4 Beautiful Summer Picture Books for Kids
Beautiful Summer picture books are a must, so your kids can expand their minds and imaginations when school is not in session.
Prestel Junior books are known for their quality, so they are an excellent choice.
Of course, each one is beautifully illustrated from start to finish.
The hardcover books are meant to be enjoyed now and, also, for years to come.
Reading them once is great, but more than once is even better.
Each time they can notice new things in the illustrations or pick up new information that strikes them in a fresh way.
Kids will enjoy reading through them on their own, but also with an adult or sibling.
And, Summer is the perfect season for kids to settle in with engaging books!
Summer Picture Books
What’s Cooking in Flowerville? Recipes from Garden, Balcony or Window Box
isbn 978-3791375182
Ages 5-9
40 Pages
Pub Date 4/5/22
Synopsis
In lush double-page spreads featuring Sala’s gorgeous watercolor illustrations, we visit the yards, balconies, and rooftops where the citizens of Flowerville grow their vegetables.
Each month features a different member of the town, and a delicious recipe inspired by a fruit or vegetable.
From spring’s asparagus and peas and summer’s cherries, cucumbers and peppers to autumn’s pears and squash and winter’s potatoes and citrus—twelve healthy ingredients are harvested in one of the townspeople’s gardens and then used to make an easy, delicious dish.
As the year comes to a close, the town gathers for a giant picnic.
The recipes, which include savory and sweet pies, soups, sauces, pancakes and croquettes, embrace a wide array of cultures, and feature fresh flavors and easy-to-source ingredients.
Kids will learn not only how to incorporate fruits and vegetables into meals, but also how they grow and when they ripen.
The book also includes charmingly illustrated tips and tools for growing your own food.
A celebration of gardening, cooking, and community, this unique and beautiful cookbook is certain to become a perennial favorite in family kitchens.
Author
Felicita Sala
Olaf Hajek’s Fantastic Fruits
isbn 978-3791375069
Ages 6-9
40 Pages
Pub Date 4/5/22
Synopsis
Olaf Hajek’s brilliantly colored and uniquely stylized paintings are accompanied by informative texts that will enthrall readers of all ages.
As in his previous books, Flower Power and Veggie Power, Hajek’s whimsical, imaginative paintings—inspired by a variety of artistic traditions—situate each fruit in a fascinating cultural context.
Each “portrait” features delightful pictorial clues about how the fruits are grown and consumed. Opposite the illustrations, Annette Roeder’s engaging texts offer illuminating and often surprising facts from throughout history and contemporary life.
As mouthwatering as a summer peach, and as surprising as a pomegranate’s seeds, this book serves up page after page of delicious, nutritious, but most of all fun portions of fruity knowledge from all over the world.
Author
Olaf Hajek and Annette Roeder
The National Menagerie of Art: Masterpieces from Vincent Van Goat to Lionhardo da Stinki by Thaïs Vanderheyden
isbn 978-3791375090
Ages 5-9
56 Pages
Pub Date 5/3/22
Synopsis
This collection of cleverly reimagined masterpieces is the perfect way to introduce young readers to great art.
Even the greatest works of art will often fail to enthrall young children.
But insert a funny, loveable animal into the scene, and it’s a whole different story.
This delightful picture book takes artistic license as it reimagines the world’s most famous paintings for a young audience.
A teddy bear surfs Hokusai’s Great Wave; a charming pig changes Mona Lisa’s smile from cryptic to comic; Munch’s scream is far less angsty on a panda’s face, while Whistler’s mother–the elephant–gives new meaning to Arrangement in Grey and Black.
While it covers every major artistic school in art history, from Michelangelo and Velázquez to Kahlo and Rothko, each snort and guffaw offers an opportunity to explore the paintings in ways that will help kids remember them for the rest of their lives.
Author
Thaïs Vanderheyden
The Wild Garden
isbn 978-3791375120
Ages 5-9
32 Pages
Pub Date 5/3/22
Synopsis
This story about community and biodiversity introduces children to the variety of ways things can grow and flourish in nature.
In the village of Mirren, a tidy community garden is carefully organized and tended by the townspeople. On the other side of the garden wall is a wild patch of land— a jumble of trees, a pond, and tall grassy places.
While the garden is cared for in different ways throughout the seasons, Jilly and her grandfather like to visit the wild place, foraging for mushrooms, asparagus, and nuts, and watching the insects, birds and other animals.
When the townspeople decide they need a bigger garden, they make plans to expand beyond the wall into the wild place.
Worried about what will happen to their special piece of nature, Jilly and her grandfather come up with a plan, inviting the townspeople to discover a new kind of gardening.
Their plan works and the wild place and the community garden merge harmoniously; the bees pollinate the crops, berry bushes take over a garden corner, pumpkins grow along the pond, and delicious herbs appear among the ferns.
Cynthia Cliff’s lovingly detailed illustrations reveal the joys of every kind of garden, while her story offers endless opportunities to talk about healthy eating, nature, ecological gardening, and friendship.
Author
Cynthia Cliff
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Flower Coloring Pages
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- Daisy
- Chrysanthemum
- Hibiscus
- Hawaiian Tropical Flowers
- Sunflower Garden
- Roses and Marigolds
- May Flowers
Free Printable Activity Pages
Check out my free printables, when you are looking for fun activities to do at home.
Many are from Disney, Netflix and Shout Factory, so they feature movies, TV series and characters that your kids already know and love.
Some are educational, but others are just plain fun.
There are coloring pages, crafts, word puzzles, mazes, memory games and many other family friendly activities.
