4 hours ago
We are over halfway through our summer! Summer can become so busy for our family, and I'm trying to squeeze so many activities in, that we don't always have the time or schedule to sit down and enjoy picture books together. But a few weeks ago I decided to put a little effort into finding good picture books for the season, and we have discovered so many good ones with a summertime feel to them!
These picture book lists have become quite useful for my own family - they help me to remember which seasonal picture books I want to revisit each year, and hopefully you all will find some favorites here as well.
I will be linking the books on Amazon because it is a permanent place for you to read more about each title, but I encourage you to request these books on hold at your library, or if you find one you want to buy, look for them on used book websites! When you request books from the library it helps with the library's circulation, and if you prefer to buy you can get books so much more affordably with used book sites.
Be sure to grab the printable list at the bottom of this page!
Twenty-One Steps by Jeff Gottesfeld and Matt Tavares - The beginning of summer is often marked as Memorial Day, and this book is about the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier. It's a great book for teaching kids the true meaning of Memorial Day, and remembering those who have died in the service of our country.
Anansi And The Moss Covered Rock by Eric A Kimmel - This story takes place in a jungle, and a spider accidentally discovered an enchanted rock that knocks people out. He fools different jungle creatures with the rock, until he himself is fooled. Note: Some magic in this story, of the fairytale variety, since it involves an enchanted rock.
Anansi And The Talking Melon by Eric A. Kimmel - This is another story featuring the tricky Anansi, who fools Elephant into thinking a melon is talking to him! My kids thought this one was funny.
Summertime In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder - This is a short picture book based off the Little House On The Prairie Books. The girls are shown in different fun summer activities, and the illustrations are gorgeous.
The Summer Visitors by Karel Hayes - This is a picture book very light on words - you really need to look at the pictures to follow the story of a family of bears who steal the summer family's things and shadows them in all their fun summer activities. It's almost like a comic book in a picture book, and one that younger kids could enjoy even without you reading to them! If you have a young one who likes to make up stories based off the pictures, this would be a winner.
The Umbrella by Jan Brett - I associated Brett's books so much with winter that I am always interested to see a book that doesn't fall into a cozy holiday category. In this book, a boy goes looking for creatures in the rainforest, but they all have an adventure surrounding an umbrella he drops on the forest floor. This book also incorporates some Spanish, which would be a fun angle for using Spanish vocabulary during reading time!
The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens - This book follows the same characters as the spring book Tops And Bottoms. Fox tells Bear that he needs to watch a donkey egg until it hatches. At the end of this book, Hare and Bear work together to plant a field of watermelons. Lots of fun facts in this book about the passing of time as well.
The Seed And The Giant Saguaro by Jennifer Ward - This book has a building rhyme scheme about Saguaro cat and all the creatures that live in the Southwestern desert. Some info is given in the back about the fruit of the saguaro cactus, and how long it takes to grow!
Happy Birthday, Dear Duck by Eve Bunting - All of Duck's friends give him pool-related gifts for his birthday - but they live in the desert, and there is no water! Cute book involving an inflatable pool, which makes it perfect for summer!
Peter Spit A Seed At Sue by Jackie French - This is a quirky book about some kids who start a watermelon seed-spitting war in their town. The text rhymes, and my kids thought it was really fun!
Sweet Pea Summer by Hazel Mitchell - In this book, a little girl goes to stay with her grandparents, and attempts to grow some sweet peas for a flower show. She has to troubleshoot along the way. The illustrations in this book are sweet, and all the flowers make it lovely for summer.
Summer Story by Jill Barklem - This is the summer edition of the brambly hedge stories, and this one features a wedding! The Brambly Hedge books have some of the cutest illustrations out there, and we loved this one.
Poppy's Babies by Jill Barklem - This is the follow-up story to "Summer Story", in which Poppy's new babies are having a hard time sleeping above the mill - so her husband Dusty and his friend prepare a surprise nursery!
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Peggy Parish - This isn't high literature or anything, but it's a classic, and kids will enjoy all Amelia Bedelia's silly puns! This is my favorite Amelia Bedelia book from my childhood.
Summer Of The Tree Army by Gloria Whelan - This is a book about the Civilian Conservation Corps established by Franklin Roosevelt, and a boy in Michigan who befriends on of them. An interesting look at the Great Depression time period and what life might have been like for young men during that time. The illustrations in this one are so golden and summery.
Thundercake by Patricia Polacco - This is the story of how a grandma helped her granddaughter through her fear of thunder. Very appropriate for those occasional summer thunderstorms, and I think making a thundercake with the kids afterward would be so fun!
Summer Days And Nights by Wong Herbert See - This is a sweet book about some of the very ordinary joys of summer. As an adult I thought it was a nice reminder that you don't have to do big things for summer to be exciting - it is all by itself.
A Camping Spree With Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen - We love all the Mr. Magee books! The illustrations are adorable, and the rhyming is top notch. In this one, Mr. Magee and little dog Dee's camping trip is interrupted by a curious bear. As someone who had our own camping trip ruined this summer, I love that the book ends with them camping in their backyard!
Down To The Sea With Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen - Another Mr. Magee book! In this one, a pod of whales gets Mr. Magee and Dee in trouble - and then gets them right back out of it. I love how these books always end in such a cozy way.
A Perfect Day by Lane Smith - A cute story about a perfect summer day for a bunch of animals - or for one animal at least! This one is simple and short, I think it would be cute for the younger crowd.
A House For Hermit Crab by Eric Carle - This is a cute story about a crab who invites other sea creatures to make his house more beautiful. So many of Carle's stories are perfect for summer, especially this one!
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle - A ladybug bluffs his way out of trouble, saying another ladybug is not big enough for him to fight. To prove it, he goes on a trip to find someone "big enough" to fight...and eventually ends up right back where he started. A funny story for kids!
The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle - A cute book about a cricket that wants to chirp as he meets various bugs, but he can't until he meets another cricket.
A Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle - A firefly mistakes various lights for other fireflies - including fireworks, which gives this a fun 4th of July tie-in!
Swimmy by Leo Lionni - After hearing about this book for years, I finally read it, and I can see why it's a classic. Swimmy swims faster than his brother and sisters, and escapes being eaten by a big fish. When he finds a new school of fish, he has the idea to swim in the shape of a big fish, and scare all the predator fish off. It's a cute, simple story.
The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown - A sweet book personifying a little island, and telling about everything it experiences through the seasons - but especially in the spring and summer.
Roxaboxen by Barbara Cooney - I think this book, centered around the imaginary games of children, would also be perfect for summer. A group of kids play in a pretend town, and still remember their wonderful game years later. Very sweet story about imagination and childhood.
Pie Is For Sharing by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard - This book captures all kinds of childhood summer fun in the illustrations, while highlighting all the things we can share in the summer. I loved the style of illustrations in this book, which were also somewhat 4th Of July themed.
Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee - A simple picture book about the fun of roller coasters!
The Streak by Barb Rosenstock - This is an interesting picture book about the history of Joe Diaggio's batting streak. This book would be fun to read before going to a baseball game to incorporate a little sports history!
Yogi by Barb Rosenstock - For another baseball-themed book, this picture book biography of Yogi Berra is a fun one!
Quick As A Cricket by Audrey Wood - This would be a cute one to read before a trip to the zoo, as a child compares himself to a bunch of different animals! To me it also had summary vibes.
Sea Glass Summer by Michelle Houts - In this story, a boy finds some sea glass, and dreams about where the glass originally came from. The illustrations in this book are beautiful, and it's interesting to think about what each piece of sea glass may have been originally.
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall - Jabari is afraid to jump off the diving board - until his dad helps him to be brave enough. Perfect for summertime, and I love the strong dad figure in this book.
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackwell - In this book, we see scenes in the life of a lighthouse keeper, until electricity and a new light eliminates the need for him to live in the lighthouse. The illustrations are gorgeous, and this book is an interesting peek into the history of lighthouses.
Honey... Honey... Lion! by Jan Brett - Badger and Honeyguide always share honey - until one day, Badger decides not to share, and the honeyguide bird teaches him a lesson. A fun story about African animals!
Hattie & Hudson by Chris Van Dusen - A girl named Hattie makes friends with a sea monster and names him Hudson. My kids are fascinated by the notion that sea monsters might live in deep lakes, so this is a fun, summery story for them! This is from the same author as the Mr. Magee books, and the illustrations are a similar style!
Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett - Thinking he has found a friend, a little armadillo follows a bright red set of boots straight into a rodeo! A cute story set in Texas.
The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield - In this story, a young boy is scared of the dark - until he watches the moon landing, and looking at the bright moon in the dark sky fills his mind with imagination. This book was written by a Canadian astronaut and is based on his childhood experience of watching the moon landing. Note: There are some little imaginary monster figures in some of the illustrations when the boy is still afraid of the dark, so be aware of that since it may be a bit scary for small kids.
Possum And The Summer Storm by Anne Hunter - The possum family's home is washed away in a storm, and all the creatures help them create a new home. A cute and cozy story for a stormy summer day.
Down By The Bay by Raffi - I don't know anything about Raffi, but this book is based on a silly summer song that I think would be lots of fun to sing with kids on a road trip!
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant - A sweet story about relatives coming to visit for the summer.
Otis And Will Discover The Deep by Barb Rosenstock - A very interesting book about the first men to build their own deep-sea submersible in 1930.
One Morning In Maine by Robert McCloskey - In this story, Sal loses her first tooth while working and running errands with her father. This story had summer and small-town vibes.
Tacky Goes To Camp by Helen Lester - It's summer in Antartica, and Tacky goes to camp with his penguin friends - but does everything a little differently than them! I loved the Tacky books as a kid, and this is a cute "summer" one.
One-Dog Canoe by Mary Casanova - A cute story about animals that want to join in canoeing fun - even though it's only a one-dog canoe!
Mornings With Monet by Barb Rosenstock - A great book about Monet and the process of painting. This one is bright and colorful as it shows Monet painting flowers on a morning in his garden.
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco - Mary Ellen chases a bee to it's tree with her grandfather - and they pick up a crowd along the way! There is an unexpected and sweet lesson about the value of books at the end of this story.
Island Boy by Barbara Cooney - A book about the life of a boy named Matthias, as he grows up with his family on an island, marries, has children and grandchildren, and one day dies. It's a bit of a bittersweet book, but so homey as well.
When Lightning Comes In A Jar by Patricia Polacco - This book captures the happiness and fun of family reunions, with a firefly tie-in. Very sweet for summer.
The Golden Glow by Benjamin Flouw - Fox finds a page in his botany book that doesn't have a picture, and goes on a mountain hike to find the elusive "golden glow" flower - and he's helped by friends along the way!
It Began With Lemonade by Gideon Sterer - A whimsical story about a girl who has to be creative with the location of her lemonade stand - and has alot of unexpected customers.
Insect Detective by Steve Voake - This is a great book for making kids more aware of summer insects and sparking an interest in going outside to look for them!
The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen - A circus ship sinks off the coast of Maine, and all the animals terrorize the townspeople - until they realize the animals aren't mean after all. Cute illustrations, with great rhyming text!
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, And The Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood - An adorable book with the narrator talking to a little mouse about how to hide his strawberry from the big hungry bear!
The Mystery of The Monarchs by Barb Rosenstock - An interesting book about the people who discovered where the monarch butterflies spend the winter months. Since we see the Monarch butterfly in North America during the summer, it's a good time to read this book!
Randy Riley's Really Big Hit by Chris Van Dusen - This is a fun book about Randy Riley, who cannot hit a baseball...until a fireball is hurtling towards earth and he builds a robot to hit it back into outer space! Really cute, retro type illustrations in this one!
Rattlebang Picnic by Margaret Mahy - This is a quirky book about a family that decided to have seven children instead of buying a speedy car. They buy an old "rattlebang" car...but what will happen when they accidentally go for a picnic on a volcano? A cute story about a big family on a summer picnic gone wrong! Note: This one is a bit rare, so if you find a copy, snag it!
If I Built A Car by Chris Van Dusen - In this book a boy on a road trip imagines a better design for a car - one that has couches and endless snacks, and sails and flies while we're at it! I think we all have that childhood experience of being on a long road trip and imagining all the things we wish we could do in the car, and this book captures all that in a fun, imaginative way.
A Family For Old Mill Farm by Shutta Crum - This is a cute story about a family visiting different homes, looking for the perfect one...while different animal families settle down at the abandoned Old Mill Farm.
Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett - The town mice think they'd like to try life in the country, and the country mice would like to take a vacation in the town - but each set of mice soon realize that they miss their own homes! I love Jan Brett's version of this tale, and it reminds me of why vacation is always so refreshing - it gives you a fresh perspective on home.
I hope you all are able to find some interesting books to add to your family favorites - and if I missed a great summery picture book, let me know and I may just add it to this list!
You can click here for a printable version of this summer picture book list!
Hope you are enjoying every last bit of the summer, as we intend to do as well!
Currently...
Watching...alot of survival shows. As a family we are watching the latest season of "Alone", and by ourselves Derek and I are rediscovering a series called "I Shouldn't Be Alive". I remember a few years ago catching a terrible stomach bug, and I basically binge-watched this show, and then I forgot about it because thinking about it after that made me feel queasy. I no longer feel queasy about it though, and Derek and I are hooked. I also just discovered this Youtube channel talking about lost hiker stories, so kind of along the same line (except not all of the hikers make it out).
Reading...alot of picture books for the kids, and picking out my favorites for a summer picture book post coming up soon. I'm not sure if anyone needs another picture book list, but I am enjoying putting these posts together because they are lists of our personal favorites - so instead of re-visiting other lists, and trying to remember which books we liked and which ones we didn't, I have my own list to request from the library each year. And hopefully some of you kind find a few winners from the lists too! Here are all of the lists I've done so far.
Sipping...limeade, or homemade virgin pina coladas. I basically just mix together pineapple juice and Silk Coconut, and call it a pina colada. Yum.
Sporting...shorts and dresses, finally, because we've finally had a turn in the weather! It was the rainiest June I remember in a long time, and was quite cold until after July 4th. I still wouldn't say it's as warm as a normal July, at least not in the mountains, but it's so much nicer out than it was. The weather was so unlike summer until just the last couple weeks, so I'm just now getting into summer mode, with less than a month left until we were planning on starting school again. I may just delay our start by a week so summer feels less short.
Trying...to figure out if we can afford a vacation this year, or if we should opt for a staycation. I know everyone is probably hurting financially with this inflation - so many of our monthly bills have gone up in the last few months, and I can't get out of the grocery story under budget anymore. But as I talked about in my last post, we've also had several things break on us this spring/summer - our microwave, Derek's car, our whole tent debacle. And finally, our stove officially died this past week. A few of our buttons were fried by a power surge in June, but we were hoping we could just make do...until I tried preheating the oven and none of the buttons worked. All of these annoying costs are coming out of our vacation budget, so I'm not sure what is going to happen with that now. We will either scrape together enough for an inexpensive camping vacation, or we will do a staycation (which could also be really fun, if we can just sell it right to the kids).
Remembering...that we did at least get to visit an interesting place when we went on a short trip to visit my grandma - Mesa Verde! Mesa Verde National Park has the oldest buildings in North America, thought to be built around 1200 AD (or some maybe earlier). They figured that out by tree ring data - they looked at some of the oldest trees in the park, and then looked at some of the logs used in the building construction, and matched up similar wet/dry season patterns in the tree rings to get to the guess of 1200 AD. I don't know much about the accuracy of that, but it's pretty interesting anyway!
We went on a tour, but a word to the wise, if you sign up for a Mesa Verde tour, it takes about an hour to get from the Mesa Verde Visitor Center to where to tours actually leave. Not knowing this ahead of time, we somehow arrived just on time for our tour, but the tour guide must have left early because there was no one to be seen. We waited until the next tour arrived an hour later, and they pretty much had to let us in since the other tour had departed early. If you ever visit and you schedule a tour there, plan to be at the visitor center at least an hour and a half before your tour time. I thought they should have put some of this information on the website, but really, I should have known better. It's been along time since we had been there.
Looking forward to...taking the kids to the pool in the next couple weeks. We haven't been swimming all summer because of weather and sickness, but I think we might finally make it to the pool next week. There are no outdoor pools near us, but there are a couple in town that have affordably-priced family swim nights. I always stock up on licorice and watermelon before the pool - those are just the traditional pool snacks, I guess.
Growing...a lovely herb garden in our porch greenhouse. My herbs are doing so well this year, despite the cold start to the summer. I want to avoid the mistake I made last year and start harvesting some of the herbs now! My oldest is also growing a tiny straw-bale vegetable garden, and I think it's doing well...we have flowering squash plants right now, so hopefully that's a good sign!
Planning...to start doing a few hikes before summer is over. The mountains are in rare form this year, with all the moisture we got in June, and there are flowers and tall grasses everywhere. It's very lush and colorful, instead brown-tinged and dry like July so often is. I'm loving that we have no fire bans, and I want to take the kids out for some nature journaling and picnics in the next couple weeks.
Preparing...for the school year, but only lightly because I don't want to get myself out of summer mode quite yet. I've mainly been putting together a history syllabus for my 7th grader, and requesting some historical fiction books from the library to screen. I'm hoping to find a few winners for him to read. He'll be studying ancient history this year, for the first time seriously, including the Greeks and Romans. I want to give him some interesting books set in that time period, but books that don't over-glorify those societies either. I know they are important foundational to our current culture and political structure, but they were also Godless, so I'm hoping for something that will give him a realistic (but appropriate) feel for those eras. Open to suggestions if any of you homeschool moms have already studied ancient empires.
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