real-life penguin for Santa, he delivers! And Joe quickly learns you may not always want what you ask for!
The Snow Thief
This is the cutest follow-up to one of my Fall faves! In The Snow Thief Squirrel is astonished by snow and worries when it starts to disappear. So cute!
All Right Already!
I never knew this Jory John story existed until recently! It’s a humorous book with the moral about not giving in to selfish people! It’s a darling book with a wonderful life lesson!
The Snowy Day
Peter’s adventure in the first snow of the season is a must for any winter read-aloud list. Even kids who have never seen snow get to feel what it’s like to crunch through it.
Extend it: Have students draw and write about their own snowy day: “If I woke up to snow, the first thing I would do is…” It’s a fun prompt even for kids who have never seen snow. For more ideas, check out my Winter Writing Activities & Prompts for First Grade.
The Mitten
One by one, forest animals squeeze into a lost mitten until, well, something has to give. Jan Brett’s borders let kids predict which animal comes next.
Extend it: Retell the story in order with animal picture cards.
Owl Moon
A quiet, beautiful story about a child and her father going owling on a snowy winter night. It’s perfect for teaching how authors use describing words and sensory details.
Extend it: Make a five-senses chart together as you read: what does the girl hear, see and feel on the walk? Then students use those words to write about their own quiet night outside.
Sneezy the Snowman
Sneezy is always cold, so he tries hot cocoa, a hot tub, and more, and keeps melting. The rhyming, repetitive text makes it a great one for little readers to join in on.
Extend it: Set ice cubes in a few spots around the room (by the window, in the shade, wrapped in a mitten) and have students predict which melts first. Then they write a “How to Help Sneezy” tip using what they found.
Over and Under the Snow
What happens to animals in winter? This one shows the hidden world under the snow where small animals stay warm. It’s a great bridge from read-aloud to science.
Extend it: After reading, make a class chart sorting the animals into three groups: hibernate, migrate, or adapt. To keep the cold-weather learning going, my Antarctica Continent Study takes kids to where the penguins live.
Winter is a magical time of year, and these books are perfect for bringing that magic into your classroom. They not only entertain but also provide opportunities for teaching valuable lessons about nature, kindness, and perseverance. So grab a blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and settle in with your students for some cozy winter reading. Or, make it a whole day and turn it into a Read-In Day!
Related reading:
- Winter Writing Activities & Prompts for First Grade
- Winter Classroom Party Ideas
- Books to Read This Winter Break: picks to send home with families
- The Best Read-Alouds to Celebrate Fall
- 9 Best Chapter Book Series for Early Readers
Best Winter Read Alouds for Kids Recap
Whether your classroom experiences real snow or just dreams of it, these winter-themed books are perfect for bringing seasonal magic and valuable lessons to your students.
From the nighttime adventures of snowmen to penguins learning teamwork, each story offers opportunities to discuss important themes like friendship, perseverance, and wonder.
So grab these engaging read-alouds and create cozy winter memories with your class!
Have any favorite winter books? Leave a comment and let me know!
Some of my favorites are Snowmen at Night, The Snowy Day, The Mitten, Penguin Huddle and Owl Moon. They’re short enough for one sitting, fun to read aloud, and easy to extend with writing or math.
I start in December and keep going through February. Holiday-neutral picks like The Snowy Day and Over and Under the Snow work any time it’s cold, even after winter break.
Yes. All of them work for K–2. Kindergartners love the rhyming and repetition in Sneezy the Snowman, and second graders can dig deeper into the describing words in Owl Moon.
I teach in California, so we don’t either! Stories like The Snowy Day and Ten Ways to Hear Snow let kids imagine what snow feels and sounds like, and Over and Under the Snow teaches how animals live through it.
Don’t forget to pin for later!
