Summer and Childhood: Picture Books that Represent Elements of Children’s Summertime Experiences

These summer picture books include must-reads for early childhood and elementary readers or read-to-ers. This collection showcases books that feature summer themes or topics for children who are staycationing, vacationing, visiting, or otherwise adventuring. Some of these featured books need support alongside them with discussions led by adults and some are lighter and more whimsical. Enjoy reading these synopses about the varied ways children may experience the summer as we share the season with them through these stellar texts. 

At the Cookout. Nadia Fisher. (2026). G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. 
Summer and family traditions just go hand in hand. CiCi’s family has a cookout every summer, and she just can’t wait to get there. CiCi wants to see her grandmother, cousins, uncles, and aunts and enjoy all the things she knows to expect from their family traditions. When she arrives, though, she can’t find her favorite cousin, Chase, and she looks everywhere. While searching, she describes the games like spades and horseshoes her family is playing and the hot grill that cooks all the delicious food for everyone. When she finally finds Chase sneaking cookies, they listen to music and dance together with their relatives. They indulge in all the good food and especially the desserts made by Grandma. This book is a reminder of the love that is shared within the family, food, and fun of summer get-togethers. (PreK Up)

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The Big Once-a-Year Broussard-Bouchard Family Reunion. Karen English. Illus. by annalise barber-opp. (2026). Candlewick. 
Celebrating the zydeco culture of Louisiana, this family reunion tale relates to all children who will connect with relatives over the summer. Many members of the Broussard-Bouchard family gather to eat and visit and play games together like sack races, dominoes, and basketball. They share what they have been doing with one another since the last time they met. Best of all, they get to share in playing and enjoying their favorite music together. On her visit, Alaine accidentally lets the indoor cat outside and worries about the lost cat all during her visit. In the end, he returns to the family just as all the relatives do each year in July. With colorful, artistic pictures, this book shares elements of culture, family, and community with young children who can identify with the story and note ways they also enjoy time in the summer with their relatives. (PreK Up) 

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Bored. Felicita Sala. (2026). Neal Porter Books.  
One element of the summer is the length of uninterrupted and unplanned time that can be very exciting in theory but in reality can often also be boring for children. This text explores how boredom feels and how it is experienced by one little girl named Rita. Rita is “really, really, really, really bored.” She has nothing to do and nowhere to be, but eventually begins to learn that, in boredom, freeing her mind allows her to create big stories and ideas. The illustrations add to the content of the story as we learn alongside Rita what it means to be bored and what it also feels like when our minds respond to that boredom with creative thinking. As Rita has time to free her mind, she begins to use her big imagination and learns to be content with herself, enjoying her own thoughts. (PreK Up)

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City Summer, Country Summer. Kiese Laymon. Illus. by Alexis Franklin. (2025). Kokila. 
This 2026 Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor Title showcases the experiences of young Black boys visiting their grandmothers and spending time together in the deep South at the hottest time of the year. The book explores ideas of emotional safety with new friends from differing locales and the intensity of a young summer spent together. Within the story, boyhood is conveyed within the loving boundaries of grandmothers’ spaces and the childhood freedom of a hot Mississippi summer. The children in the story relish the discovery of a new special world that includes woods, gardens, porches, and neighbors, alongside the tender bonds made quickly from shared experiences. Love and joy are certainly present in the tone, words, and illustrations of this realistic and representational reading experience. (K Up)

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Everybelly. Thao Lam. (2025). Groundwood Books. 
At the pool, Maddie sees lots of bellies. Some bellies are round and others are wrinkly. Some of the stomachs are flat, while others have tattoos. She sees bellies that have stretch marks or freckles or monitors. Through this body-neutrality text, a child acknowledges differences without judgment of various people she enjoys knowing in her community. With Maddie, readers also begin to recognize the beauty that is in our diverse world full of different bodies belonging to many special people. This is an excellent read for children as they see others in the story and in their worlds this summer who look similar to and different from them. The collaged pictures are gorgeous and add depth to an already rich text. This book is an enjoyable, inclusive read for children and adults alike. (PreK Up)

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Fireworks. Matthew Burgess. Illus. by Cátia Chien. (2025). Clarion Books. 
This 2026 Caldecott winner is a must-read for July 4th or for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. With gorgeous illustrations and a relatable storyline, this text is a must-have for this summer’s reading. Children in the book experience the hot Fourth of July with treats like watermelon and later end the night with a beautiful fireworks display. The siblings enjoy their day together in the hot city playing in a fire hydrant’s spray and journeying through the park. Finally, they visit the roof of a big building and watch the brilliant fireworks show bursting above the skyscrapers. They end their Fourth tucked in bed remembering and feeling the special day inside their heads and hearts. With a foldout display, this book is an entertaining read on, before, and after Independence Day. (PreK Up)

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A Fish Like Me. Jamie Sumner. Illus. by Devon Holzwarth. (2026). Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 
This joyful text showcases the feelings of different ways that bodies might move through the world. This story is told from the perspective of a child in swim therapy who uses a wheelchair for mobility out of the water. The main character uses his imagination to pretend to be sea animals floating, flipping, and gliding through the water. The book explores the freedom of movement while representing children with physical disabilities in an authentic way. The expressive writing and the bright underwater pictures make this story special for all readers and swimmers. (PreK Up)

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Gigantic: The Small Whale with a Big Heart. Rob Biddulph. (2023). HarperCollins. 
"'Neath the ways of a stormy Atlantic, there lives a blue whale, and his name is Gigantic.” Gigantic is a tiny whale often teased for his size by his bigger brother, Titan. However, despite his size and along with his small friends in a team effort, he becomes the hero of the story. Fun for young children who may be smaller in stature, who may be teased, or who may just feel small, this book allows them to see the power they have when they know their own value. The rhyming verse and the fun illustrations make this one enjoyable all year long, but certainly in the summer season with the ocean setting. An added fun adventure for the summer would be to look at the many “Draw with Rob” videos by the author/illustrator and try out some illustrations alongside the book. (PreK Up)

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Our Lake. Angie Kang. (2025). Kokila. 
For some children, summer may be a lonely time if they are coping with a loss. They may encounter sad feelings as they try to revisit prior summer traditions without their loved ones present. Our Lake is a story for children who may be experiencing grief or for children learning to empathize with others who are grieving. With beautiful illustrations and a touching storyline, this Caldecott Honor Book addresses the loss of a loved one in a sensitive and age-appropriate way. It also acknowledges the real pain that young children may feel but may or may not be able to name. The touching sibling relationship is an added benefit to the text. This book has many aspects that make it a lovely read for young children beginning to learn about the socio-emotional issues of loss and grief. (PreK Up)

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Serafina Makes Waves. Matthew Burgess. Illus. by Robin Rosenthal. (2026). Dial Books. 
For any reluctant swimmers, this book will be the go-to text for support this summer. Serafina has no interest in being near or in any water.  Though the “powers that be” require her to take swimming lessons, nothing can make her want to get in that water. By helping children empathize with feeling nervous or avoiding something new, the lively illustrations and funny text show how Serafina might benefit from at least attempting a new adventure. With the nudge of seeing her friend in trouble, Serafina triumphs in the end, as will the little ones who learn a lesson from this stubborn, silly cat. (PreK Up)

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Dr. Holly Hilboldt Swain is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Troy University. She reviews P-12 literature as a member of the International Literacy Association's Notable Books for a Global Society award committee and is a former chairperson of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People award committee. Prior to her work in higher education, Dr. Swain taught in Title I early childhood and elementary inclusive classrooms using project-based teaching practices and loads of children’s literature.