Summer themed books for children

Summer themed books for children

Summer themed fiction and nonfiction children’s books. There’s something magical about summer stories – they tap into that heady mix of adventure, freedom, and a bit of mischief. From sandy toes at the seaside to camping out beneath starry skies, books set in summer are great for firing up kids’ imaginations. They bring the season to life and often nudge young readers to get outside, dream big, and make their own memories. A good summer read doesn’t just pass the time – it becomes part of the fun. This list features books by Sam McBratney, Sam Usher, Julia Donaldson, Gabby Dawnay, Jeffrey Boakye and Yuval Zommer.

Summer themed books for children – our recommendations

Summer by Gerda Muller

Summer by Gerda Muller captures the joy of the season through richly detailed, wordless spreads. From paddling in ponds to picnics under the stars, each page invites children to spot, imagine and tell their own stories. Part of a four-book series on the seasons, it’s ideal for early years settings, encouraging conversation, observation, and curiosity about the natural world – no words needed.

Hello Summer (Best Friends with Big Feelings) by Jo Lindley

Hello Summer by Jo Lindley follows the Little Seasons through a day of sunshine, setbacks and second chances on Season Isle. When Summer’s plans start to unravel, his frustration builds – but with a bit of support from his friends, he learns to cool down. Blending seasonal adventure with a gentle look at handling big feelings, this instalment offers a bright, visual route into emotional awareness for 3-5 year olds.

Summer Things to Make and Do by Kate Nolan

Kate Nolan’s Summer Things to Make and Do offers a collection of seasonal craft activities, colouring pages, and drawing guides aimed at young children. Each project uses recycled or household materials and includes step-by-step illustrated instructions with tips and finished examples. The book is designed to keep children engaged during the summer holidays through accessible, creative tasks that support independent or adult-guided use.

Farah Loves Mangos by Sarthak Sinha

Farah Loves Mangos follows a determined girl who visits her grandfather each summer, hoping for sweet, ripe fruit from his mango tree. When the tree stops producing, Farah tries everything to coax it back, until she begins to see its worth in other ways. Rooted in a South Asian setting, this gentle picture book blends nature, imagination and intergenerational warmth, showing that patience often bears unexpected gifts. A thoughtful summer read with a subtle emotional core. Highly recommended.

What to Look for in Summer by Elizabeth Jenner

This pocket guide explores what’s happening in the UK countryside during summer – ripe fruit, buzzing insects, dramatic storms, and long, light-filled days. From flying ant day to the summer solstice, it mixes folklore, science, and practical observation tips. With short entries and clear illustrations, it’s designed to help children spot seasonal changes outdoors. Part of the classic What to Look For series, it encourages slow looking and curiosity across the summer months.

Guess How Much I Love You in the Summer by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram

Little Nutbrown Hare heads out with Big Nutbrown Hare to spot the colours of summer – blue skies, green leaves, red berries, and more. With its soft tone and familiar characters, this gentle tale introduces young children to colour recognition through nature. It’s part of the seasonal Guess How Much I Love You spin-off series by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram, offering another calm, observational moment in the pair’s year-round adventures.

Sun by Sam Usher

On a sweltering day, a boy and his grandad set off with a picnic and a plan – though things take a turn when they stumble across pirates. This sun-drenched adventure is part of Sam Usher’s weather-themed series, following Snow and Rain. As always, the bond between the pair shines through, with vibrant illustrations capturing both the warmth of the day and the wild turns their outing takes.

I Love the Seasons: Summer by Lizzie Scott

This vibrant early non-fiction picture book explores summer through clear text and cheerful illustrations, covering weather, wildlife, clothes, and holidays. Prompts throughout invite children to connect what they read to their own experiences. With high-frequency and decodable words, it’s a useful resource for early years classrooms and seasonal topic work. Part of the I Love the Seasons series.

Hot Dog by Mark Sperring and Sophie Corrigan

This funny and slightly surreal picture book follows a hot dog who dreams of becoming a real dog after watching pups play on the beach. When the Mustard Fairy makes his wish come true, things don’t quite go to plan. With help from Flo, he discovers being a dog isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A playful take on identity and belonging, told with visual gags, seaside chaos, and a twist on classic tale tropes. Highly recommended.

Splash Day! by Nick Sharratt

Nick Sharratt brings splashy fun to the classroom in this rhyming early reader about a school water-play day. With paddling pools, squirters, rubber rings and one very enthusiastic teacher, it’s a sunny celebration of chaos and laughter. Part of the Little Gems series, it’s designed to build reading confidence with short, well-spaced text and plenty of visual support. A cheerful, summery pick for newly independent readers in early years and KS1. Highly recommended.

Make This Book Wild by Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks, illustrated by Anna Ivanir

This interactive scrapbook is packed with prompts for kids who love wild spaces and muddy adventures. From drawing animal tracks to crafting with leaves and twigs, it invites children to explore the outdoors and make it their own. With space to sketch, stick and scribble, and gentle reminders to respect nature, it’s part activity book, part keepsake. Perfect for young explorers who like mixing art, curiosity and a bit of dirt. It’s ideal for summer afternoons. Highly recommended.

Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

A crab finds the perfect new shell – but he’s not too keen on sharing it. As the tide turns and the rock pool gets crowded, he learns that having company isn’t so bad after all. Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ first team-up wraps themes of friendship and cooperation in a sparkly, summery, sea-soaked tale, with bold illustrations and glitter details that make the underwater world pop.

Summer by Rita Storey

Summer by Rita Storey is packed with outdoor craft ideas for younger children, from making flower prints to creating garden bunting. With clear photo steps and minimal fuss, the projects are easy to follow and encourage kids to get creative with what they find outside. Seasonal facts are sprinkled throughout, adding a little learning to the mix. Part of The Outdoor Art Room series, it’s a fun, low-waste way to bring art into summer play.

Flower Fairies of the Summer by Cicely Mary Barker

Flower Fairies of the Summer by Cicely Mary Barker pairs delicate poems with detailed illustrations of fairies and flowers in full bloom. First published nearly a century ago, it’s still a charming way to explore seasonal nature. Each page introduces a new plant and its fairy guardian, blending botanical accuracy with gentle fantasy. Like the rest of the series, it encourages close observation, imaginative thinking, and a little old-fashioned magic in the garden or classroom.

A Field Guide to Summer by Gabby Dawnay and Dorien Brouwers

A Field Guide to Summer blends nature-spotting with crafts, poems, and hands-on activities like building sundials and observing insects. With plant and animal ID pages, simple science snippets, and a gentle Forest School feel, it’s built to get children outdoors, whether in a garden, park, or school field. It’s a great pick for encouraging curiosity, seasonal awareness, and a sense of calm connection with the world just beyond the doorstep.

Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer by Jeffrey Boakye

When Kofi finds out that his best friend Kelvin has a photographic memory, they hatch a plan to make lots of money in this engrossing music-themed page-turner for 9-11-year-olds. With laugh-out-loud dialogue and characters that children will empathise with, Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer is ideal for KS2 libraries. Read Amanda Demwell’s review.

The Big Book of Nature Art by Yuval Zommer

With 21 exciting craft projects to make from found or recycled materials, children can learn how to fashion what we throw away into spectacular representations of nature. With leaf bugs, bubble wrap fish, cardboard tube crickets, yellow petalled dandy-lions, minibeast dioramas, and dragonfly suncatchers, there’s plenty to interest 4+ year-olds. It’s the perfect summer term activity book to use in EYFS and KS1 classrooms or to share with the whole family at home.

Bird Bingo by Christine Berrie

Bird Bingo brings 64 feathered favourites – from the robin to the splendid fairywren – into a colourful, family-friendly game. Players match beautifully illustrated birds to their cards, learning fun facts along the way. With a masterboard, counters, 12 cards and a fact-filled leaflet, it’s a great way to build bird knowledge while having fun. Christine Berrie’s detailed artwork adds charm and helps with bird recognition, making it a smart pick for classrooms or playing at home.

Bug Bingo by Christine Berrie

Bug Bingo turns bug-spotting into a lively group game, featuring 64 insects from across the globe – from the giant hawker dragonfly to the sacred scarab. With illustrated bingo cards, tokens, counters and a fact-packed leaflet, it’s as much about learning as it is about playing. Christine Berrie’s artwork brings each insect to life, making it easy for kids (and grown-ups) to recognise and remember these fascinating creatures while enjoying a classic game-night format.

All Summer Long by Hope Larson

Hope Larson’s All Summer Long follows 13-year-old Bina as she navigates a long, quiet summer without her best friend Austin. While he’s at camp, she drifts into new friendships, discovers a deeper love for music, and begins figuring out who she is on her own terms. When Austin returns, things aren’t quite the same. It’s a thoughtful, quietly funny graphic novel for 10+ year olds about growing up, changing friendships and carving out your identity.

Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this Summer topic book list, as well as class sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org UK. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or your classroom library.

Buy from UK.Bookshop.Org Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Disclosure: If you buy books using the buttons above: we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops; as an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

Schools & teachers: please respect copyright and don’t copy our Summer themed book list. If you find our book recommendations useful, please consider sharing on social media or linking to this page instead. Thanks.

Summer season resources for teachers

• BBC Bitesize has collated a series of videos and activities for EYFS, KS1 and KS2, including science, music and drama summer-themed topics. There’s also a KS1/KS2 science unit for exploring how summer affects plants and animals.
• BBC Radio offers an EYFS listen and play resource for teaching and performing summer-themed literacy, music, dance and PE activities.
• Oak Academy features free and downloadable teaching units for Year 1 – Signs of Summer.
• Ireland’s National Council for Special Education has created a fun-packed Summer is Here resource for primary-aged children which can be used in school or at home. Activities include songs, a leaf hunt and a water balloon target game.

BISAC JUV019000,  Juvenile Fiction / Seasons & Weather | Thema YFS, YFB