Looking for the best summer books for preschool? Check out our favorites!
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BOOK LIST: SUMMER
Summertime is here, and everyone is ready for a break! Whether you’re a teacher in the classroom, a homeschooling family, or a parent of little ones, everyone looks forward to the slower pace of summer.
Some of our favorite activities during summer include summer-themed sensory bins, creating customizable summer schedules, and reading lots of great books!
Keep reading to check out our favorite summer books for preschoolers that you can read this summer. Plus there’s a link to download a summer freebie & fun summer snack idea that your kids are sure to love!
If you’re looking for summer-themed learning activities, check out this post!
SUMMER BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Summer is Summer: This story follows four children and their adventures as they enjoy the outdoors in the summer. Your little one will enjoy the focus on sensory pleasures & imaginative illustrations found in this fun-filled book!
A Lullaby of Summer Things: This book is the perfect book to read aloud to your little one before bed! The lyrical nature of the text, along with the warm illustrations, will be sure to lull anyone to sleep. Readers will follow a little girl and her siblings as they go through their evening activities and reflect on the fun times they had at the beach. I love that this book is a calming story to read before lights out.
Hello Summer!: This is the fourth book in a series that takes children through all four seasons. I love choosing books with real photographs, and this book has amazing images of children participating in all sorts of fun summer activities! I also love that this book includes a glossary at the end. Vocabulary words such as summer solstice, nectar, and pollen are all listed as easy-to-understand definitions for any curious preschooler.
Mouse Loves Summer: We love the “Mouse” series over here! This book is great because the illustrations are paired with adjectives that tell all about Mouse and Minka’s exciting day at a picnic. The text also helps little ones practice positional words, such as “over here” and “under there.” If your little one loves the “Mouse” series, this is a great choice for summer!
Keep track of your little one’s summer reading with this FREE summer reading log!
Possum and the Summer Storm: In this story, Possum and his three baby possums lose their home during a summer storm. As they wander around trying to find a new home, all of the animals pitch in to help them build one…Chipmunk helps them dig a basement, Muskrat helps them build a dome of reeds and mud, Wasp helps them make a comb of chewed wood and saliva, and Oriole helps them build a hammock. In the end, another storm blows in, but all of the animals are safe in the house they built together.
And Then Comes Summer: This is one of our favorite books for summer because it highlights all of the best parts of summer…the last day of school, lemonade stands, hide-and-seek with the neighbors until it’s dark, 4th of July parades, fireworks, and more! It has a “When/Then” pattern to the text that makes it great for reading aloud, and the illustrations are cheery and colorful!
I love this book so much that I created a book project for it. Click on the picture to read more!
Jabari Jumps: Do you have memories of jumping off the high diving board when you were a kid? That was one of my favorite things to do…so reading this book brings back so many memories! This story is about Jabari, a boy who’s excited to jump off the high diving board at the pool. But once he gets there, he feels nervous. His dad reminds him that it’s okay to feel a little scared, and that sometimes, that experience can turn into a surprise. In the end, Jabari jumps off the diving board and has a great time at the pool.
It’s Summer, Dear Dragon: Have you read any of the “Dear Dragon” books? They’re super cute! This one follows the boy and his dragon as they have fun on a busy summer day. They swim, have a picnic, play tee-ball, and watch fireworks, too! This series has a different “Dear Dragon” book for each season (not to mention tons more, too!)
Looking for a fun summer schedule that you can customize for your little ones? Check this out!
Summer: This book has a kind message while also introducing readers to animals. The story begins with a competition for one shady spot on a hot summer day. However, the animals realize the importance of sharing and being kind to one another. The poetic text, colorful illustrations, and interactive components help teach little ones a very important message about being selfless and sharing with others.
Summer Supper: This book is easily one of my favorites because of its emphasis on the pictures and not the text…it’s almost like a wordless picture book! This story follows the creation of a family meal from farm to table and gives readers an appreciation for where their food comes from. The author also adds a twist by only telling the story with words that begin with the letter “s,” and he only uses a word or two on each page (such as “Sprinkle sprinkle” and “Scarecrow surprise.”) This farm-to-table journey is filled with colorful illustrations and humor to keep readers engaged.
Hooray for Summer!: This story starts out on a warm summer day, and all the animals are feeling very hot. Suddenly, a summer storm comes and disrupts the peace. Three little squirrels named Mack, Mick, and Molly meet lots of new friends while trying to hide from the rain. In the end, they call themselves the “Summer Storm Friends” and have a great time playing together after the rain passes.
Zoomer’s Summer Snowstorm: When I was a kid, I had a Snoopy snow-cone machine that I LOVED and used all the time! So reading this story about Zoomer and his snow-cone machine brought me back to my childhood. In this story, Zoomer decides to make a snow-cone on a hot summer day. But when he forgets to turn it off, Zoomer turns summer into winter and goes on all sorts of fun adventures!
Now It Is Summer: I’m a big fan of Eileen Spinelli books (I love her book Thankful, which you can read more about here). This story is unique because it compares autumn and summer on each page. It starts off with “Will it be autumn soon?” followed by something that happens in autumn (such as making Halloween costumes). Then on the next page, the text says, “Yes autumn will come, but now it is summer” followed by something that happens in summer (such as needing flip-flops and beach towels). I love the message behind this book…to stop looking too far ahead into the future and just enjoy the present. The future will come soon enough, but it’s important to enjoy what’s happening now!
SUMMER BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
A Beach for Albert: This book is part of the “Mouse Math” series. The goal of this series is to introduce our little ones to math concepts in a fun and engaging way. I grew up thinking I wasn’t good at math, and I definitely don’t want to pass that negative mindset onto my kids or students. So picking books that show math in a positive way is so important to me! In this story, Albert and Wanda are trying to fill up a bowl with water to create a pool, but they’re having trouble. They have to learn about capacity in order to solve their problem and have a fun day at the beach!
Miranda’s Beach Day: This is a sweet book about a girl named Miranda and her trip to the beach. She loves swimming in the water and pretending to be a mermaid. And when she finds a crab scurrying on the sand, she decides to build him a beautiful sand castle. The illustrations in this book are amazing because they are printed collages. Very unique and creative!
On Gull Beach: This rhyming story takes place on a beach in Cape Cod, which the little boy calls Gull Beach. In the beginning, the little boy sees a starfish and wants to place it back into the sea. But the seagulls snatch it away from the sand (and from each other!) In the end, the seagulls drop the starfish and the boy is able to put it back into the sea.
Robin Hill School: Summer Treasure: We love the Robin Hill School book series, and this one is a great option! It’s summer vacation, and Hannah is so excited to head to the beach. But she is shocked when she sees her teacher, Mrs. Connor, there…in a swimsuit! She thought teachers lived at school all the time (how many kids think this haha!) This book is adorable and I’m sure all of our kiddos can relate to it!
Ladybug Girl at the Beach: The Ladybug Girl series is one of our all-time favorites…my daughter actually dressed up as Ladybug Girl for Halloween when she was 2! If you’ve never read these books, they follow a girl named Lulu who has an alter ego called Ladybug Girl. In this book, Lulu and her dog, Bingo, travel to the beach for the first time. The big ocean is a little intimidating, so Lulu and Bingo stick to fun activities on the shore. But when her favorite pail is swept up by a wave, Ladybug Girl will have to come save the day! This book is a great read before a beach vacation and shows the importance of having courage.
Duck and Goose Go to the Beach: In this story, Duck wants to go on an adventure to the beach, but Goose doesn’t want to go. He eventually gives in, and the two head to the beach…and it turns out, Duck is the one who doesn’t like it there! This is a cute story that shows the importance of friendship.
Summer at the Seashore (Taking a Walk): Have you ever played the game, “I’m going on a trip to Paris and I’m packing x,” and then the next person says, “I’m going on a trip to Paris and I’m packing x and y,” and the game continues that way? We love playing that game, and it’s SO great for working on memory skills! Well this book has the same concept. It starts out with, “I went for a walk on the seashore today and I saw lots of pretty seashells.” Then the story builds on the next page and says, “I went for a walk on the seashore today and I saw lots of pretty seashells and one diving gray dolphin” and so on through number ten. You could do SO many fun activities with this book!
A Beach Tail: In this story, Gregory and his dad are spending the day at the beach. Gregory draws a lion in the sand, and his dad tells him not to go into the water or leave Sandy (the lion). As Gregory wanders down the beach, he sees so many amazing things, and he has Sandy’s tail with him the whole time…but he goes so far he can’t see his dad’s umbrella anymore! Luckily, Gregory is clever and traces Sandy’s tail back to his dad, who’s waiting for him under their umbrella.
Sea Glass Summer: This story is all about a boy named Thomas, who is spending the summer at his grandmother’s seaside cottage. Thomas loves exploring the beach and searching for glass. One night he has an unusual dream of an old shipyard that might reveal the history of the glass he’s been finding. Your little one will enjoy reading about Thomas’s adventures and revealing the mystery of the seaglass! (Just a note: This one is very long, so it’s probably not the best choice for younger kiddos with short attention spans unless you read it over the course of a few days like a chapter book.)
This Beach is Loud: In this story, a boy is SO excited to go to the beach! He wakes up early and packs everything himself, and he talks his dad’s ear off on the way. But once they get there, the boy is overwhelmed…it’s loud, and hot, and the sand gets everywhere! Luckily, his dad helps him calm down by giving him strategies to control sensory overload (like 1-2-3 tap), until the boy is able to get control over his feelings. After that, he has a great time and wants to come back again soon!
Otto Goes to the Beach: Who else loves Todd Parr books?! My little guy LOVES them! The unique illustrations and colorful pages are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. In this story, Otto (the dog) is feeling sad because he has no one to play with. So he drives to the beach to look for a friend. After a few unsuccessful attempts at finding friends, he eventually finds the perfect friend for him! I love the note that Todd Parr writes at the end to the readers, reminding them that it can be hard to make new friends, but to remember there is always someone out there to play with you!
Pair any of these beach books with a beach sensory bin. Click here to see our favorite!
WAFFLE ICE CREAM
Want to pair one of your preschool summer books with a unique breakfast your kids are sure to love? Try Waffle Ice Cream! Your kids are sure to be impressed with this fun breakfast. You can read more about it in this post!
SUMMER MATH FREEBIE
Need a summer-themed freebie to use with your preschoolers? Then make sure you download this FREE Popsicle Patterns game that’s perfect to add to your summer sensory bin! Click here to read more and grab a copy for your kiddos!
SHARE YOUR FAVORITES
Do you have any favorite summer books for preschool? I’d love to hear them and add them to our list! Comment below or find me on Instagram [@littleslovelearningblog].
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Looking for other book lists for preschool and kindergarten? Click HERE to check them out!
Happy Learning!
