Cozy Up With a Book: Reading Recommendations for Kids

Winter is here! Temperatures are dropping and snow is falling. Make it your goal this winter to snuggle up with a blanket, grab a good book, and read aloud with your child each day.

Reading can be a fun part of your little one’s routine – it just might become a favorite part of the day for you and your child! Whether it’s in the morning, before naps, during car rides, after a meal, or at bedtime, you can incorporate reading into your daily routines and give your child the gift of language. For children with hearing loss, hearing you read aloud for 15 minutes every day can make a HUGE difference in how their listening and talking skills develop.

The weather might be too cold to enjoy typical outdoor activities with your little one, but this time of year is perfect for cozying up and reading aloud with your child.

We’re sharing a great list of wintery books to read with your child and some helpful strategies and techniques from Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) professionals. Give them a try as you read aloud to your little learner this season!

“Never Touch a Polar Bear” by Rosie Greening 

Ages 0-18 months

This colorful book for babies and toddlers has touch-and-feel pages for little hands to explore. Your little one will love the different textures for each winter animal while you read the fun rhymes!

Try this: Use the Play-By-Play LSL strategy and describe the pages. Build your baby’s language by repeating words and adding some new, different ones! For example, instead of “You feel the polar bear” you could say

• “Do you feel the polar bear’s bumpy fur?”
• “Scratch scratch, it feels bumpy!”
• “The fur looks white like snow!!”

“Baby Loves Winter” a Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap book 

Ages 0-2 years

Look for a red sled, a giant snowflake, a cute furry groundhog, and more! Perfect for little ones, this fun lift-the-flap book makes it easy for you and your baby to explore all things winter. Flaps also help keep your wiggly little one engaged while you share the book because the flaps bring an element of surprise.

Try this: Use the It’s Your Turn LSL strategy and create a back-and-forth with your little one. Ask the questions from the book “What’s behind the snowballs?” then

• Pause,
• Wait,
• Lean in,
• And see what your baby does!

Do they look at you expectantly, coo, kick, or gurgle a noise in response? See if they try to lift the flap. Then open the flap and respond in an exciting voice, “It’s baby’s red sled! YIPPEE!” Your child will love your enthusiasm.

“The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats 

Ages 1-5 years

This classic children’s book tells the story of Peter and his adventures! Join him as he walks through his neighborhood after the first snow of the winter season. Learn and wonder together about Peter’s discoveries and his imagination as he explores the new snow.

Try this: Use the It's All About Me LSL strategy as you read to connect the story to your child. Ask them “Remember when it snowed here last week? You loved looking at your footprints in the snow! Just like Peter!” Try using your child’s name in the story instead of Peter’s. They’ll love to hear their name! It will get their attention and keep them engaged in the story as you read.

“Sneezy the Snowman” by Maureen Wright 

Ages 3-6 years

This book brings together rhyming and repeating with Sneezy the Snowman! There are lots of opportunities for silly interactions together with your little one as the cold snowman tries to warm up — and keeps melting each time! Don’t be shy as you read aloud. Your child will love you being a Drama Mama or Dramatic Daddy as you use fun voices and lean into the goofy moments.

Try this: This book creates the perfect opportunity to use the Help Me But Don’t Tell Me LSL strategy. When reading aloud together, give clues for each clothing item and have your child respond, such as “What’s the clothing item you wear on your head? It keeps your ears warm and is super soft.” Pause and wait to let your child respond. If they don’t answer, take it further by providing a rhyming word “It sounds like cat… it’s my….” and then celebrate when they answer “HAT! That’s right. This is the hat you wear on your head.”

“The Mitten” by Jan Brett 

Ages 2-6 years

This sweet book shows different winter animals finding Nicki’s lost mitten in the snow! It starts with a small animal who is soon joined by the other forest animals, each one larger than the one before! Full of details and descriptions, this is a great book to take your child’s vocabulary to the next level.

Try this: Slow down while reading to make time for conversation. With all of the book’s vocabulary, you can practice new words such as,

• Burrow
• Wiggle
• Snuffle
• Jostle
• Prickles
• Commotion
• Glinty
• Investigate
• Silhouette

Explore the words together and talk about them! “I wonder what it means to burrow?” Take advantage of the detailed pictures to talk about what you see. “Look how cozy and warm Baba’s home is. What do you think is keeping her warm?” There are all kinds of tips and ideas to try when reading with your little one!

Reading is for Every Season

No matter the time of year, reading aloud with your little one each day is the perfect activity to bond, create special memories, and help grow their brain for listening, talking, and learning.

Reading aloud every day – even for just 15 minutes – may seem daunting for your busy schedule, but rest assured, your efforts will be worth every minute! By adding this habit into your daily life, you’re giving your child access to new vocabulary and building their curiosity and creativity. This is true whether your child is 1-month-old or 5-years-old!

Watch the video below to learn more tips on how to raise a reader this winter and all year long!

Raising a Reader: Tips for Your Toddler

Download a printable version of this resource here.