21 Fabulously Fun Children’s Books for Summer Vacation

Building sandcastles, camping, swimming, selling lemonade! This fun list of picture books about summer includes lots of fun titles to enjoy with your preschool or kindergarten aged child. Let them inspire your choice of summer activities or simply enjoy a title or two while sharing a cooler moment in the shade or the air conditioning!

21 Fabulously Fun Picture Books for Your Summer Vacation

Perfect by Danny Parker Available: Amazon | The Book Depository On a perfect day, the hours stretch endlessly ahead. Scribbling with chalk, running with kites, digging for shells, paddling, climbing, dreaming. Hour unfolds upon hour, on the perfect summer’s day.

Uh-Oh! by Shutta Crum Available: Amazon | The Book Depository A beautiful summer story for the littlest readers – What does a toddler say when she drops her sunglasses in the sand? “Uh-Oh!” What does she say when a seagull lands on her sandcastle? “Uh-Oh!” But what is the biggest Uh-Oh of all!

The Singing Mermaid by Julia Donaldson Available: The Book Depository The singing mermaid is tricked by the greedy circus owner into joining the circus and soon dreams of returning to the sea. How will she escape and how will she make it back to her beloved silver sands?

Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen Available: Amazon | The Book Depository This is the delightful story of five animal friends who one warm, sunny day decide to go for a row on the bay. Do you know who sank the boat?

The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer by Davide Cali Available: Amazon | The Book Depository What starts out as a day at the beach turns into a globe-spanning treasure hunt with high-flying hijinks, exotic detours, an outrageous cast of characters, and one very mischievous bird!

Barnacle is Bored by Jonathan Fenske Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Barnacle is stuck on the underside of a pier, wishing he had something to do. Every day is exactly the same. The tide comes in and Barnacle gets wet. The tide goes out and Barnacle dries off. Boring! Barnacle wants something EXCITING to happen. Then one day Barnacle learns that exciting is not always better!

Magic Beach by Alison Lester Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Visit a perfect beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, build sandcastles, beachcomb, explore rock-pools, muck about in boats, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars. Visit Magic Beach, where adventure begins!

Flotsam by David Wiesner Available: Amazon | The Book Depository A young beachcomber finds a camera washed up on the beach and the photos it contains are astonishing, as is the story contained in this fabulous wordless book.

Noni the Pony Goes to the Beach by Alison Lester Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Noni the Pony is friendly and funny. She loves going down to the beach when it’s sunny. With her two very best friends Dave Dog and Coco the Cat, and the cows from next door, it’s going to be a wonderful day.

Summer picture books list continues below.

Scaredy Squirrel At the Beach by Melanie Watts Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Even though the sun is shining and it’s time for a vacation, Scaredy Squirrel does not want to go to the beach – that vast, frightening place where a squirrel could get stranded (Not to mention the other hazards such as sea monsters, falling coconuts, pirates and lobsters). How will Scaredy enjoy a beach vacation without a visit to the beach?

Swim, Little Wombat, Swim by Charles Fuge Available: Amazon One day, out in the forest, Little Wombat encounters Platypus and is instantly drawn to the curious critter’s squeaky voice, unusual face, and waddling way of walking. It turns out that Platypus is also an excellent swimmer and teacher but can Wombat actually learn to swim?

A Camping Spree With Mr Magee by Chris Van Dusen Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Mr. Magee and his trusty dog, Dee, are enjoying a peaceful camping trip when all of a sudden they find themselves plunging down a mountain and teetering on the edge of a huge waterfall! How will they find their way out of this slippery situation?!

The Deep by Tim Winton Available: The Book Depository Alice is not afraid of many things but she is afraid of swimming in the deep ocean water with her family. Will she find a way to overcome her fear?

Harry By the Sea by Gene Zion Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Harry and the family have gone to the beach but it’s too sunny and he’s one hot dog! There’s nowhere else for him to get some shade than under a pile of seaweed! The only problem is that now everyone thinks he’s a sea monster and he can’t find his family.

Splish Splash Splat by Rob Scotton Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Splat does not want to have a playdate with Spike. Spike will break his toys and eat all of his candy fish! And he does not want to learn how to swim—water is horrible, scary, and wet! He’s sure that this is going to be the worst day ever. But when the rest of their classmates rush straight into the pool, Splat and Spike find that they may have more in common than they thought.

Maisy Goes Camping by Lucy Cousins Available: Amazon | The Book Depository When Maisy sets off to go camping in the country, it’s only natural that her friends come along, too. But they soon find that pitching a tent is not an easy thing to do. Even if they do manage to keep the tent up, there’s the matter of fitting them all in!

The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli Available: Amazon | The Book Depository One very funny crocodile has a big fear- swallowing a watermelon seed. What will he do when his greatest fear is realised? Will vines sprout out his ears? Will his skin turn pink?

There’s A Sea in My Bedroom by Margaret Wild Available: The Book Depository David is afraid of the sea. Then one day David hears the sound of the sea trapped in a conch shell and it sparks his imagination. Will it help him learn that the sea will not hurt him?

Duck and Goose Go To The Beach by Tad Hills Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Duck wants to go on an adventure. But Goose isn’t so sure. Together, the two best friends set off on a walk that takes them through the meadow, past a shady thicket, and over a distant hill, all the way to a place they’ve never been before—the beach! Turns out, Goose loves the ocean. But guess who doesn’t?

Beach Day by Karen Roosa Available: Amazon | The Book Depository A cheerful family tumbles out of the car and onto the beach, ready for a perfect day. Buoyant verse and bright, playful illustrations capture the feeling of a hazy, lazy day by the ocean, complete with a ball game with new friends, water-skiers and sailboats, and a picnic lunch of fried chicken.

Olivia Opens a Lemonade Stand by Available: Amazon | The Book Depository Olivia’s lemonade stand is losing customers to the competition . . . Francine! Olivia decides it’s time to rethink the lemonade stand concept and turns hers into a full-scale backyard restaurant. Could there, in fact, be enough thirsty customers out there for everyone?

Check out more of our favourite books for kids, across a range of themes and topics, with selections for kids of all ages in our Best Books for Kids collection.

LOOKING FOR SCREEN FREE SUMMER FUN FOR YOUR FAMILY?

There’s no end to the fun you can have with these ideas:

• 101 Summer Learning Activities
• 25 Lego Learning Activities
• Best Family Game Night Ideas
• 15 Fun Family Card Games
• The 50 Best Outdoor Play Toys
• 12 Retro Summer Activities Kids Can Do At Home