Wow, the year is almost over already! I can’t believe we’re already on to the November picture book list!

Most November picture book lists floating around on the internet include a large number of Thanksgiving books but I knew I wanted to make this list different, not that I am anti-Thanksgiving, but because as a Canadian we celebrate the holiday at the beginning of October.

If you are looking for a list of Thanksgiving picture books you can find that here.

So, this list will include a list of some introduction to winter books. For the record, I know that winter doesn’t technically start until halfway through December but we’ve got a pretty decent cover of snow here already so I hope you’ll forgive me if I just dive right in to all things winter.

 

 

THE BEST PICTURE BOOKS FOR NOVEMBER

In November

In November, the air grows cold and the earth and all of its creatures prepare for winter. Animals seek food and shelter. And people gather together to celebrate their blessings with family and friends.
Cynthia Rylant’s lyrical language and Jill Kastner’s rich, cozy paintings capture the cherished moments of this autumn month–the moments we spend together and the ones we witness in the world around us.

 

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

As leaves fall from their trees, animals huddle against the cold, and frost creeps across windows, everyone knows―winter is on its way!

Join a brother and sister as they explore nature and take a stroll through their twinkling town, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with everything from the setting sun to curious deer, they say goodbye to autumn and welcome the glorious first snow of winter.

 

Winter Walk

Slide, step, and stomp through the snow with “Grammy” as she takes her grandkids on a winter adventure. As they explore the woods, they spot a cardinal, learn why some trees are green all year, and build a tall snowman. At the end of the day, they learn how to build a pinecone bird feeder.

 

I love this look into a farm preparing for winter!

Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter

A captivating exploration of how a family gets a farm ready for the snow of winter, Sleep Tight Farm lyrically connects each growing season to the preparations at the very end of the farm year. This beautiful and informative book paints a fascinating picture of what winter means to the farm year and to the family that shares its seasons, from spring’s new growth, summer’s heat, and fall’s bounty to winter’s well-earned rest. All year long the farm has worked to shelter us, feed us, keep us warm, and now it’s time to sleep.

 

You really can’t go wrong with Jan Brett . . .

The Snowy Nap

Snow is on the way, and as Hedgie trundles around the farm all his friends tell him of the winter-time fun he will miss as he hibernates–Icicles decorating the chicken coop! Lisa making snowmen! The pond turned to slippery ice! It sounds so amazing, Hedgie decides to stay awake instead of going to his burrow. But then a snowstorm starts. Luckily, Lisa finds him and brings him inside so Hedgie gets to see the wonders of winter from inside the cozy house.

 

I remember this book from when I was young and the pre-Christmas season seems like the perfect time to read it. I especially enjoyed watching the mice scenes at the bottom of the book.

Something From Nothing

The blanket Joseph’s grandfather made him is transformed into many things as the years go by: a jacket, a vest, a tie, a handkerchief–and finally a button. 

 

 

Stella, Queen of the Snow

Winter was never so magical as in this marvelous book about Stella and Sam discovering a familiar landscape transformed by a heavy snowfall. Sam makes his very first snowstorm, and, as usual, he has lots of questions: Where do snowmen sleep? Can you eat a snowflake? Do snow angels sing? Older and bolder, Stella knows all the answers, and she delights in showing Sam the many pleasures of a beautiful winter’s day. Young readers are enchanted as Stella and Sam build a gigantic snowman, then they go skating and sledding and make beautiful snow angels in a fluffy, white, magical, and wondrous world.

 

Sea Bear

A solitary polar bear travels across the sea ice in pursuit of food. As the ice melts and food becomes scarce, she is forced to swim for days. Finally, storm-tossed and exhausted, she finds shelter on land, where she gives birth to cubs and waits for the sea to freeze again.

 

The Great Serum Race: Blazing the Iditarod Trail

In the winter of 1925, Nome, Alaska, was hit by an unexpected and deadly outbreak of diphtheria. Officials immediately quarantined the town, but the only cure for the community of more than 1,400 people was antitoxin serum and the nearest supply was in Anchorage-hundreds of miles of snowbound wilderness away. The only way to get it to Nome was by dogsled.

Twenty teams braved subzero temperatures and blizzard conditions to run over 600 miles in six days in a desperate relay race that saved the people of Nome. Several of the dogs, including Togo and Balto, became national heroes. Today their efforts, and those of the courageous mushers, are commemorated every March by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

 

Bear Has a Story to Tell

It was almost winter and Bear was getting sleepy.
But first, Bear had a story to tell…

Bear found his friend Mouse, but Mouse was busy gathering seeds and didn’t have time to listen to a story. Then Bear saw his friend Duck, but Duck was getting ready to fly south. What about his friend Toad? He was busy looking for a warm place to sleep. By the time Bear was through helping his friends get ready for winter, would anyone still be awake to hear his story?