As summer is winding down, we’re clinging to it as best we can with our favorite summertime books. We found these 5 new books that celebrate very different parts of summertime for young kids.
John Rocco’s Blackout tells the story of a young kid whose family is too busy to play with them until a blackout occurs in their city. The family comes together and hangs out with neighbors both on their rooftop and down on the street where a block-party feeling has swept the city. When the lights go back on, things return to normal, until the kid finds a way to bring everyone together again.
Saffron Ice Cream by Rashin tells readers of the joy of a trip to the beach as well as the nervousness of a new experience. In this story, Rashin is going to the beach in Brooklyn for the first time, where she and her family have moved from Iran. She remembers the joy she felt visiting the beach in Iran with her family and her best friend, including the time that some boys peeked through the partition separating the male and female beaches. She misses she delicious saffron ice cream from Iran, and a new friend helps her discover a delicious new flavor and a great day at the beach.
We love this story because it helped us to navigate conversations about how in our country we believe that separate is not equal, but in other countries there are different rules and customs that we respect.
Summer Supper is best for a 1-4 year old audience. In it, author Rubin Pfeffer and illustrator Mike Austin show what it takes to grow a meal from seed to supper, and a family enjoying friends post-supper as well. All of the words begin with “s”, which is fun for even older kids to spot. We love noting all the stages of plant life and then also preparing a meal and enjoying it.
We read Tom Brenner’s And Then Comes Winter several months ago, so when we spotted And Then Comes Summer, we knew we had to check it out. It follows a similar pattern- noting ways in which we know that summer is coming and different summer activities. This book highlights things like school ending, playground fun, ice cream trucks, and camping. We love to see the diverse faces represented in Jaime Kim’s illustrations, as well as relating to familiar activities and finding new ones to try.
The Hike by Alison Farrell is my favorite of this stack. In it, 3 friends- 4 if you count Bean the dog- go for a hike one delightful summer day. The kids pick and eat berries, get lost and find their way, find interesting foliage and creatures, and find a stunning sunset. They are adventurous and smart and confident and kind. The book features a narrative as well as cool descriptions and facts about what the kids are seeing on the hiking trail. Both of my kids and I can spend a long time reading and noticing all the fun features of this book.