Summer is a magical time of year for kids and their families, filled with vacations, trips to the beach or a festival, and play time spent outside.
When seeking books about summer for kids – follow your child’s interest – what do they want to read about? Favorite summer topics include exploring the sun, the beach, a story that takes place in summer, gardening, and tales of young animals growing up.
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A Field Guide to Summer: Play and Learn in Nature
Field guides are wonderful for kids! They’re packed with photos and illustrations plus lots of words, including challenging vocabulary. While still being age appropriate. Field guides exist for every topic, from rocks to insects to trees to mammals. You can start with a regular field guide, or for your child’s first field guide choose one designed specifically for children. This newly published children’s field guide is high-quality and a great first guide for a child.
Written by Gabby Dawnay. Illustrated by Dorien Brouwers. Contributions by Louise Black. Published 2025.
Fly High, Fly Low
A heart-warming tale of two birds and the nest they build as their home. From the acclaimed author/illustrator of the classic children’s picture book Corduroy. This story is set in San Francisco and Freeman’s illustrations make it easy for you to design an expansion circle using the pictures in the book to guide you to photos of real places in that city. This story is a must-have for every child’s home library. Lovely focus on kindness, togetherness, and family.
Written and illustrated by Don Freeman. First published in 1957.
A Caldecott Honor Book
Harry by the Sea
Meet Harry the Dog – the beloved classic children’s book character. He is featured in a series of very enjoyable stories. Harry is often running into trouble, and then getting out of it in resourceful, fun, and happy ways. Harry by the Sea is a perfect choice to read during the summer! Maybe on a trip to the beach or the lake? Very young children up to kids who are learning to read love Harry.
By Gene Zion. Pictures by Margaret Bloy Graham. First published in 1976.
Hello, World! Garden Time
Jill MacDonald creates fabulous children’s books. Her illustrations are colorful and fun and enjoyable. Young readers love pointing to everything they see on each page, asking for the names of things with you as you read together – early literacy at its finest! This darling gardening board book is perfect for summertime reading with younger children. Part of the “Hello, World!” series which features 20+ books on different topics – there’s truly something for every child’s interest.
Written and illustrated by Jill MacDonald. Published 2022.
I Like the Sun
Fabulous non-fiction book about the sun and full of rhymes. Excellent for little ones and emerging readers. Perfect for younger children with the rhyming text, and rich with fun facts to learn found in the end material (more difficult reading provided at the end of the book; end material stretches a book’s value). Part of the “I Like the Weather” book series which includes I Like the Rain, I Like the Wind, and I Like the Snow.
Written by Sarah Nelson. Illustrated by Rachel Oldfield. Published 2021.
Misty of Chincoteague
Meeting Misty and discovering the Chincoteague Pony Swim are must-do experiences! Learn all about this endearing little pony, the family who loves her, and an annual summer event that still occurs today. A classic, much-loved story that was selected as a Newberry Honor Book. Ideal for little lovers of horses!
I highly recommend the hardcover edition with color illustrations that is available from Bookshop. A more affordable paperback edition is also available. In all there are six books about Misty and her foals.
Written by Marguerite Henry. Illustrated by Wesley Dennis. Published 1947.
Out of the Blue
Get ready for an utterly unique book experience, a wordless story told in pictures that will capture the imagination and beg to be studied for hours upon hours. Out of the Blue also features extensive end material text about marine conservation, beach and ocean animals, and lighthouses. A truly remarkable book.
“Perfect for hours of poring over and sharing” – School Library Journal, starred review
“A book that eschews words for imagination-stimulating pictures: a storm-wrecked, seashore adventure between a girl and a boy” – The Guardian
Written and illustrated by Alison Jay. Published 2014. 10 best books for preschoolers, The Independent, 2016
Summertime in the Big Woods
Celebrate summer the way Laura Ingalls Wilder experienced it with her family in the later 1800’s. Summertime in the Big Woods is a short story selected from one of Wilder’s longer chapter books. All books in this series feature Laura’s original words with illustrations by Renee Graef. The pictures are based on the illustrations created by Garth Williams for the longer chapter books. Features full-color illustrations – great read-aloud for emerging readers (K-2nd).
Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Illustrated by Renée Graef. First published in 2000. Part of the Little House Picture Books series.
“Illustrations for the My First Little House Books are inspired by the work of Garth Williams with his permission, which we gratefully acknowledge.”
As noted in the introduction for Summertime in the Big Woods
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Summer is the perfect time of year to read this perennial favorite by Eric Carle. Carle was a prolific creator of children’s books and this book is perhaps his most beloved. It’s a must-have for every child’s bedroom bookshelf. Full-size hardcover and paperback versions are available for older children. There’s a lovely little board board edition that’s perfect for little ones. This book begs to be read again and again. Plus you can take your kids outside and search for real-life caterpillars in your yard, at the park, or in the garden!
“Gorgeously illustrated, brilliantly innovative.”—The New York Times Book Review
Written and illustrated by Eric Carle. First published in 1969.
Notes
- Book images used are courtesy of Bookshop.
- View more booklists just like this one at the Beehive Books and Art page on Bookshop.
Life – A Book To Touch the Soul