What says “summer” to you? Maybe it’s feeling the sun on your skin, tasting the first ice cream cone of the season, or catching a glimpse of the first firefly in your backyard. As parents, it’s sometimes hard to notice the simple joys of summer when juggling the demands of working, carting kids to various activities, and general parenting duties. Summer reading can give us all a chance to slow down, soak in the moments, and make new memories—whether we’re lounging with a beach read (the dream!) or helping our kids hit their summer reading goals.
To help jumpstart summer reading, we gathered some of our favorite children’s books that just scream “summertime” and are fun for kids and parents to enjoy together. From new releases to old favorites and some special ones in between, here are 10 of our favorite books that celebrate summer. Added bonus: The covers would all look adorable on a summer-themed bookshelf.
A gorgeous celebration of nature in the summer, this just-released book follows a young girl and her grandfather as they walk down a wild path toward the coast, taking in nature along the way. The pair passes through several habitats and the girl's grandfather teaches her about how summer affects a meadow, a stream, sandy heathland, pine woods, fossil-rich cliffs, and a rocky cove. It's a beautiful story showing both the connection between grandchild and grandparent as well as the special environment that surrounds us in summer. The Little Blue Cottage waits for a little girl to return every summer in this sweet story. If your family has a special spot you return to each year or love the feeling you get from watching the Toy Story movies or reading The Giving Tree, this one's for you. For little Llama Llama fans, take a trip to the beach with Llama Llama and his mama in this flip-and-feel board book. This gorgeous picture book celebrates one of the mainstays of summer: a trip to the community pool. Crocodile loves watermelon, but one day, he begins to worry that he’s swallowed a watermelon seed. This award-winning story is told with bold illustrations and comedic timing both little ones and parents will love. This beautifully illustrated story celebrates the anticipation of all the fun summer brings—from staying up later to hearing the ice cream truck’s jingle through the neighborhood to watching 4th of July parades and fireworks. Books from the Elephant and Piggie series are great practice for beginning readers and are fun for parents to read aloud. In this book, Gerald gets his own ice cream cone on a hot day, but then he goes back and forth on whether or not to share his ice cream with his best bud, Piggie. Fletcher is a sweet little fox who lives in the woods. In this story, Fletcher finds a very small rabbit who feels sad because the rabbit has nothing to contribute to the sounds of summer. Fletcher always wants to help, so the two new friends go in search of something to cheer up the rabbit. A little girl explores the smells of summer when her grandmother (Lola) comes to visit—from smelling the melting cherry ice cream cones to the mango jam Lola's making in the kitchen. Bugs are just a part of summertime, and in this classic story, we meet a clever and resourceful inchworm who measures everything from a robin’s wing to a flamingo’s neck. But what will happen when a nightingale asks the inchworm to measure his song? Kids will love the bright illustrations and unexpected ending to this Amazon Teacher’s Pick and Calecott Honoree.
1. Wild Summer: Life in the Heat
2. The Little Blue Cottage
3. Llama Llama Sand & Sun
4. Bubbles...Up!
5. The Watermelon Seed
6. And Then Comes Summer
7. Should I Share My Ice Cream
8. Fletcher and the Summer Show
9. When Lola Visits
10. Inch by Inch
This post was in partnership with The Quarto Group but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
