Reading and listening to books about snowmen are almost as fun as building a snowman….almost!
Building snowman is a classic childhood activity when you grow up in Ontario, Canada. As a mom and teacher, it’s also important to me that my children and the kids in my life get to have the same experience.
We are now in the midst of winter and so I thought now would be the BEST time to share with you the first in a series of posts about my favourite children’s picture books.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you a series called, “My Favourite Five”. Each post will share 5 of my absolute favs in a range of books on the topic of Winter. It is one of the most wonderful times of the year. Whether or not you agree with me on that, I am sure you will find a few gems that you can add to your own book collection.
If you’re teaching your students about the season of Winter or artistic concepts, you will want to stay tuned!
Making Connections with Children
Building snowmen helps me make connections with kids using memories of the past while creating new memories to pass on.
“Mommy, can you help me roll the middle part?”
“Let’s lift this part together because it’s really heavy!”
“Now all we need is a carrot nose!”
Every year since my own children were babies, we have created snowmen. It’s funny how each year the snowman created has a different personality.
A few years ago, we worked into the darkness of the night to build snowman family at the entrance of our community. It is a memory we still recall every time we are close to that spot.
Incorporating this kind of annual tradition of making snowmen and spending time together outdoors with kids has created a foundation for the love of nature.
Books About Snowmen for Kids
These are five of my most favourite books about snowmen for kids and adults alike. Books have this incredible way of reliving experiences or expanding on ideas that children already have about snow, weather, winter and more specifically- snowmen!
We read about snowmen together, conversations, stories and questions often follow, and children continue to revisit these books when reading independently.
Sometimes, I can overhear my kids in narrative freeplay pretending to be snowmen characters that have come alive. Oh, what imaginations they have!
My Favourite 5 Books About Snowmen
Title: All You Need For a Snowman
Author: Alice Schertle
In a Nutshell: A group of kids want to build an EPIC snowman. Starting with the first snowflake, the story takes you through the creation of the snowman. From sculpture to clothing details, the kids don’t miss a thing.
Title: The Biggest Snowman Ever
Author: Steven Kroll
In a Nutshell: Clayton and Desmond, two adorably competitive mice, learn the value of teamwork as they collaborate on building the biggest snowman ever in the snowman contest of Mouseville.
Title: Snowman’s Story
Author: Will Hillenbrand
In a Nutshell: This is a wordless picture book that allows children to tell their own version of the story. The pictures in the story begin with a hat landing on the head of a newly made snowman and brings him to life and has him encountering a few adventures.
Title: Snowman at Night
Author: Caralyn Buchner
In a Nutshell: This book proves that after the kids are in bed for the night, adults have a party. It turns out that snowmen do as well!
Title: The Illustrated History of the Snowman
Author: Bob Eckstein
In a Nutshell: Everything you ever wanted to know about the snowman from postcards, print ads, commercials, packaging, songs, and more. If you want to know who made the first snowman or what year the word snowman became official in the Oxford Dictionary (1827), this is the book for you.
Favourite 5 Books About Snowmen
There is something that is fascinating about snowmen. Similar to scarecrows or spiders, they captured my heart as a child and I’ve been curious about them ever since. We draw them, decorate with them, make snowman Christmas cookies, watch them on TV, and build them outdoors the first chance we get.
I hope you get the change to build a real snow sometime soon. If not, I hope you get a change to grab one of these books! What’s your favourite book about snowmen? Let me know in the comments below.