Winter Tales
The CBC looks for a theme to spotlight in each month’s Hot Off the Press list so that we can alert parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and all children’s book enthusiasts to cool new offerings from our member publishers.
Though winter doesn’t officially begin until mid-December, in some parts of the nation, the temps are falling and most of us are experiencing shorter days. But even if you live someplace where the snow doesn’t fall, these six new books from our November Hot Off the Press List will make you want to cozy up and transport you to a winter wonderland (or, in one case, deliver you into a nightmare snowpocalypse).
Elvis, Me, and the Postcard Winter, by Leslie Gentile (Cormorant Books / DCB Young Readers) — BIPOC Characters and Creators, Family / Community, Friendships, Historical Fiction, ages 7-12.
Winter rains have swept into Eagle Shores Trailer Park, and Truly is happily settling into a new life.A new home with Andy El, the Salish elder who took her in. A new responsibility to look after her new puppy, Gracie. A new passion for playing her not-quite-new guitar — gifted to her by Elvis Presley, the thought-to-be-dead King of Rock ’n’ Roll and Truly’s pen pal.
But then Clarice returns, asking for a second chance at being Truly’s mom.
Has Clarice really changed? Can Truly ever forgive her? And if so, will she have to give up this new life with Andy El to move back in with Clarice?
Truly has a lot to write to Elvis about this winter!
In the Winter, by Lauren Kukla (North Star Editions / Jolly Fish Press) — Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, Science / Nature, Concepts, ages 4-6.
From the author of Being Me from A to Z comes the charming illustrated tale In the Winter.
Travel through snowy woods, over frozen lakes, and beneath dark winter skies aglow with sparkling stars and northern lights. Animals make silent tracks in the snow, while others snooze in their burrows. Communities prepare for events and festivities. This delightful story celebrates the gentle beauty of winter, showing how it brings us together with a quiet sense of coziness and the warmth that comes from human connection.
In the Winter invites readers to embrace the season’s beauty while awaiting warmer days. With soft, cozy illustrations capturing the essence of winter, this book is the perfect companion for bedtime and cherished family moments.In the Winter is the inaugural print title from the team behind mylittledigital.com, an online platform for interactive children’s stories.
Maddie and Mabel Ready for Snow: Book 5, by Kari Allen; illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss (Kind World Publishing) — Friendships, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, Imagination / Play, Family / Community, ages 4-6.
Best sisters and adventurers Maddie and Mabel are waiting. They’re waiting for something that might be the best. Or it might be big, or it might be a surprise! But when it finally comes…then what? The sisters have different ideas about what to do when it snows. And it turns out, they each need the other’s help to accomplish their great ideas. It’s going to take all their sisterly collaboration, humor, and bravery to figure out which idea is truly the best.
In their fifth adventure the sisters tap into all they’ve learned about creativity and cooperation, about patience and courage. Author Kari Allen and illustrator Tatjana Mai-Wyss have created a wintery world of possibility that will continue to delight young readers.
The Most Beautiful Winter, written & illustrated by Cristina Sitja Rubio; translated by Vineet Lal (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. / Eerdmans Books for Young Readers) — Animals, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, Sleep / Dreams / Bedtime, Friendships, ages 4-6.
A cozy tale about a restless sleeper, his hibernating friends, and how he creates his best winter yet.
When snow begins to blanket the trees, naptime is here for the animals of the forest—everyone, it seems, except for Badger! He doesn’t feel like sleeping, and he’s got some big plans for the cold months ahead. But Mr. Bear has posted a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign. Marmot won’t answer the door. Even the nighthawk is sound asleep. Badger draws, knits, and reads for hours, but he doesn’t want to spend all this time alone. Can he find anyone to join his winter fun? Featuring a delightful, crayon-illustrated cast of animals, The Most Beautiful Winter encourages children to make the most of the coldest time of year. An excellent pick for hibernation lessons, snuggly bedtimes, and winter parties, this amusing story will charm readers all season long.
Next Time You See a Snowflake, by Emily Morgan (NSTA / NSTA Kids) — Science / Nature, STEM / STEAM, Series, ages 7-12.
This book will have you seeing snowflakes in a whole new way. You’ll learn about the science of snowflakes – how they form, why they are six-sided, what conditions are necessary for them to form. But the most important thing is that you can experience this natural phenomenon with a child in your life, learn together, and have the memory of sharing nature with someone special.
Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena, such as bees, pill bugs, fireflies, seashells, snowflakes, and sunsets.
Snow Drowned, by Jennifer D. Lyle (Sourcebooks / Sourcebooks Fire) — Horror, Mystery / Thriller, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Teen.
There’s a saying on Fall Island: the snow will get you.
Gracie Hutchinson has lived here her whole life and knows there’s some truth to those words. Every few years someone dies in a snowstorm, or loses their mind, or disappears without a trace. Sometimes it seems like more than just New England weather. Now, a hundred-year-storm is approaching, and while most of the locals have taken the ferry to the mainland, Gracie must stay behind.
But she’s intrigued to find someone else her age has stayed too—Joseph Wescott, whose mysterious family lives in Wescott Manor, descendants of the legendary first settlers of Fall Island. Together, they stumble across something even more unsettling than the coming storm: the body of a stranger, murdered in a grim ritual. Someone on the island believes the old Fall superstitions have a dark power—and now, they have Gracie in their sights.
As the hours count down to the blizzard’s landfall, it seems the only safe place to go is Westcott Manor. But Gracie wonders if there’s another reason why she’s been brought there, one that has to do with Joseph. She’ll discover secrets that have been kept for generations, a hidden history, and the terrifying truth about Fall Island. Because even when the storm ends, there’s no escape from the horror beneath the snow.
For more great book suggestions, be sure to check out the full November Hot Off the Press list!
List compiled by CBC’s resident book connoisseur, Brooke Pisarsky. Check out other Hot Off the Press Spotlight book lists on our blog.
