There are so many amazing books out there for the winter season that it can be overwhelming deciding what to bring home. We've all been stuck reading a mind-numbing book about a cartoon animal's Christmas approximately 15,000 times - none of that here! With a few exceptions, all of these choices offer a beautiful, realistic story and will hopefully spark new conversations without being a chore to read.
(Curious about what makes a book Montessori friendly? Read more here!)
Here are a few of my tried and true classroom favorites, plus some new finds:
General Winter Reads:
Can we really call it a Montessori winter book list without this one? The beautiful art, the simple story, the read-aloud-ability! It's pretty near perfect. There's even an Amazon movie based on it now, which is a great calm option for those times when you need to pop on a video (screen time rules go out the window when little ones are stuck at home with colds, and 'tis the season)
A sweet little story about a fox that touches on themes of forest animals preparing for the winter.
The classics are classic for a reason. This is a touching story about a mother's love told through the lens of an indigenous family in the Arctic.
The entire Over and Under series is so beautiful and engaging! This book explores the happenings on a farm and in the nearby woods as the animals and plants overwinter.
Non-fiction:
I've used this one for so many classroom lessons and circle times. The illustrations are beautiful, it's packed with information that you can share with interested children and gloss over for read alouds with younger ones, and the see-through pages are always a hit.
National Geographic Kids is one of my go to sources for children's reference materials. Real photographs draw young children in and straightforward information is easy to digest.
A great primer on the science behind snow with beautiful, engaging photos.
This is another book that always got lots of classroom use! Young children naturally love animals, and this book shows us what different animals do in the wintertime with realistic illustrations and short, informative paragraphs. Check out this post on using it as a lesson aid and making bird treat ornaments with toddlers.
Winter and Whose Footprints are These by Gerda Muller
Gerda Muller's idyllic artwork is basically the template for Montessori-friendly children's book illustrations. I recommend all of her seasonal books, which are wordless and inspire you and your little ones to make up your own story. You could use Whose Footprints are Those in a lesson by making and matching animal footprints in white playdough or salt dough.
Poetry:
Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost + Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen
Reading poetry to children, from infancy onward - even if you don't think they understand! - is such a benefit to their development of language and speech. And don't they deserve to experience the joy of a beautiful poem?
Christmas Specific:
The artwork in this visual rendition of the classic carol is just stunning.
The choice for bedtime reading on Christmas Eve. This version is darling! Be prepared for questions (maybe google sugarplums).
This is a new find for me this year and absolutely gorgeous. Carson Ellis' folk art style illustrations make all of her work a joy to read aloud.
Younger children will enjoy looking at the illustrations together while older ones will be able to absorb the rich information provided about how people around the world celebrate Christmas.
Creeping Into Not So Montessori:
There's much to be said about talking animals and fantasy in books for very young children. For a long time in the Montessori toddler community it's been held as a belief that children under 6 cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality, and that fantastical books can confuse them. This is where the misconception that Montessori does not allow for make believe or imagination comes from (not true, but that's another post).
In my own experience - listen, whatever the late and wonderful Anna Dewdney put in those Llama Llama books is read aloud magic, okay? A few thoughtful conversations (i.e. "Wow! Do you think llamas can really talk and wear pants like you? No? That's right! This is just a story!") about what's happening in an iffy book that we may otherwise love can make a world of difference.
Jan Brett's cozy style just makes you want to curl up with a mug of hot cocoa! Try turning this into an activity by putting together a mitten and a collection of small animals.
Hanukkah and other winter holidays:
Cultural and peace education is a huge tenet of Montessori. We learn about different cultures and peoples all throughout the year, not just when there's a big Christian holiday. As many Jewish people will tell you, Hanukkah isn't even the biggest celebration on the Jewish calendar - it's just been co-opted by the proximity to Christmas. Even so, I've included some informative and beautiful Hanukkah books here.
Another Nat Geo Kids find, this book has real photos and simple information to teach young children about the basics of the holiday.
This book teaches how to count in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish!
A beautiful retelling of the Hanukkah story for children.
Lunar New Year
A classroom favorite! Beautiful watercolor style illustrations and simple storytelling make this perfect for sharing with young children.
Grace Lin is a wonderful resource for realistic, informative books that children love! This book details a family getting ready for the new year.
A bilingual book exploring colors while teaching about the Chinese celebration of the New Year.
Kwanzaa
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis
A traditional folktale teaching the seven principles of Kwanzaa alongside beautiful woodcut art.
A heartwarming story about a family finding a way to celebrate together.
A simple primer on the holiday aimed at younger children.
(Some of these links are sponsored, and I may make a small commission if you choose to purchase these books using my links. This does not change the price for you at all. Thank you for your support!)
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