“Of all the forms of water, the tiny six-pointed crystals of ice called snow, that form in such quantities within the clouds during storms, are incomparably the most beautiful and varied.” -W.A. Bentley

I love snowflakes, and every January I tend to go a little snowflake-flakey around our schoolroom. As the Christmas decorations come down, up go the snowflakes! And as I stash away our collection of Christmas books, out come the snow-themed picture books! Here are 10 of our favorites in no particular order.

1. Snowflake Bentley tells the true story of another snowflake lover, W.A. Bentley, who mastered the art of photographing these “exquisite bits of nature.” This book by Jacqueline Briggs Martin is a Caldecott Medal winner published in 1998. If you like it, check out W.A. Bentley’s own book of his micro-photography masterpieces: Snowflakes in Photographs, first published in 1931 by the American Meteorological Society.

2. White Snow Bright Snow starts with a lovely poem and then tells a quaint tale about a snowstorm blanketing a friendly little town. The characters — a farmer, a postman, a policeman, and rabbits — are endearing. Written by Alvin Tresselt, this is a Caldecott Medal winner that was first published in 1947.

3. The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader features several woodland creatures preparing for snow and lean winter months. Published in 1949, it also was awarded the Caldecott Medal.

4. A delightful little boy is the main character enthralled with the snow in The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I love that he puts a snowball in his coat pocket to keep for tomorrow and then goes inside his warm house. Another Caldecott Medal winner, this classic book was published in 1962.

5. Brave Irene is a memorable story of a little girl who loves and obeys her mother and perseveres through a trial involving wind and snow. Written by William Steig and published in 1986, this book received the honor of being a “New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year.”

6. In Owl Moon a little girl and her Pa tromp through the snowy, moon-lit woods in search of a great horned owl. This book was written by Jane Yolen and beautifully illustrated by John Schoenherr; it was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1987.

7. Combining Robert Frost’s classic poem with downright gorgeous illustrations of wintry woods makes the book Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening a must-see. The illustrations are by Susan Jeffers, and the book was first published in 1978.

8. The Tiny Snowflake is a sweet little board book about a swirling snowflake named Lacy who is searching for her special place in God’s creation. Published in 2003, this book was written by Art Ginolfi and illustrated with delightful pictures by Louise Reinoehl Max.

9. Twelve Kinds of Ice is a long picture book with simple but captivating illustrations by artist Barbara McClintock. This charming story about a family’s ice skating rink is written by Ellen Bryan Obed. It was published in 2012 and was a much-loved gift for my 9-year-old this Christmas.

10. Magnificently illustrated and filled with clever poems about the cold, Winter Bees by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen is another new favorite in our family. “Big Brown Moose” and “Snowflake Wakes” are my top two favorites. Nature-lovers will appreciate the sidebars featuring details about how the animals in each poem cope with winter weather. Also, the glossary of scientific terms in the back is much appreciated by this homeschool mom. The book was just released in 2014 and makes a great gift for nearly all ages.

Happy reading!