Here are 100 books that Winter Sleep fans have personally recommended if you like Winter Sleep. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Say Hi to Hedgehogs!

Julia Rawlinson Author Of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

From my list on nature and the seasons.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in London, close to Richmond Park, where I got to know many of the characters who have since popped up in my stories. I bird-watched, caterpillar-collected, and pond-dipped, and my bedroom had a floating population of minibeasts. My first picture book, Fred and the Little Egg, was about a bear cub trying to hatch an acorn, and my stories have continued to reflect my love of nature. My Fletcher’s Four Seasons series follows a kind-hearted fox cub as he explores his wood through the changing seasons. I hope my books will inspire children to explore and care for the natural world too.

Julia's book list on nature and the seasons

Julia Rawlinson Why Julia loves this book

There’s a leaf-collecting hedgehog in Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, and Say Hi to Hedgehogs! teaches you more about these wonderful animals, following a hedgehog’s story through the seasons. I love everything about this book – the illustrations are beautiful, with a ridiculously cute hedgehog family, magical night scenes, and cosy autumn and winter pages; I learnt some fascinating hedgehog facts from the notes scattered through the story; and the book even includes tips for making your home hedgehog-friendly.

By Jane McGuinness ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Say Hi to Hedgehogs! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

With words and pictures by a debut author-illustrator, this is a new Nature Storybook about a very popular little animal - the hedgehog.

A delightful Nature Storybook about hedgehogs from debut author-illustrator Jane McGuinness. There's someone we'd like you to meet - someone small and spiky. Say hi to Hedgehog! Follow this lovely little creature through the year and learn what hedgehogs like to eat, how they hunt for their food, where they build their nests, the time it takes for them grow from tiny hoglets into healthy adults and, as the seasons turn, how they prepare for hibernation. The…


If you love Winter Sleep...

Book cover of A Foot is Not a Fish!

A Foot is Not a Fish! by Cornelia Maude Spelman,

In a time of alternative facts and the loss of a shared sense of reality, A Foot is Not a Fish playfully illustrates the difference between what is true and what is not through absurd fun comparisons that every child—and parent—will instantly understand.

This book playfully illustrates common truths by…

Book cover of The Leaf Thief

Julia Rawlinson Author Of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

From my list on nature and the seasons.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in London, close to Richmond Park, where I got to know many of the characters who have since popped up in my stories. I bird-watched, caterpillar-collected, and pond-dipped, and my bedroom had a floating population of minibeasts. My first picture book, Fred and the Little Egg, was about a bear cub trying to hatch an acorn, and my stories have continued to reflect my love of nature. My Fletcher’s Four Seasons series follows a kind-hearted fox cub as he explores his wood through the changing seasons. I hope my books will inspire children to explore and care for the natural world too.

Julia's book list on nature and the seasons

Julia Rawlinson Why Julia loves this book

This hilarious tale of a squirrel struggling to cope with its tree losing its leaves in autumn shares a theme with Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, but makes it very much its own thanks to its delightfully dramatic main character. Squirrel is a hoot from start to finish, outraged one minute, trying to relax with yoga and a hot bath the next. The book has colourful, expressive illustrations, a wonderful final page twist, and some bonus facts at the back about autumn, trees, and squirrels.

By Alice Hemming , Nicola Slater (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Leaf Thief as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

A brilliantly funny picture book about
seasons, written by Alice Hemming and illustrated by Nicola Slater.

Squirrel is so cross. Yesterday there
were loads of beautiful leaves on his tree,
but today? Today some are missing and Squirrel is convinced
that someone has stolen them... there's
a leaf thief on the loose!

Join Squirrel on a mission to find the culprit,
and meet so many fun animals on the way, while
you find out how the world takes on different colours
as the months pass by.



A laugh-out-loud book about the changing
seasons, with extra information in
the back for…


Book cover of A First Book of Nature

Julia Rawlinson Author Of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

From my list on nature and the seasons.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in London, close to Richmond Park, where I got to know many of the characters who have since popped up in my stories. I bird-watched, caterpillar-collected, and pond-dipped, and my bedroom had a floating population of minibeasts. My first picture book, Fred and the Little Egg, was about a bear cub trying to hatch an acorn, and my stories have continued to reflect my love of nature. My Fletcher’s Four Seasons series follows a kind-hearted fox cub as he explores his wood through the changing seasons. I hope my books will inspire children to explore and care for the natural world too.

Julia's book list on nature and the seasons

Julia Rawlinson Why Julia loves this book

A gloriously illustrated mixture of nature facts, poetry, and things to do, this book is like my childhood squished between covers, taking in pond-dipping, caterpillar-hatching, rock-pooling, worm-watching and so much more as it guides you through the seasons. I would have loved this book as a child, and still love it now. 

By Nicola Davies , Mark Hearld (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A First Book of Nature as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An exquisite book that evokes a child's first experience of nature.

From beachcombing to stargazing, from watching squirrels, ducks and worms to making berry crumble or a winter bird feast, this is a remarkable book - part poetry, part scrapbook of recipes, facts and fragments - and a glorious reminder that the natural world is on our doorstep waiting to be discovered. Mark Hearld's pictures beautifully reproduce the colours of the seasons on woodfree paper, and Nicola Davies' lyrical words capture the simple loveliness that is everywhere, if only we can look.


If you love Sean Taylor...

Book cover of Look! Look!

Look! Look! by Uma Krishnaswami,

When a girl in India discovers a Stone slab on a weedy patch of land she calls to her friends, "Look! Look!" The children clear away the weeds and garbage and find more stones. They called their families to come and see. Word travels to villages nearby and more and…

Book cover of Tree: A Peek-Through Board Book

Julia Rawlinson Author Of Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

From my list on nature and the seasons.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in London, close to Richmond Park, where I got to know many of the characters who have since popped up in my stories. I bird-watched, caterpillar-collected, and pond-dipped, and my bedroom had a floating population of minibeasts. My first picture book, Fred and the Little Egg, was about a bear cub trying to hatch an acorn, and my stories have continued to reflect my love of nature. My Fletcher’s Four Seasons series follows a kind-hearted fox cub as he explores his wood through the changing seasons. I hope my books will inspire children to explore and care for the natural world too.

Julia's book list on nature and the seasons

Julia Rawlinson Why Julia loves this book

There’s so much to look at in this beautiful book which follows a tree through the seasonal cycle. The gentle rhyming text is accompanied by colourful peek-through illustrations, with an owl cleverly joined by more and more woodland animals as the seasons turn towards midsummer’s night. I had to read this one again and again, following not just the tree but the foxes, birds, and even a spider’s web through the seasons.

By Britta Teckentrup ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tree as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Watch the tree change with the seasons as each page is turned in this beautiful and educational book for curious young minds.

New York Public Library’s 100 Best Books for Kids 2016

Through a hole in the book’s cover, an owl invites you inside to meet a majestic tree and all its forest inhabitants during the changing seasons. With clever peekaboo holes throughout, each page reveals a new set of animals playing and living in the tree—baby bears frolicking in the spring, bees buzzing around apples in the summer, squirrels storing nuts in the fall, and finally the lone owl…


Book cover of Little Bear's Spring

Anita Loughrey Author Of Rabbit's Spring Gift

From my list on introduce young children to spring and the seasons.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child I was always fascinated by nature, especially the way the trees changed throughout the seasons. This may be what stimulated my love of growing and caring for bonsai trees and why I have written many books about the seasons myself. Now as an author, ex-primary school teacher, parent, and grandparent I am aware of the importance of encouraging other children to have this same interest and fascination in nature and the ever-changing seasons. I believe it fosters an awareness of how the world is far bigger than themselves and everything is interconnected. I hope these books will inspire young mind’s love and understanding of the natural world.

Anita's book list on introduce young children to spring and the seasons

Anita Loughrey Why Anita loves this book

Little Bear's Spring is an inspired picture book about friendship that emerges from the unlikeliest of things. When Little Bear wakes up from his long winter sleep he discovers everywhere is covered by a blanket of snow and is eerily quiet. He feels alone and afraid. You can’t help but go Ahhhh when Little Bear picks up a small pebble which he thinks is just as alone as he is. He clutches it tightly in his paw and sets off on this heart-warming adventure in search of friends.

You can really identify with Little Bear as he wonders at the magnificent changes the seasons have on his environment. This caring picture book is a celebration of how amazing the natural world is.

By Elli Woollard , Briony May Smith ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Little Bear's Spring as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Little Bear's Spring is a glorious reminder for children and adults of just how wonderful the natural world is, and that, sometimes, the unlikeliest of friendships are the best kind.

Little Bear has just woken up from his long winter sleep. But when he pokes his head out of the den, the world around him is vast, white and silent. The only thing he sees is a smooth little stone, just as alone in the snowy wilderness as he is. He nestles it in tight to his fur and off they go in search of friends.

Little Bear's Spring is…


Book cover of Hugless Douglas

John Priest Author Of Where's My Granny Gone?

From my list on funny stories to give your child the giggles.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is John Priest and I've been writing children's books, mystery stories, and factual articles since the 1980's. I've been traditionally published and have publshed my own books too. I love writing funny books and rhyming stories. Seeing my 5 grandchildren reading a book and laughing is one of the best sights of all. I've worked in schools and really believe that having your imagination ignited by any book is the start of building your own personality and creating wonderment in your own mind. And who knows? Maybe one day your child will write the next batch of  beautiful books!

John's book list on funny stories to give your child the giggles

John Priest Why John loves this book

The title of the book tells you that the book is going to be F-U-N. Hugless Douglas. When Douglas the bear wakes up after his Winter sleep, all he really wants is a nice big hug! Douglas sets off in search of the best hug, and the hugs he gets just seem to lack something, but what? 

Does Hugless Douglas finally get the hug he really wants? This is such a lovely, heart-warming book and it is especially nice at bedtime!

By David Melling ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hugless Douglas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Hugless Douglas in on a hunt for the perfect bear hug! Join him and see why this delightful cuddly tale has been entertaining families for ten years.

Hugless Douglas is a huggable, lovable young brown bear who wakes up one morning in need of a hug. He goes to try and find one but none of them seem quite right.

This very special anniversary edition of Hugless Douglas' first adventure is a must for fans of this much-loved series, which has sold over 1.6 million copies in 26 languages to date. David Melling is one of the UK's best-loved author-illustrators…


If you love Winter Sleep...

Book cover of If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility

If I Could Choose a Best Day by Irene Latham,

A fresh, fun, inspiring illustrated poetry collection you can put in the hands of any reader.

Curated by the award-winning duo Irene Latham and Charles Waters, this collection contains 30 poems that all begin with the same word: "if." Subject matter moves from the practical "if you have a pencil"…

Book cover of The Rapture

Jane Rogers Author Of The Testament of Jessie Lamb

From my list on believable British stories set in the near future.

Why am I passionate about this?

Writing my eighth novel, The Testament of Jessie Lamb, I had to move the story into the future in order to explore the topics I was trying to understand. I think through writing: sometimes I feel it is only through writing that I really engage with the world. Work on Jessie Lamb entailed a lot of scientific and future research, and after that I read more and more future fiction, with an increasing appetite for the work of writers who are really interested in exploring where we are headed as a species, and how we might try to survive the damage we have inflicted on the earth.

Jane's book list on believable British stories set in the near future

Jane Rogers Why Jane loves this book

Here’s another novel about ecological catastrophe, but with the addition of a violent and delusional female prophet, who predicts the very dates upon which disasters will occur. I had been meaning to read Jensen for years, but was finally reminded to by discovering that she is a fellow member of Extinction Rebellion.

I was completely gripped by The Rapture, which managed to be unpredictable right to the very end. For once, I honestly can’t say better than The Daily Mail: A gripping tale of love, death and religion, set in the not-too-distant future… deliciously apocalyptic and jammed full of ideas, this is storytelling at its rapturous best.

By Liz Jensen ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Rapture as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In a merciless summer of biblical heat and destructive winds, Gabrielle Fox's main concern is a personal one: to rebuild her career as a psychologist after a shattering car accident. But when she is assigned Bethany Krall, one of the most dangerous teenagers in the country, she begins to fear she has made a terrible mistake. Raised on a diet of evangelistic hellfire, Bethany is violent, delusional, cruelly intuitive and insistent that she can foresee natural disasters - a claim which Gabrielle interprets as a symptom of doomsday delusion. But when catastrophes begin to occur on the very dates Bethany…


Book cover of Sustaining Life on Earth: Environmental and Human Health through Global Governance

Haydn Washington Author Of A Sense of Wonder Towards Nature: Healing the Planet Through Belonging

From my list on the environmental crisis and possible solutions.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion is life, hence why I became an environmental scientist, and why I became a conservationist at age 18, leading the campaign to protect Wollemi National Park in Australia. My sense of wonder towards nature has transformed my life. As Aldo Leopold observed, we ‘live in a world of wounds’ as the ‘more-than-human’ world is rapidly declining. But it doesn’t have to be this way, positive if challenging solutions exist. Hence why I write about environmental science, ecological economics, ecological ethics, denial, human dependence on nature, meaningful sustainability, and what we each can do to give back to Nature.

Haydn's book list on the environmental crisis and possible solutions

Haydn Washington Why Haydn loves this book

Soskolne edits one of the most important books on sustainability ever written, but written in a way the layperson can understand. It is over 400 pages long, but this is because it covers a multitude of deep topics by experts in the field. It is not waffle, does not indulge in denial, and is one of the most constructive books I have read that seriously addresses meaningful sustainability.

By Colin L. Soskolne (editor) , Laura Westra (editor) , Louis J. Kotzé (editor)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sustaining Life on Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As global warming, famine, and environmental catastrophes have become daily news items, achieving a sustainable environment to maintain the future of life on Earth has become a global concern. Sustaining Life on Earth is an important contribution toward assessing such problems and making the Earth hospitable to life for generations to come. With an interdisciplinary team of international scholars, this masterfully edited collection approaches the problems facing sustainability from a perspective of global governance. To date, powerful economic forces have misguided decision-making processes in favor of short-term gain rather than long-term sustainability. As global awareness has increased and individual citizens…


Book cover of Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear

Julie Fortenberry Author Of Darcy's First Sleepover

From my list on picture books about sleepovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

One of my favorite childhood memories is of kindergarten painting time. The teacher let us use thick tempera paint on big sheets of paper and actual easels! My abstract paintings have been in the Whitney Museum of American Art. But for the last 17 years, I’ve been painting for preschoolers and kindergarteners. My own stories are often inspired by my children and tend to be about leaving the comfort of home for the first time. I’m the author and illustrator of Darcy's First Sleepover, Pearl Goes to Preschool, The Artist and the King, and Lily’s Cat Mask which received a Kirkus starred review and was added to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. My next book, Grandpa and Jake, will be out in March of 2022.

Julie's book list on picture books about sleepovers

Julie Fortenberry Why Julie loves this book

Beatrice and Bear are two very different animals who, despite those differences, play together all summer and fall. When winter comes and it’s time for Bear to hibernate, Beatrice, a bunny, wants to hibernate too. Of course, she’s way too active to sleep all winter. How can she share her winter with Bear? By making a scrapbook with pictures of all the things she does while he’s sleeping! When Bear wakes, she shares her winter adventures with him. Beatrice’s scrapbook “was the perfect gift to read together again and again.” Charming illustrations, and an endearing tale about enduring friendship.

By Mônica Carnesi ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

This delightful story of an irrepressible bunny will engage readers on many levels as it celebrates creativity, making the best of circumstances, and the joy of the changing seasons.
 
How can two friends share winter when one of them is hibernating? Beatrice and Bear meet one spring day and become best buddies. They play together through summer and fall. Then winter comes and Beatrice can’t find Bear anywhere. She hears he’s gone to hibernate—but where on earth is that? When Beatrice learns that hibernation is not a place and that Bear will be sleeping all winter long, she fears it…


If you love Sean Taylor...

Book cover of Boomer Sees the Town

Boomer Sees the Town by Diann Floyd Boehm,

Discover the first adventure in the Curious Bunny series!

In Boomer Sees the Town, Boomer leaves the forest to explore the wonders, sounds, and surprises of the big city. Perfect for curious minds and early readers, this heartwarming children’s story encourages imagination, discovery, and kindness.

Written by award-winning author…

Book cover of The Truth About Bears: Seriously Funny Facts About Your Favorite Animals

Joan Holub Author Of Bears Are Best! The scoop about how we sniff, sneak, snack, and snooze!

From my list on bears with funny facts and friendship.

Why am I passionate about this?

The truth? I’m scared of bears! But learning about them has helped me become a less fearful hiker. Turns out, bears spread seeds and salmon nutrients in their droppings. They also help maintain populations of prey species like deer. I don’t want those jobs. So, thank you, bears! The more kids learn about wildlife, the more comfortable they’ll be outdoors. And the better planet citizens they’ll become! Beyond bears, I’ve authored 200+ children’s books, writing everything from Greek Mythology take-offs (Goddess Girls middle grade series of 30 books) to math (Zero the Hero picture book) to a fractured fairy tale about how to write a story (Little Red Writing)!

Joan's book list on bears with funny facts and friendship

Joan Holub Why Joan loves this book

Eaton’s bear book does a nice job of blending simple nonfiction info about bears with the occasional bear joke.

For instance, within a two-page spread on bear safety, he combines fact blurbs with some silly speech bubbles. His bear characters are simply drawn and appealing, and the pages are colorful. If your young readers like this one, consider trying his other books on Hippos, Butterflies, Elephants as well!

By Maxwell Eaton III ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Truth About Bears as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Did you know that polar bears smell seals through the ice and snow in order to find and eat them? Did you know that when a bear is born, it weighs less than a picture book? Did you know that bears sleep all winter and don't goto the bathroom while they hibernate? Discoverthese facts and many more in this nonfiction picture -book series that injects humour and bright, vivid animals into popular subjects like bears and hippos.


Book cover of Say Hi to Hedgehogs!
Book cover of The Leaf Thief
Book cover of A First Book of Nature

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in ecology, earth, and winter?

Ecology 86 books
Earth 330 books
Winter 23 books