Recommended Reading

Hi Friends,

The last of the fireworks have thundered in night and all that’s left is the call of the tree frogs and the hot humid breeze of the evening.  The blazing sun has us sheltered inside in front of the air vent.  Its hot days like this make me thankful for a good book. 

Summer picture books are some of my favorite because they all take place outside.  I love the sights and sounds of the outdoors.  I find the ever changing landscape of nature full of magic and wonder.  This picture book list is full of summer time adventures, days at the beach, a day at the park, a wild adventure and much more.  

This post shares with you some great picture book resources to start reading with your children.   Book images in this post include amazon affiliate links and ads.  I may receive commission from clicks or purchases from the site links.  Clicking on the book image will open a new tab for shopping books from this list.  The book images also provide a reference for library or independent bookstore browsing. 

Here are 10 recommended picture books to read with your child.

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are is a classic by Maurice Sendak.  A young man is wild and gets banished to his bedroom which turns into a wild adventure.  This is a great story for those summer days that lack structure and bring out the wild things in all of us.

• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Taking a bath is a waste of time when there is so much playing to be done in the summer.  Harry the dog comes running home when he has had his fun and he is now tired and hungry.    Harry finds out that a bath every now and then is not such a bad thing.

• If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

The kids are out of school, they are bored, and if they are not reading or playing they are asking for a snack.  This is the perfect summer book for those little ones that are always asking for a snack.  You might want to have a plate of cookies to go with this book, but then you would have to have milk.

• Keats’s Neighboorhood by Ezra Keats

From the author of Snowy Day, Keats’s Neighboorhood by Ezra Keats follows the day in the neighborhood.  The boy is off to the store to help his mom.  He sees all kinds of things that make his neighborhood special.  Summer is a perfect time to explore your neighborhood.

• Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Meyer

Just Grandma and Me follows little critter to the beach for a beach day with his grandma.  Oh the trouble he gets in just trying to enjoy life.  We might not always have the perfect summer or perfect beach day but we can choose to make the best out of the time we have with the people we love. 

• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett

Have you ever gone to the beach and dug a hole in the sand hoping to find buried treasure? Sam and Dave are digging a hole in hopes of finding something special.  They soon find out holes are hard to dig.  It takes lots of work, chocolate milk, and animal cookies to get the job done.  Will they find their special treasure?

• Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins

On those hot summer days it’s fun to cool off at the park in the sprinkler or the splash pad.  This book explores the park during a hot day in summer.  The park brings people and nature together to experience the sun, the air, and water. 

• Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni

Leo Lionni book illustrations remind me of Eric Carle’s work but his story telling is very different.  For older children, this book cover so many topics in so few pages.  This book explores dreams and wishes, jealousy, bullying, and the joy of helping others.

• The Hello, Goodbye Window by Jester Norton

From the author of the Phantom Tollbooth, Jester Norton, The Hello, Goodbye Window is a great story of a day at grandparents house.  Spending a week a grandparents house is a time honored summer tradition.  This book tells the story of summer through the kitchen window at Nonna and Poppy’s house.

• Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall

The dreamy illustrations of Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall make you feel the cool sea breeze.  This is the story of the timeless lighthouse guiding ships through the seasons and storms.  The images of the lighthouse and surrounding seascape are worth the read.