Favorite January Read Alouds

Favorite January Read Alouds

Winter is my favorite season. I enjoy cold weather and love when it snows (and not just because of snow days!) During the month of January my story times feature many winter and snowman books as well as penguins and Martin Luther King. Jr. biographies. Below is a list of some of my favorite January read alouds.

A note: I read most of these stories with kindergarten and first graders. I teach my second graders about the Caldecott during January. If you would like to read about how I teach the Caldecott Medal, click here.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through one of my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle

Lists everything that one needs to build the perfect snowman, from the very first snowflake that falls.

All You Need for a Snowman, January Read Alouds

Axle Annie by Robin Pulver

The schools in Burskyville never close for snow because Axle Annie is always able to make it up the steepest hill in town, until Shifty Rhodes and Hale Snow set out to stop her.

Axle Annie

A Big Bed for Little Snow by Grace Lin

When winter comes, Mommy makes a soft bed for Little Snow to sleep on, but each night he cannot resist jumping on the bed, causing tiny feathers to fly down.

A Big Bed for Little Snow, January Read Alouds

The Emperor’s Egg by Martin Jenkins

Describes the parental behavior of Emperor penguins, focusing on how the male keeps the egg warm until it hatches and how the parents care for the chick after it is born.

The Emperor's Egg

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo

An illustrated biography of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., discussing his contributions to the civil rights movement.

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, January Read Alouds

The Hat by Jan Brett

When Lisa’s woolen stocking flies off the clothesline, Hedgie finds it and pokes his nose in. He tries to pull it out, but the stocking gets stuck on his prickles — and the fun begins.

The Hat

Immi’s Gift by Karin Littlewood

Day after day in the frozen north, a young Inuit girl catches brightly-colored objects while ice fishing and uses them to decorate her igloo, until the ice begins to melt and she drops in a gift of her own before leaving for the season.

Immi's Gift, January Read Alouds

It’s Snowing! by Gail Gibbons

Colorful illustrations and simple text explain how snowflakes are formed from ice crystals that fall from the clouds and describe sleet, snowstorms, blizzards, and ways people have fun with snow.

It's Snowing

Little Owl’s Snow by Divya Srinivasan

Winter’s almost here!’ says Little Owl, as he observes leaves falling, animal friends hibernating, and a chill from his feathers to his feet. And just as he and his friend racoon are watching their breath make fog in the cold air, it happens- Snow! Here is the perfect follow-up to Little Owl’s Nightand Little Owl’s Day, and a wonderful introduction to the changing of the seasons!

Little Owl's Snow

A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson

Unmoved by his friends’ attempts to draw him out with singing classes and snowball fights, Tortoise tries to settle down for his annual winter nap and instead stumbles into a wonderfully icy experience.

A Loud Winter's Nap, January Read Alouds

Martin’s big words : the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Looks at the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, explaining his work to bring about a peaceful end to segregation.

Martin's big words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg

Annie loses her fifth mitten of winter and searches the whole neighborhood, with her dog, Oscar, to find it.

The Missing Mitten Mystery

The Mitten by Jan Brett

One by one, woodland animals find it and crawl in; first, a curious mole, then a rabbit, a badger and others, each one larger than the last. Finally, a big brown bear is followed in by a tiny brown mouse.

The Mitten

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals who live through the winter, safe and warm. This book takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow.

Over and Under, January Read Alouds

Penguin Pete by Marcus Pfister

Pete the penguin has a good time playing on land with his fellow birds and learning how to swim in the sea.

Penguin Pete

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright

Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and make him feel “just right”.

Sneezy the Snowman, January Read Alouds

Snow by Cynthia Rylant

Full-color illustrations and simple text introduce different types of snow to early readers, which includes soft, light, and heavy snow.

Snow

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

As snowflakes slowly come down, one by one, people in the city ignore them, and only a boy and his dog think that the snowfall will amount to anything.

Snow

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert

The disappearance of the seeds left out for the birds heralds a new snow fall, allowing a group of children to use up the stuff they have been saving to create a snow family. Includes labeled pictures of all the items they use, as well as information about how snow is formed.

Snowballs, January Read Alouds

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study their unique formations.

Snowflake Bentley

Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner

A child imagines what it would be like if a snowman, made of magical snow, could be a companion throughout the year.

Snowmen All Year

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

Snowmen play games at night when no one is watching.

Snowmen at Night

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

A little boy enjoys many adventures in the city when he has a snow day.

The Snowy Day

Snowzilla by Janet Lawler

When neighbors complain that her snowman is too tall, Cami Lou finds a perfect new place for him in the community garden.

Snowzilla, January Read Alouds

Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller

Squirrel cannot think of a New Year’s resolution until she realizes that by helping her friends, she has made one after all.

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution

The Story of Snow : the Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino

Text and photographs answer a variety of questions about snow, discussing how it forms, shapes of snow crystals, why no two flakes are alike, and more.

The Story of Snow

There Was a Cold Lady who Swallowed Some Snow! by Lucille Colandro

There was a cold lady who swallowed many different things, one after the other, but what happens after she swallows snow? Modeled on the folk song: There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.

There Was a Cold Lady Who swallowed Some Snow

The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett

The Goldilocks story takes a fine twist when an endearing snow bear family and a curious Inuit girl meet center stage.

Three Snow Bears

The Thing About Yetis by Vin Vogel

Yetis love snow and all things winter, but sometimes they need a dose of summer as well.

The Thing About Yetis, January Read Alouds

Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming

Bear notices that winter is nearly here and hurries to tell Snail, after which each animal tells another until finally the already sleeping Bear is awakened in his den with the news.

Time To Sleep

Way Up in the Arctic by Jennifer Ward

A counting book in rhyme presents various Arctic animals and their offspring, from a mother caribou and her “little calf one” to a mother Arctic fox and her “little cubs ten.” Includes related facts.

Way Up in the Artic

Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes

Snow falls, animals burrow, and children prepare for the wonders winter brings. Caldecott Medalist and award-winning author Kevin Henkes’s striking text introduces basic concepts of language and the unique beauty of the winter season.

Winter is Here

January Read Aloud Resources

These products that complement the Favorite January Read Aloud Books are also available in my TpT store.

In the free resource library you can also find a free set of winter printables that can be used with any of your favorite winter books. If you are not a member, it’s easy to join. Just subscribe to my newsletter. Look below to sign up.

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