A Cozy Winter Day by Eliza Wheeler; Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random, 2024.

Welcome to Acorn Village and its cast of charming characters who spend a winter day chasing the chill away with a variety of activities from crafts and quiet reflection to rousing romps in the snow.

Why read aloud?

We gather to share a book. We settle into a safe space as we interact with the book. We talk and reflect, exchanging thoughts, exploring concepts, building background knowledge—and community. When read-aloud sessions are routine, children become comfortable voicing their perspectives. They grow in active listening skills and learn to respect the thoughts, feelings, experiences, and beliefs of others. When we (educators, parents, and caregivers) select age-appropriate, length-appropriate stories based on needs and abilities, we offer children the opportunity to see themselves, see others, find validation, and contemplate solutions to conflicts and challenges that they may not have considered.

Read-aloud sessions are inclusive: there is no reading skills or level barrier, and learning obstacles are mitigated by preparation prior to reading the book aloud. In a read-aloud session there is immersion as well as the comfort of distance from the challenges the characters encounter.

Reading aloud engages listeners, offering a positive, secure, stress-free “learning without struggle” experience grounded in a book, the value of which cannot be overestimated.

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive.” ~  James Baldwin

Why this book? Why will it matter to kids?

The winter season is upon us and where there is snow in the forecast, there is also an opportunity for delight. We can choose activities to suit our nature or mood: we can play in the snow until our noses and fingers beg for a break, or we can revel in nature’s austerity and beauty while enjoying indoor activities. We can enjoy so much in this season at year’s end, as this picture book cheerfully demonstrates.

Levels and Layers of Learning

Grade level: Pre-K—2  

Social-Emotional Learning Themes

Acceptance, connection, creativity, curiosity, empowerment, friendship, generosity of spirit, gratitude, inspiration, kindness, perspective, respect, relationship skills, self-assurance, self-awareness, self-reliance, social awareness

Content Area Connections: Social-Emotional Learning, Science

Using This Book in the Classroom

Hit the Ground Running Ready Resources for Educators, Homeschoolers, and Parents

Visit Eliza’s website.

Illustration © Eliza Wheeler

Write Away! Ideas to prompt writing

What do you like best about winter?

What are your favorite winter activities. Why?

What activity did you notice in this story that you would like to try this winter?

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?

 If you were Hilda, what would you write about the Cozy Winter Day?

 This creative prompt comes from Eliza (see interview):

If you could shrink yourself down and make a house out of anything, what would it be? 

Poetry Break Related poetry to recite before or following the reading of this book

Poetry breaks fit perfectly into the framework of the school day. These brief moments can signal change, smooth or frame transitions—from beginning or ending the day to lining up for lunch; from zipping up backpacks and jackets to shifting from one subject to the next. Poetry breaks can reset mood or tone, providing a moment to pause, reflect, and breathe. Reading a poem aloud typically takes less than a minute, yet it can introduce or reinforce a concept, provide clarity, celebrate language, exemplify rhythm, enhance vocabulary, expand understanding, increase attention span, initiate reflection, spark imagination, or simply summon a giggle. And, poetry soothes and strengthens the spirit.

“Poetry builds resilience in kids and adults; it fosters Social and Emotional Learning. A well-crafted phrase or two in a poem can help us see an experience in an entirely new way.” ~  Elena Aguilar

Poetry to share throughout the winter season:

• A Child’s Calendar, poems by John Updike, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman; Caldecott Honor; see “January” and “February”
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
• The Seasons: Poetry for Young People edited by John N. Serio, illustrated by Robert Crockett; see “Poems of Winter” section
• Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen
• Winter Poems selected by Barbara Rogasky, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
• Winter Song by William Shakespeare, illustrated by Melanie Hall

Find a selection of winter poems by Laura Purdie Salas on her “Small Reads Roundup for Winter” page on her website.

And Then There’s This…
Enrichment activities, related books, online resources, craft projects, and ideas for further study

Enjoy an abundantly creative, fun, (and free!) downloadable Activity Book for A Cozy Winter Day created by Eliza.

Illustration © Eliza Wheeler

Book Collection Suggestions

New books that celebrate winter holidays:

• Eight Sweet Nights A Festival of Lights: A Hanukkah Story by Charlotte Offsay, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt
• Elmore the Christmas Moose by Dev Petty, illustrated by Mike Boldt
• Gingerbread Dreidels by Jane Breskin Zalben, illustrated by Thai My Phuong
• Hanukkah Pajamakkahs  by Dara Henry, Illustrated by Olga Ivanov and Aleksey Ivanov
• Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan; Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
• One Wise Sheep by Ulrich Hub, illustrated by Jörg Mϋhle
• Tamales for Christmas by Stephen Briseño, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
• The Festival of Lights: 16 Hanukkah Stories edited by Henry Herz; middle grade and up

Find an extensive list of holiday books, including some of my all-time favorites, in this previous Children’s Book Corner post featuring the holiday book based on a true story, Red and Green and Blue and White by Lee Wind, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

Have a title to suggest? Scroll down to add it in the Comments section at the end of this post.

Meet the Author-Illustrator

Eliza Wheeler

Eliza Wheeler is the author-illustrator of A Cozy Winter Day, Home in the Woods, and the New York Times bestselling picture book Miss Maple’s Seeds. She was a recipient of the Sendak Fellowship Award and SCBWI’s Portfolio Showcase Award, and has illustrated numerous books for children, including Wherever You Go by Pat Zietlow Miller, John Ronald’s Dragons: Story of J.R.R. Tolkien by Caroline McAlister, and Newbery Honor book Doll Bones by Holly Black. She grew up in the northwoods of Wisconsin, lived for a time by the hills of Los Angeles, and now resides near the lakes of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Backstory: Q & A with Eliza Wheeler

I met Eliza virtually as a result of reading a review copy of A Cozy Winter Day. I was charmed by it and invited Eliza to be a guest on the Children’s Book Corner. She enthusiastically accepted my invitation and, as you will see, offered thoughtful responses to my interview questions. I am so glad to have made Eliza’s acquaintance, and I’m delighted to welcome her to Children’s Book Corner.

Judy Bradbury: What seeded the creation of A Cozy Winter Day?

Eliza Wheeler: As a 4-year-old reader, I loved the busy worlds of Richard Scarry books, had an obsession with the idea of living in trees like Pooh Bear and the Berenstain Bears, and I felt a visceral desire to crawl inside dollhouses, Cuckoo clocks, and picture books. I’ve always wanted to create my own little world of animal characters, and I sketched cozy little houses, animals in sweaters, their belongings–but was missing a theme to center these ideas around.
Fast-forward to 2016; a book came out called ‘The Little Book of Hygge’ by Meik Wiking about the Danish concept of creating a felt experience of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. ‘Cozy’ is our closest word in English. Since my teen years I’ve been managing chronic pain from a genetic condition, and so my need for external comfort is higher than “normal”. Coziness, for me, is about intentionally creating an environment and experience of goodness, sensory comfort, and enjoyment. This theme was what gave my animal world a beating heart to live by.

JB: Tell us about the creation of the art for this book.

EW: I’ve always worked in a variety of media, but this is the first book that used completely digital illustrations – so I do different stages of the work in Procreate and Adobe Fresco on an iPad, and others I work on a Cintiq in Photoshop. I cater the art I’m making to the specific needs of each story I work on, and for this one the slightly nostalgic yet still modern look I envisioned felt most attainable through these digital tools. It takes me about one year to illustrate each picture book that I work on. I would love to be faster, but unfortunately even the digital process took me the same length of time.

Illustration © Eliza Wheeler

JB: Tell about a challenge you faced in the creation of A Cozy Winter Day, or provide a memorable (or humorous!) anecdote related to the writing of the book.

EW: Writing, for me, can be so mentally challenging that it makes me fidgety, and I can’t stay still. So instead of chaining myself to a chair, I take the writing on walks. Here in Minneapolis, I’m about five blocks away from the Lake of the Isles, which has green space and walking paths around the entire lake. I’ll walk with the pages, set up on a bench or in a hammock to mark them up, then write in a coffee shop or go home to finish up at my desk…it’s a roaming process that seems to work best for me! I do this even in wintertime (minus the hammock).

JB: What is one unexpected joy that came from the making of A Cozy Winter Day?

EW: Sometimes you begin working on stories without knowing the real ‘why’ behind making them; the themes and meaning reveal themselves through the process. I didn’t realize I was making this book so specifically for my 4-year-old self until I was pretty far into it. It’s magical to be able to make something you needed at a different time in your life, and then to be able to give that as a real finished book to current 4-year-olds is just the coolest thing ever.

JB: What would surprise readers to learn about you or the creation of A Cozy Winter Day?

EW: I didn’t learn to love reading until I was an adult! As a kid, I loved picture books and cartoons because I have a visual mind. When pictures dropped out of books, reading lost its joy. I know that I would have benefited greatly from the highly illustrated chapter book and graphic novel formats that kids have now, which would have helped transition me more gradually into reading. I hope this encourages adults to focus on fun, curiosity, and their child’s unique interests and needs when choosing books.

JB: What do you hope young listeners and readers will take away from A Cozy Winter Day?

EW: I hope that it will inspire children and parents to bask in the simple joys of a seasonal day—to dream up “cozy” activities inspired by the book individually and as a family, and to bring in the language of coziness into their daily lives.

Illustration © Eliza Wheeler

JB: Who do you perceive your target audience to be and why?

EW: 3-5 year-olds are the #1 audience –  I designed these scenes full of details to delight little eyes pouring over it, to be able to see inside the spaces and imagine themselves inside the books like I wanted to be able to, too. And then the adult reading is my second audience. I hoped to write a book that won’t completely annoy a parent on its 100th reading, and also to create a sleepy, calming story arc to help with that bedtime wind-down. I’ve heard from a few parents that it’s working!

JB: How do you see A Cozy Winter Day connecting to curriculum or being used in learning settings?

EW: This book reflects very much the structure of a child’s day – getting ready, doing projects, taking breaks to read or snack, going outside to play, then transitioning into dinnertime and bedtime. Kids are seeing their everyday life in a fantastic setting, which will make an easy leap into their imaginative play. It’s also a diverse cast doing things together and individually, so being able to observe who’s doing what and when will help kids connect to things they recognize in their world, but also appreciate differences too. It’s a very welcoming, co-existing world with room for all.

JB: If you could ask your readers a question, what would it be?

EW: If you could shrink yourself down and make a house out of anything, what would it be?

JB: What do you remember about the first book that made an impact on you?

EW: A Snowy Day is the first picture book I remember the reading experience of – it captures so well the first big snow, the detailed experience of going out into it and wanting to keep it all frozen in time forever. That melted snowball in the pocket being a dose of truth and loss, which morphs into the abundance of a new day with more fresh snow. This inspired the closing line of A Cozy Winter Day!

JB: What project(s) are you currently working on?

EW: I’m currently working on writing and illustrating the next book in the cozy series, A Cozy Summer Day. I’ll take a break from Cozy after that to illustrate a picture book about a period in Charles Darwin’s life when he was chronically ill and studying orchids and pollinators. It’s called Darwin’s Orchids written by author Martha Brockenbrough.

JB: What is one question you wish I had asked, and what is your answer?

EW: The questions were all lovely! I would have you ask, “If you could shrink yourself down and make a house out of anything, what would it be?”. I think my answer would be a Cuckoo Clock, or maybe an acorn. Or a Christmas Tree ornament. I can’t decide.

Also written and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler

Sidebar Spotlight New releases of note

Each month I receive several boxes of books to review from various publishers. As I read and peruse the books, I place them in two piles: those that I will consider featuring on the blog, and those that don’t fit the mission or theme of Children’s Book Corner blog for whatever reason. I highlight some of the books in the “possible” pile on Mondays (most weeks) on Instagram. Ultimately, I choose the one new release I will feature on my monthly blog post. Yet there are many terrific books I wish I could give a shout-out to, even if I can’t write an entire post about each one. So, Sidebar Spotlight is a means of giving a nod to new releases that, in my opinion, are noteworthy. I’ve linked each title to Bookshop so you can learn more. Happy reading, friends! And feel free to comment on these or other new books below.

Belong by Mary Rand Hess and illustrated by Niña Mata is an affirming picture book for Grades K-2 that celebrates finding the courage to step out of your comfort zone to embrace new experiences and make new friends.

Just Us by Molly Beth Griffin and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan is an apt choice as we approach winter month holidays, especially in the northeast where they can be interrupted or revised by Mother Nature. Winsome illustrations and a recipe at the back make this Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection about pivoting and being flexible when faced with unanticipated changes a recommended read aloud for ages 4-7.

News, Updates, & Items of Interest

You can find where my books and I will be on my Events page.

I am currently booking school visits and professional development sessions for 2025.

Photo credit: Jody LaRose

Find information and contact me to discuss a visit tailored to meet your school’s needs.

A note from a teacher whose students I recently visited:

Thank you so much for coming to meet with my students. You were wonderful, answering their questions and explaining how you wrote the book. We all loved it! Here are some illustrated thank you notes the students made for you. Thank you again!

Read-aloud of a portion of Cayuga Island Kids Book 2, The Adventure of the Big Fish by the Small Creek

Readers Theater, complete with props! 

And here’s a note I received after presenting “SEL-Related Children’s Books with Curriculum Tie-Ins” to teachers and librarians of Grades Pre-K—Grade 6:

Thanks so much for presenting! I heard wonderful things about your workshop! One person mentioned to me that you were so organized and passionate. They also loved seeing all the children’s books you brought with you!

Find my books packaged as a series at your favorite bookshop or purchase directly from the publisher and receive a gift with purchase (perfect for the holiday season!). Individual titles are also available in hard, softcover, and e-book versions.

Kindness tip: If you read and like a book, consider posting a review on GoodReads, social media, or on Amazon (if you bought it there). Authors and illustrators appreciate the shout-out. Even a one-sentence comment increases visibility of a book. Also consider placing a request with your local library to purchase a copy–another free way to support a book you recommend! 

Over to You…

Join the conversation! Offer your thoughts related to this month’s post:

What book celebrating the winter season do you recommend? Share the title, author, illustrator, and suggested age or grade range.

You are also welcome to post a general comment.

Thanks for sharing!

Final Thought