3 Books to Read this Family Literacy Day

Leading up to Family Literacy Day on January 27th, we've compiled a list of children's books that will get your children excited to get outside and take advantage of this unusual long-lasting Chinook weather! Each book highlights a different aspect of the outdoors — whether it's spending quality time with loved ones or listening for the sounds of nature — which will inspire your little ones to look at the natural world with a renewed sense of wonder and curiosity.

What is Family Literacy Day?

"Family Literacy Day takes place every January 27th to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. Since 1999, thousands of schools, libraries, literacy organizations and other community groups have taken part in the initiative. ABC creates free learning and promotional resources for anyone that wants to get involved. Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to a child’s development, improving a child’s literacy skills dramatically, and can help a parent improve their skills as well." —ABC Life Literacy Canada

Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story (2019)

Written by Sean Taylor & Alex Morss and illustrated by Cinyee Chiu

"In this cozy bedtime story, follow a child and his grandma through a winter landscape to explore how the Earth goes to sleep for winter. Spot the sleeping animals as the tale unfolds, then learn about their hibernation habits from the information pages at the end. Co-authors Sean Taylor (picture book author) and Alex Morss (ecologist, journalist, and educator) offer a gentle introduction to the concept of hibernation. In the frosty, quiet forest, the snow blankets the ground and the trees have shed their leaves. Where have all the animals gone? Are they asleep too? In each cutaway scene, see what the child cannot—that underground below his feet are dens with sleeping creatures, and within the hollow trunks of trees, animals are nesting. After the story, annotated illustrations explain the hibernation facts for each animal and what they will do when they wake up for spring. Cozy up as you expand you and your child's knowledge of the natural world." —Goodreads

Calgary Public Library Link: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S95C1364979

Animals in Winter (1996)

Written by Henrietta Bancroft & Richard G. Van Gelder and illustrated by Helen K. Davie

"Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. Read and find out how other animals cope with winter's worst weather." —Goodreads

Calgary Public Library Link: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S95C1432090

Ten Ways to Hear Snow (2020)

Written by Cathy Camper and illustrated by Kenard Pak

"A snowy day, a trip to Grandma's, time spent cooking with one another, and space to pause and discover the world around you come together in this perfect book for reading and sharing on a cozy winter day. One winter morning, Lina wakes up to silence. It's the sound of snow -- the kind that looks soft and glows bright in the winter sun. But as she walks to her grandmother's house to help make the family recipe for warak enab, she continues to listen. As Lina walks past snowmen and across icy sidewalks, she discovers ten ways to pay attention to what might have otherwise gone unnoticed. With stunning illustrations by Kenard Pak and thoughtful representation of a modern Arab American family from Cathy Camper, Ten Ways to Hear Snow is a layered exploration of mindfulness, empathy, and what we realize when the world gets quiet." —Goodreads