A reader asked me to make a summer reading list of picture books for pre-readers that included good variety. I’ve compiled some of my favorites and broken the list into three sections: read-aloud favorites, funny picture books, and picture books with lessons. I hope you and your kids enjoy many new picture books this summer! 🙂
Summer Picture Book Reading List
SUMMER READING: Read Aloud Favorites
- Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz
- Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste
- The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
- The Rice in the Pot Goes Round and Round by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
- Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
- The Bear’s Song by Benjamin Chaud
- It’s So Quiet: A Not-Quite-Going-to-Bed Book by Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee
- Silly Sally by Audrey Woods
- Atticus Caticus by Sarah Maizes
- 100 Dogs: Playful Pups to Count by Michael Whaite
- Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
- Group Hug by Jean Reidy
- Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter
- Mina by Matthew Forsythe
SUMMER READING: Funny Picture Books
- The Little Butterfly That Could by Ross Burach
- Unicorns Are the Worst by Alex Willan
- The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming
- Here Comes the Big Mean Dust Bunny by Jan Thomas
- This Is a Moose by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
- The Bear Who Wasn’t There by LeUyen Pham
- I Am Not a Penguin: A Pangolin’s Lament by Liz Wong
- Pizza with Everything on It by Kyle Scheele
- I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt
-
Z for Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
- Not Now Cow by Tammi Sauer
- Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea
- The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
- Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
SUMMER READING: Picture Books with Lessons
- Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
- Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
- Lulu the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney
- The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
- The Tale of the Valiant Ninja Frog by Alastair Chisholm
- When Charley Met Emma by Amy Webb
- Kaia and the Bees by Maribeth Boelts
- Hippos Can’t Swim and Other Fun Facts by Laura Lyn DiSiena and Hannah Eliot
- I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes
- Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- One of These Is Not Like the Others by Barney Saltzberg
- Pigeon Math by Asia Citro, illustrated by Richard Watson
- The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
- Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
- How to Apologize by David LaRochelle
Do you have older children who need really awesome, totally engaging summer book ideas? Visit my summer reading book lists for kids ages 6 – 18.
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5 Responses
Hi I love your summer reading lists. I tried getting a printable list, but have been unsuccessful. Do you have a printable one available?
I’m sorry the printable list isn’t showing up– sometimes it’s glitchy. Here’s the link: https://imaginationsoup.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Summer-Picture-Book-Reading-List-for-Preschoolers.pdf
This is a great list, we already have several books listed here but will be adding more. We love going to our local store and picking out new books!
That’s wonderful!
I love this activity I’m a teacher at a preschool in South Florida and I can’t wait to try these out check out some of our pictures at http://www.shinebrightacademy.com