11 Picture Books To Read With Your Child This Summer
Summer is all about experience new things and people. Sharing engaging stories through beautiful images makes reading with your children even more fun in these months off of school. Teaching lessons through picture books is also incredibly powerful, and that shouldn’t end with the school year. Here are a few picture books to read with your child this summer that focus on strong characters in unique and special settings while focusing on important themes and lessons.
#1 The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer (written by Davide Cali)
The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer keeps readers asking what really happened over the summer break? A curious teacher wants to know. The main character tells an increasingly tall tale about his summer vacation. The excitement begins with the cover (depicting the boy and his dog entangled in the arms of an octopus) and is carried through to the end pages (featuring the creature's suction cups). He recounts a magical tale involving a treasure map, pirates, a submarine, a flying machine, yetis, and more. You’ll want to pay close attention to the illustrations so you don’t miss out on all the fun! Have your children share their own summer stories (truth or fiction) as you share this adorable picture book with them.
#2 Sea Glass Summer (written by Michelle Houts)
Sea Glass Summer introduces readers to a young boy named Thomas is visiting his grandmother’s seaside cottage in Maine during the warm summer months. His grandmother gives him a magnifying glass that had once belonged to his grandfather. Thomas takes the magnifying glass to the beach to begin exploring. Thomas loves how the magnifying glass turns grains of sand into rocks and dark and clam shells into swirling mazes of black, gray, and white. Thomas is intrigued when his grandmother shows him a piece of sea glass. Thomas then begins to collect pieces of sea glass that appeal to him. His grandfather had believed every piece of sea glass had a story and Thomas begins to dream what their stories might have been. Night after night, he dreams a new story for each new piece of glass, until his visit was over and it was time to head home. But, that’s not quite the end of this magical story.
#3 Tar Beach (written by Faith Ringgold)
The backdrop of 1939 Harlem makes Tar Beach an illustrated masterpiece and a conversation piece about African-American culture. Tar Beach is not really a beach at all. It is actually the rooftop of the apartment building where eight-year-old Cassie Lightfoot lives with her family. The rooftop is known as Tar Beach because Cassie’s family and all of the neighbors like to go there to hang out and relax during the warm summer months. The nights are filled with fried chicken, roasted peanuts, watermelon, friends, family, and lots of laughter. While Cassie’s mom and dad are hanging out with the neighbors, Cassie relaxes on their roof mattress with her little brother. Often, while she's lying on her mattress, Cassie likes to look up at the stars. Sometimes the stars reach down and lift her up into the dark, and then she's flying through the New York City sky (in her imagination, course).
#4 The Little Red Fort (written by Brenda Maier)
The Little Red Fort is a spunky, girl power adaptation of The Little Red Hen. When Ruby finds some old boards, she decides she wants to build something. She asks her brothers for help, but they tell her that she doesn’t know how to build anything. Ruby is determined to learn, so sets off to draw the plans, gather the supplies, and cut the boards. She asks her brothers for help with each step, but she is repeatedly told no. When the fort is finished, her brothers want to play, but Ruby tells them that she will play by herself because they didn’t help with the building. The boys feel a bit guilty and make a mailbox, plant flowers, and paint the fort bright red. Their efforts have helped Ruby have a change of heart so she invites her brothers to have a cookie feast in the fort.
#5 The Sandcastle That Lola Built (written by Magan Maynor)
The Sandcastle That Lola Built is a summer spin on the classic book The House That Jack Built. Lola is spending the day at the beach to work on building her dream sandcastle. She is dreaming of a castle with a very tall tower and sea glass to send signals to the mermaids. The problem is….the beach is too crowded and it didn’t take long for a boy to step on her castle. Lola isn’t mad…instead she gets him to help build a wall. A few minutes later, a toddler playing with a bulldozer gets too close to the sand castle. Lola puts the toddler to work digging the moat for the castle. More interruptions happen but the sand castle just keeps getting bigger and better. All is going well until….a wave!
#6 My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis (written by Paul Meisel)
Kids of all ages will love this funny and scientifically accurate diary of a praying mantis. The journal entries are dated and follow along as P, Mantis moves through the different stages of the praying mantis life cycle. The narrator, P. Mantis, starts her story by emerging from the egg case with her 150 brothers and sisters and goes on to shedding her skin and avoiding predators. Readers will get a close look at the world from the mantis’s point of view and share in its ups and downs including when the mantis confesses “I ate one of my brothers. Okay, maybe two). The illustrations in this book are large and full of details. This book is perfect for readers who love science and learning about insects with a nice dose of humor and entertainment.
#7 Saffron Ice Cream (written by Rashin Kheiriyeh)
In Saffron Ice Cream, Rashin is looking forward to visiting the beach near her new town. On the way to the beach, she thinks back to what trips to the beach on the beautiful Caspian Sea were like in her homeland of Iran. She fondly remembers the Persian music and the delicious saffron ice cream that she would share with her best friend , Azadeh. Although Rashin misses her homeland, she is enjoying some of the wonderful things in her new place especially the subway and exciting music. She is hopeful she will be meet a new friend at the beach. Rashin is sad to learn that saffron ice cream isn’t sold on the new beach. Her sadness is quickly overcome after a newfound friend, Aijah, a pig-tailed girl, suggests she try a new flavor, chocolate crunch, which she thinks is equally delicious!
#8 Goldfish on Vacation (written by Sally Lloyd Jones)
Goldfish on Vacation is based on the true story of Hamilton Fountain in New York City. H, Little O, and Baby Em are stuck in the city for the summer with only their pet goldfish—Barracuda, Patch, and Fiss—for company. They are starting to think it will be a pretty boring vacation until work begins on the old fountain down the street that has been neglected for years. After the all the trash had been removed and the fountain spruced up a bit, a sign appears that says: "Calling All Goldfish Looking for a Summer Home”. The fountain is now ready to offer goldfish, donated temporarily by neighborhood children, a chance to enjoy a vacation, to mingle with their own kind, and swim outside the confines of a fish bowl. The children, along with other goldfish parents, add their goldfish to the water beneath the fountain. The fountain that had been an eyesore had been transformed into a fun gathering place for children and others in the community.
#9 Hooked (written by Tommy Greenwald)
Young Joe loves fishing, but is dad is not as enthusiastic about it as Joe is. Joe can think of no better way to spend a day than a fishing trip because he enjoys the peaceful quiet and the chance to be alone with his imagination. More than anything, Joe wants his dad to join him, but his dad always says no, protesting that it’s boring (and he doesn’t like worms). Since his dad doesn’t love fishing, Joe joins his town’s fishing club so that he will have others to go fishing with. When the club plans an ice-fishing trip, and each attendee must have a parent with him, Joe's father is not looking forward to the trip, but he agrees to go. Joe’s father ended up enjoying the trip and the time spent with his son so much that he soon is joining Joe on all of his fishing trips because he had become “Hooked”.
#10 The Magician’s Secret (written by Zachary Hyman)
Charlie’s Grandpa was a magician who knows how to do the most amazing tricks like pulling a rabbit from a hat and making a coin disappear. Charlie loves it when his Grandpa comes to babysit because he always brings his magic tricks and ready to share from his collection of wonderful adventure stories. All of Grandpa’s stories begin with something he has stored away in his Magic Story Chest. A long white scarf inspires the story about Grandpa's dogfight with the notorious Red Baron, the great First World War fighter pilot. An hourglass is a reminder of how he defended the treasure in King Tut's tomb from raiders. A coconut shell heralds the story about his encounter with a nasty Tyrannosaurus Rex. Charlie’s parents aren’t as excited about Grandpa’s stories as Charlie. They think they are just “tall tales”, but Grandpa tells Charlie that all you need to do is believe and a dream can be turned into something real. The Magician’s Secret is a lovely story about the power of using one’s imagination.
#11 Sisters and Champions (written by Howard Bryant)
Summer is the perfect time for a game of tennis with friends. Venus and Serena Williams are known for their hard work, determination, and multiple tennis championships. This book tells the inspirational true story of the sisters’ journey from the worn-down tennis court in Compton, California to Olympic gold medalists. At the heart of this book is the impact that their family had on the two sisters becoming champions. Their parents gave them the confidence, support, and tools they needed to dream big and achieve greatness.
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