Summer Reading Recommendations

Early Literacy Picture Books

Updated April 24, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The nature girls
Aki
Paper Book
Aki's The Nature Girls is a picture book starring an adorable troupe of girls exploring different biomes--the ocean, the desert, the tundra, the grasslands, the forest--and meeting all the cute animals that inhabit them. Delightfully charming art showcases the girls in scenes...
Wonder walkers
Archer, Micha
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor winner! Micha Archer's gorgeous, detailed collages give readers a fresh outlook on the splendors of nature. When two curious kids embark on a "wonder walk," they let their imaginations soar as they look at the world in a whole new light. They have...
Acorn was a little wild
Arena, Jen
Paper Book
Jory John's Bad Seed series meets After the Fall by Dan Santat in this charming picture book about a young acorn's grand adventure and the incredible transformation that follows. Acorn is a little wild, and from his oak tree perch, he longs for adventure. When he's the...
Where is my balloon?
Bernstein, Ariel
Paper Book
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year "Fans of Elephant and Piggie will be right at home with the humor and the repartee." --Kirkus Reviews "Vibrant art and a comical text make this a great pick for storytime." --Booklist Owl...
Odd dog out
Biddulph, Rob
Paper Book
AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH (DECEMBER 2019) SELECTION! A heartwarming and poignant story from award-winning creator Rob Biddulph about the power of embracing your true colors. Perfect for fans of Peter Brown's Tiger Goes Wild. It's a dog's life in the big, busy city, but...
Secret, secret agent guy
Bigwood, Kira
Paper Book
Send little spies to sleep with this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek lullaby set to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Dear Fellow Agents: Your mission--should you choose to accept it--is to join Secret, Secret Agent Guy on his bedtime assignment, code name:...
Shhh! The baby's asleep
Brown-Wood, JaNay
Paper Book
Celebrate the silliness that comes with a big family in this playful read aloud about a big brother, a sleeping baby, and a very noisy family. Baby is finally asleep. But everyone is much too loud! Can Mom, Daddy, Grammy, Pop Pop, Shae, Dante, Rover the dog, and even the...
Truck full of ducks
Burach, Ross
Paper Book
Titanic new talent Ross Burach breathes fresh life into tried and true topics -- trucks and ducks! -- in this laugh-out-loud comedy of errors!"Children will delight in the extreme silliness of this story and will repeatedly pore over the detailed, colorful, and quirky illustrations." --School...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar's forest hide & seek
Carle, Eric
Paper Book
Interactive elements makes this board book ideal for little hands! Who is in the forest where it's bright and sunny? Busy, buzzing bees making tasty honey! Play hide-and-seek with The Very Hungry Caterpillar in this fantastic finger trail lift-the-flap book! With a gentle rhyming...
Go, go, pirate boat
Charman, Katrina
Paper Book
An Amazon Best Book of the Year! Little pirates will have endless fun with this vibrant board book that's set to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat! Go, go, pirate boat, Across the salty sea, Raise the anchor, hoist the sail,<...
Bowwow powwow = bagosenjige-niimi'idim
Child, Brenda J.
Paper Book
Windy Girl is blessed with a vivid imagination. From Uncle she gathers stories of long-ago traditions, about dances and sharing and gratitude. Windy can tell such stories herself-about her dog, Itchy Boy, and the way he dances to request a treat and how he wriggles with joy in response to, well,...
Knight Owl
Denise, Christopher
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * CALDECOTT HONOR AWARD WINNER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero: wits, humor, and heart. ...
We're going on a treasure hunt
DiPucchio, Kelly
Paper Book
Ahoy there! Join this crew of pirates on a high-seas quest for treasure. These salty dogs are off to fetch some gold, and no whale, skeleton, or thunderstorm can stand in their way. But our brave buccaneers best beware--there may be even more trouble ahead! With Kelly DiPucchio's fun, rhyming text...
Nigel and the Moon
Eady, Antwan.
Paper Book
From debut author Antwan Eady and artist Gracey Zhang comes a glowing tale about the young dreaming big. A perfect story to demonstrate how pride in where we come from can bring a shining confidence. When Nigel looks up at the moon, his future is bright. He imagines himself...
Stella keeps the sun up
Ewing, Clothilde
Paper Book
In this incandescently fun, hijinks-filled picture book, a young girl schemes to keep the sun up in the sky so she never has to go to bed. If Stella had her way, she would stop sleeping on her sixth birthday. Because sleep is boring. And there are so many better...
Night lunch
Fan, Eric
Paper Book
This dreamlike picture book is a magical ode to Victorian lunch wagons. Inside the elegant Night Owl, a feathery cook works the grill, serving up tasty dishes for shift-workers and operagoers alike. As the evening s service winds down, weary Owl spots trembling Mouse, a poor street sweeper. Has he...
The hike
Farrell, Alison
Paper Book
The Hike is a must-have for budding scientists, best friends, and all adventurers in preschool and kindergarten. "These young explorers demonstrate the best principles of time spent in the woods: observing, admiring and learning. And, through...
The bold, brave bunny
Ferry, Beth
Paper Book
* An Amazon Best Book of 2020 So Far * A Junior Library Guild Selection * "An enjoyable tale of the marvels of adventuring and the comfort of home." --Kirkus Hop along with Teetu, the bold, brave bunny, as he finds his way in this imaginative tale from New York Times...
The nice dream truck
Ferry, Beth
Paper Book
From the dreams of New York Times bestselling creators Beth Ferry and Brigette Barrager comes this whimsical bedtime story filled with adventure and imagination. Featured by Gayle King on CBS Mornings! When bedtime is near, you might be in luck. You might get a visit from the Nice Dream...
Berry Song
Goade, Michaela.
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book! An Indie Bestseller! Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade's first self-authored picture book is a gorgeous celebration of the land she knows well and the powerful wisdom of elders. On...
The Adventures of Robo-Kid
De Groat, Diane
Paper Book
A comic-book superhero climbs off the page and into the real world. When they get into trouble, his biggest fan is there to save the day. Imagine you could meet your favorite comic-book hero in the real world. What kinds of questions would you ask? Would you go on new and...
The froggies do not want to sleep
Gustavson, Adam
Paper Book
Prepare for a different kind of bedtime book--a zany, imaginative adventure to send your little froggies off to dreamland. Not since David Wiesner's Tuesday have frogs had so much fun! Why go to bed when you can play the accordion, dance underwater ballet, and hold burping...
The honeybee
Hall, Kirsten
Paper Book
Buzz from flower to flower with a sweet honeybee in this timely, clever, and breathtakingly gorgeous picture book from critically acclaimed author Kirsten Hall and award-winning illustrator Isabelle Arsenault. Bzzz... What's that? Do you hear it? ...
Field trip to volcano island
Hare, John, (Children's book illustrator)
Paper Book
A wordless picture book adventure takes a group of students to visit a thrilling volcanic island. Perfect for fans of Field Trip to the Moon, Field Trip to the Ocean Deep, and field trips in general! John Hare's rich, atmospheric art invites all...
Mapping Sam
Hesselberth, Joyce
Paper Book
A Bologna Ragazzi Award Special Mention! An adventurous cat named Sam explores her neighborhood at night in this gorgeously illustrated book. Informational, beautiful, and deeply moving, Mapping Sam is both a book about how maps work and an engaging, character-driven story....
Grace and Box
Howard, Kim
Paper Book
A little girl and a refrigerator box go on many adventures as they imagine all the things they can be in this debut picture book from Kim Howard and Megan Lotter, Grace and Box... Grace and Box have become fast friends. Box delivered a refrigerator earlier in the week...
Fox and the box
Ivinson, Yvonne
Paper Book
What can a fox do with a box? Have a grand adventure! In this debut picture book, author-illustrator Yvonne Ivinson invites readers on an imagination- and vocabulary-fueled journey. With colorful, engaging paintings; a lively, limited word count; an adorable fox; and a story with a...
Hudson and Tallulah take sides
Kang, Anna
Paper Book
From an award-winning team, a tale about a cat and a dog who discover that even though they don't look at things the same way, they can still be friends. Hudson and Tallulah may be neighbors, but the fence between their yards isn't the only thing that divides them. They can't see...
Kimchi, kimchi every day
Kim, Erica
Paper Book
Whether round and crunchy like a kimchi pancake or pinched and plump like a kimchi dumpling, there are so many ways to enjoy this Korean traditional dish. Explore the different ways to eat kimchi in this fun, rhyming tale that also teaches the days of the week. Korean-American author...
Milo is missing something
Kousky, Vern
Paper Book
In this rhythmic, lively read-aloud for the youngest children, a little octopus named Milo is searching the ocean for something he's missing. What could it be? The ocean world is strange and new. The coral reefs so colorful. The deep sea caves are...
EEK! : a noisy journey from A to Z
Larios, Julie Hofstrand
Paper Book
Make some noise for the most fun alphabet book you'll read this year! A lively, engaging read aloud just right for toddlers and preschoolers. Author Julie Larios teams up with award-winning author and illustrator Julie Paschkis to lead young readers on a humorous, boisterous...
Lift
Le?, Minh
Paper Book
When Iris's lift button-pushing is disrupted by a new member of the family, she's pretty put out. That is, until the sudden appearance of a mysterious new button opens up entire realms of possibility, places where she can escape and explore on her own. But when it becomes a question between going it...
Night animals need sleep too
Marino, Gianna
Paper Book
Daytime brings a whole new set of problems and adventures to the crew of Night Animals Need Sleep Too! It's daytime and night animals are all sleeping soundly. Well, all except for Possum. Skunk tries to be helpful, pointing out a cave, then a tree, then a den. But the...
Sock on the loose
McGlauflin, Conor
Paper Book
In his debut picture book Sock on the Loose, author-illustrator Conor McGlauflin takes you on a fun, sock-filled, adventure about finding yourself and discovering your way back home. Socks come in twos, snuggled up in your shoes. At night they sleep tight...
Not an alphabet book : the case of the missing cake
McLaughlin, Eoin
Paper Book
Follow Bear from A to Z as he hunts for a cake thief in a hilarious alphabet book crossed with a whodunit. There has been a terrible crime, Bear tells us. Someone has STOLEN a delicious chocolate cake! Bear sets off to find the culprit, questioning characters and...
One-osaurus, two-osaurus
Norman, Kim
Paper Book
Part counting game, part dinosaur celebration, this energetic romp is a numbers concept book for the ages. One-osaurus, two-osaurus, three-osaurus, four! Look there, in a child's bedroom, where some prehistoric pals are gathered in a counting game. Nine...
Hike
Oswald, Pete
Paper Book
Take to the trails for a celebration of nature -- and a day spent with dad. In the cool and quiet early light of morning, a father and child wake up. Today they're going on a hike. Follow the duo into the mountains as they witness the magic of the wilderness, overcome challenges,...
Gray fox in the moonlight
Peterson, Isaac
Paper Book
2023 PUBWEST DESIGN AWARDS WINNER 2024 CIPA EVVY AWARDS WINNER | GOLD 2024 CIPA EVVY AWARDS WINNER | Herb Tabak Choice Award "This book needs not one breath more for its perfect autumn and winter message." --School Library...
Blue Bison needs a haircut
Rothman, Scott
Paper Book
Blue Bison tries his best to be patient in this humorous picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald. Blue Bison prides himself on always looking clean and neat. But he has a growing problem--his hair. With the barber shops and just about...
Hugo and the Impossible Thing
Smith, Rene?e Felice
Paper Book
Hugo has one goal - to conquer the Impossible Thing. At the edge of the forest stood the Impossible Thing. All the animals in the forest often wondered what was beyond the Impossible Thing, but since everyone said getting through it would be impossible, no animal ever tried.
Tiny T. Rex and the very dark dark
Stutzman, Jonathan
Paper Book
Tiny and Pointy are embarking on a whole new adventure - camping in the back yard! There's only one problem - it's dark outside, with no nighty-lights, and that is when the Grumbles and Nom-bies come out! But Tiny and Pointy are best friends, and working together they figure out a way to creatively...
Outside In
Underwood, Deborah
Paper Book
A 2020 Caldecott Honor Book From the New York Times best-selling author behind The Quiet Book comes a mindful contemplation on the many ways nature affects our everyday lives, even when we're stuck inside. Five starred reviews!
The pigeon will ride the roller coaster!
Willems, Mo
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times best-selling, award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems!   Buckle up for twists, turns, and emotional loop-de-loops in the most roller coaster-y Pigeon book ever! The Pigeon WILL be ready. Will YOU!?
Astro girl
Wilson-Max, Ken
Paper Book
The stars are the limit for a little girl who acts out her wish to be an astronaut -- inspired by a very special person. Astrid has loved the stars and space for as long as she can remember. "I want to be an astronaut!" she says to everyone who will listen. While her mama is away...
Off-Limits
Yoon, Helen.
Paper Book
For every child who has ever felt that grown-ups have all the fun, here is a vicarious chance to slip behind the office door--and play with all the tempting things that are off-limits. Dad's office is off-limits--which only makes it more intriguing to his curious young daughter....

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.