JANUARY BOOK LIST
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MY TOP FIVE
FAMILY TREASURY
by Katy Hudson
Every year Tortoise sleeps through winter. He assumes he isn't missing much. However, his friends are determined to prove otherwise! Will Tortoise sleep through another winter, or will his friends convince him to stay awake and experience the frosty fun of winter?
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by William Steig
Irene Bobbin is the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl.
by Chris van Dusen
One winter morning, Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee, head out bright and early to learn how to ski. But what begins as a pleasant day in the snow quickly goes downhill when a run-in with a curious moose sends them flying through the air and hanging above an abyss!
by Flora Delargy
In the middle of the night, the Carpathia received a distress call from the sinking Titanic. The intrepid little ship heroically changed course and headed straight into the frozen sea to help save as many people as it could.
by Jacqueline Briggs
Wilson Bentley was always fascinated by snow. In childhood and adulthood, he saw each tiny crystal of a snowflake as a little miracle and wanted to understand them.
by Virginia Lee Burton
Katy, a brave and untiring tractor, who pushes a bulldozer in the summer and a snowplow in the winter, makes it possible for the townspeople to do their jobs.
by Robert Blake
When she hurts her paw on the fourth day of the race, Akiak can no longer compete in the Iditarod—the famed dogsledding race through 1,151 miles of Alaskan terrain. Her musher has no choice but to leave her behind. The rules say once a dog is dropped from the race, it may not rejoin the team. But ten-year-old lead dog Akiak doesn't know the rules.
by Natascha Biebow
Here’s the true story of an inventor who so loved nature’s vibrant colors that he found a way to bring the outside world to children – in a bright green box for only a nickel! With experimentation, and a special knack for listening, Edwin Binney and his dynamic team at Crayola created one of the world’s most enduring, best-loved childhood toys.
by Jonathan Bean
While "helping" his mother with holiday housecleaning, a boy keeps a watchful eye on the progress of a winter storm. He's hoping for a big snow. A really big snow.
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by Jory John
Duck is super excited and can’t wait to play in the snow with his best friend, Bear. Bear isn’t excited about playing with Duck, or going out in the snow. As always, he’d rather stay inside, where it’s warm and cozy. But can Bear resist his persistent friend?
by Felicita Sala
Something delicious is cooking in the old apartment building on Garden Street! Pilar is mixing gazpacho, Monsieur Ping is stir-frying broccoli, Señora Flores is preparing a pot of beans, and Josef and Rafik are rolling meatballs. Other neighbors are making dishes as well. When they're all finished cooking everyone gathers in the garden to enjoy a delicious meal and each other's company.
by Melissa Iwai
Lili loves to cook baos, and Nai Nai has taught her all the secrets to making them, from kneading the dough lovingly and firmly to being thankful for the strong and healthy ingredients in the filling. But when Nai Nai realizes that they are out of cabbage, she sends Lili up to Babcia’s apartment on the sixth floor to get some.
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John Rocco
Blizzard is based on John Rocco's childhood experience during the now infamous Blizzard of 1978, which brought fifty-three inches of snow to his town in Rhode Island.
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by Kathryn Gibbs Davis
Capturing an engineer's creative vision and mind for detail, this fully illustrated picture book biography sheds light on how the American inventor George Ferris defied gravity and seemingly impossible odds to invent the world's most iconic amusement park attraction, the Ferris wheel.
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by Michael McCurdy
​Describes the events of the 1914 Shackleton Antarctic expedition when, after being trapped in a frozen sea for nine months, the expedition ship, the Endurance, was finally crushed and Shackleton and his men made the very long and perilous journey across ice and stormy seas to reach inhabited land.
by Mary Chamberlin
On market day, Mama Panya's son Adika invites everyone he sees to a pancake dinner. How will Mama Panya ever feed them all? This clever and heartwarming story about Kenyan village life teaches the importance of sharing, even when you have little to give.
by Lisa Moser
Porcupine and Badger have always been the best of friends, so when Porcupine finds some yarn in the woods, she makes a present for Badger. And when Badger finds yarn, she makes a present for Porcupine. The only problem? It's the same yarn―and to finish the gift, they each must unravel the other's creation.
by Ferida Wolff
Babba Zarrah lives in a tiny village in the snow-covered mountains, and the children love to visit her. They settle down on her big, old story blanket and listen to her imaginative tales. One day, she notices that Nikolai needs new socks, but she has no yarn. "Every question has an answer," Babba Zarrah tells herself, "I just have to find it."
by Bonnie Becker
Bear is quite sure he doesn’t like visitors. He even has a sign. So when a mouse taps on his door one day, Bear tells him to leave. But the mouse — who keeps popping up in the most unexpected places — just won’t go away!
by Lindsay Mattick
In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war.
by Karma Wilson
In a cave in the woods,
in his deep, dark lair,
through the long, cold winter
sleeps a great brown bear.
by Maryann Hoberman
Peter only wants milk, Lucy won't settle for anything but homemade lemonade, Jack is stuck on appleasauce. Each new addition to the house brings a new demand. What's a mother to do
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
Three-year-old Sarah Whitcher wanders into the woods and disappears. For three long days, friends and neighbors search fruitlessly for her. Then a stranger leads the desperate family to a pine tree beneath which the child lies. Sarah tells her rescuers of the “big black dog” that kept her warm every night—but the bear tracks encircling her tell a different tale.
by Ryan T. Higgins
Bruce the bear likes to keep to himself. That, and eat eggs. But when his hard-boiled goose eggs turn out to be real, live goslings, he starts to lose his appetite. And even worse, the goslings are convinced he's their mother. Bruce tries to get the geese to go south, but he can't seem to rid himself of his new companions. What's a bear to do?
by Maggie Pouncey
Using a bunch of "junk" their mom left in a heap by the back door, brothers Fox and Dodge Wilder blast off by night for their fifth trip to the moon. They strap into their old car-seats and put on their protective bike helmets and winter coats. Lift off!
by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, like winter. But when the snow is deep outside and there’s nothing to do inside, even a cozy winter day can be a little slow. Not for long! When Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke, pull two sleds out of the garage, the four friends head for the sledding slope for the wildest ride ever.
by Phillip C. Stead
​Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee's case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it's time they returned the favor.
by Jane Yolen
Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird. But there is no answer. Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don't need words. You don't need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn't an owl, but sometimes there is.
by Daisy Spedden
A story of a boy, his teddy bear, and their escape the Titanic's sinking, originally told to the boy by his mother shortly after their family's escape from that tragedy, features beautiful illustrations and a fascinating glimpse into the past.
by Anica Rissi
Life on Earth isn't always fair, so Sophia runs off to the moon, where there are no bedtimes, no time-outs, and no Mom.
But as Sophia and her mom send letters to each other, Mom has a clever comeback for all of Sophia's angry notes. Home starts to sound not-quite-so-bad, especially when Mom reports that someone from the moon has moved in to Sophia's old room.
by Elizabeth Lilly
​After a long drive to visit family—whether in the mountains of rural West Virginia or the sticky heat of Florida—what could be a better welcome than a homemade meal?
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls lives in a snug little log cabin with her ma, her pa, her sisters, Mary and Carrie, and their dog, Jack. Almanzo Wilder lives on a farm with his family and lots of animals. These pioneer children have all sorts of adventures, including trips to town, county fairs, cozy winter days, and holidays with family.