School might be looming, but there’s still some summer left. Here are six illustrated books to help young kids enjoy the sunny season before it evaporates.
- “Pignic” by Matt Phelan (Greenwillow, ages 4-8)
The story: Mom and Dad Pig and their little piglets decide it’s a perfect day for a picnic. What could go wrong? A tree that’s too high to climb? No breeze to fly a kite? A sudden storm and lots of mud? No worries, they’re pigs. They love mud!
What kids will like: Any little person who’s ever stomped in a puddle or played in the mud will squeal with delight at this adorable homage to a summer downpour.
- “I Got It!” by David Wiesner (Clarion, ages 4-7)
The story: In this wordless depiction of a kids’ coed pickup baseball game, an anxious boy of about 12 waits forever for a fly ball to land in his glove. Will he pull off heroics, or will it be out of reach?
What kids will like:Fancifully conceived and illustrated, “I Got It!” scores with the feel-good message that you don’t have to be a superstar to be a winner.
- “Summer Color!”by Diana Murray; illustrated by Zoe Persico (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, ages 4-8)
The story:Kids who live in the country have a wonderful place to explore on a summer day — the great outdoors, filled with flowers and creatures and what’s this? Rain! But a rainbow might be waiting at the end.
What kids will like: Kids revel in their freedom in this carefree story, which doubles as a pretty, clever lesson in color (“treetops so green,” “petals so pink”).
- How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk; illustrated by Sara Palacios (Viking Books for Young Readers, ages 4-8)
The story:It’s the end of summer vacation — and Pearl’s last chance to build a sandcastle. She’s brought along her rustproof robot pal. Now,all she has to do is code Pascal to fill a pail, dump the sand and shape and decorate the castle. Wait, not with the lifeguard!
What kids will like:Code at the beach? That sounds like work. But this whimsical “Girls Who Code” book finds the fun (and the funny) in computer science for girls.
- Sun by Sam Usher (Templar, age 3-7)
The story: On a hot, sunny day, a boy and his granddad escape the city looking for just the right place for a, yep, a picnic. They gather provisions and a map and begin a trek that somehow takes them across a meadow, along a desert and tropical beach and into a cave — where a pirate ship awaits! Some picnic.
What kids will like: Summertime often means a visit to grandparents, and this lovingly imagined adventure will tickle any kid who has one (or more).
- Picnic With Oliver by Mika Song (HarperColllins, ages 4-8)
The story: When Oliver the cat and Philbert the mouse pack for a picnic in the park, the wheels threaten to come off. Literally. But a bagel makes a great replacement for their cart, and Oliver and his trusty umbrella ride to the rescue after a storm swamps Philbert’s tiny boat.
What kids will like:This gentle, sweet celebration of an unlikely friendship shows a ruined picnic doesn’t have to spoil the day — especially once you’re back inside with cookies.
