The theme of seasons can be popular with preschoolers, but to reinforce the concept, it is helpful to break it down into a storytime for each of the four seasons. Your craft project may depend on which stories you read – make paper snowflakes if you include a snow story, or paper mittens (by tracing each child’s hand) if you do a mitten story. Try some of the ideas listed here.
Asch, Frank. GOOD NIGHT, BABY BEAR. Mother Bear gets ready for the winter hibernation, helping Baby Bear find a snack and a comfortable cave.
Brennan, Linda C. FLANNEL KISSES. Couplets describe aspects of winter, from hot oatmeal to fuzzy hats to snowball fights.
Brett, Jan. THE MITTEN. Animals use a lost mitten as a sleeping bag.
Burton, Virginia Lee. KATY AND THE BIG SNOW. Katy the snow shovel machine must clear the roads after the town is hit by a blizzard.
Fleming, Denise. THE FIRST DAY OF WINTER. With a pattern similar to “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” in this story we look at various elements of winter. With dramatic color collage illustrations.
Fox, Mem. SLEEPY BEARS. In this joyous rhyming tale, six bears try to fall asleep.
Glaser, Linda. IT’S WINTER! Part of a series, this celebration of winter ends with a list of suggested activities you can use for craft ideas.
Henkes, Kevin. OLD BEAR. Old Bear sleeps all winter in anticipation of spring.
Horowitz, Dave. DUCK DUCK MOOSE. Although he doesn’t want to leave home, Moose rides along with his friends Duck and Other Duck, as they drive to Florida for the winter.
Kleven, Elisa. SUN BREAD. The baker is tired of the dreary winter, so he bakes bread in the shape of the sun.
Krensky, Stephen. CHAUCER’S FIRST WINTER. Instead of hibernating, Chaucer plays with his friends – snowball fights, sledding – so he won’t miss the fun of winter.
Lionni, Leo. FREDERICK. Unlike the other mice, Frederick stores up something besides food for the winter.
London, Jonathan. FROGGY GETS DRESSED. Froggy wakes up and gets dressed to play in the snow, but he keeps forgetting different articles of clothing.
Na, Il Sung. SNOW RABBIT, SPRING RABBIT. A white rabbit observes the other forest animals prepare for winter.
Raczka, Bob. SNOWY, BLOWY WINTER. Short, snappy rhymes describe different winter activities such as sledding. – perfect for toddlers.
Rueda, Claudia. NO. Little bear won’t go to sleep, and he gets lost in a snow storm.
Thomas, Patricia. RED SLED. A boy and his father go sledding in this very simple rhyming story.
Waber, Bernard. BEARSIE BEAR AND THE SURPRISE SLEEPOVER PARTY. With repetition similar to the folktale “Chicken Little,” Bearsie allows other forest animals to sleep in his bed during a terrible storm. Watch what happens when Porcupine knocks at the door!