It’s summer and time to celebrate this bright and growing season. Here are some outstanding picture books that will surely help lengthen these long, sunny days.
Henry’s Night, by D. B. Johnson and Linda Michelin, will awaken in you warm summer nights. This beautifully told tale celebrates Henry David Thoreau’s magical moonlit walks with observations of night that only happens in summer – and can only be described by this famous poet and naturalist. And the pictures reflect the night as if you’re looking across a woodland as an owl swoops down. This fifth book in the “Henry” series continues by showcasing his wondrous outside observations that will surely heighten language and nature for all ages to enjoy.
A few other great things about summer are gardens, fresh fruits, flowers and vegetables. Mortimer’s First Garden, by Karma Wilson, and illustrated by Dan Andreasen, is a good study in patience as Mortimer Mouse plants a sunflower seed and then has to wait, and wait, to see if anything will happen. As with all things planted, a miracle sprouts with his hard work and with his faith in belief. The pictures of Mortimer and his garden are painted with colorful hues and the season of sunflowers is abundant everywhere
A Garden of Opposites, by Nancy Davis, is a card stock paged book of simple concepts that have to do with gardening. Each page displays a simple picture and word description of opposites such as inside and outside of an apple and a flower that is open and closed. This is a delightful, yet formative, read for babies and toddlers.
Quiet in the Garden, by Aliki, will bring about all that surrounds the garden. The snail, the robin and even the butterfly are all part of this vegetation and all make an impact. There’s even an invitation to make your own quiet garden. The quietude this book creates may linger way into fall in this book written for ages 3 to 7.
Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors, by Joyce Sidman, and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, celebrates one of my favorite things about the season: the sensation of how each facet feels on your skin, in the air and how it smells. If you’re teaching your little ones the importance of descriptions of all that surrounds them, look no further. The imagery on each page seems to drip off the picture.
The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown, is ultimately a story of how hope, effort and hard work can make a difference in the world. A very curious boy is observing his colorless city when he discovers a sad looking garden. As he brings the garden to life, it begins to take on a life of its own. This very curious garden will enchant all as the city changes to hues of color everywhere.
Just How Long Can a Long String Be?!, by Keith Baker, showcases what Bird can do with this long white string. The inventive usage of what Bird does with the string shows many colorful scenes across the summer landscape as well as creativity with just one piece of string.
One of the many activities that takes place during summertime is traveling. The Travel Game, by John Grandits, and illustrated by R. W. Alley, demonstrates the best way to travel, especially when low on money. Take your favorite book that’s full of pictures from around the world as well as a globe and let your “imagination trip” begin. That’s what this clever story is all about. By the end of the book, you’ll be looking for a picture book and a globe also. Here’s another trip book, What a Trip!, by Arthur Yorinks, and illustrated by Richard Egielski. This unique story has a young boy tripping into another dimension full of pointy shaped people. When he falls back into reality, he wants to prove what just happened – as no one believes him. This clever story is rich in ingenuity and color.
There’s nothing quite as beautiful as the full moon on a clear warm summer night. When the Moon Forgot, by Jimmy Liao, is a fanciful story about a little boy finding that the moon has fallen into a field. He takes it home to help it and heal it. But now with no moon, factories begin to mass produce them and the story becomes quite imaginative.
And lastly, one of the many summer activities is going camping. Duck Tents, by Lynne Berry, and illustrated by Hiroe Nakata, is the perfect story to prime your young campers for a nighttime of adventure. The ducks all pitch their tents and ready themselves for fishing the next day. What they aren’t ready for are the many strange night sounds that scare them all to pile into one tent. The watercolors fill the pages and the adorable ducks will bring a smile to all.
