This post will provide you with a list of some wonderful books to read aloud with your children this summer. Summer is the perfect time to get outside with your children and notice the beauty of nature in all of its full glory.
Find a shady spot in the garden, grab a blanket to sit on and enjoy reading one of these books with your children. I have included a range of books that are suitable for babies, toddlers and older children.
A lot of these books I have been able to buy secondhand online from either eBay or World of Books. I would also encourage you to have a look in your local library for seasonal children’s books. For convenience though I have included links to buying these books on Amazon.
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Summer Books for Babies & Toddlers
Summer by Gerda Muller
This board book is part of a four part set, showcasing beautiful illustrations of children enjoying each season. There are no words in these picture books, which provides a great opportunity to talk about what the children are doing on each page.
Summer features lots of playing in and with water, beach days and picking fruit and vegetables in the garden. This book is suitable from birth and my 8 year old daughter also still enjoys it.
Oh Dear! by Rod Campbell
This is a ‘lift the flap’ board book about a little boy called Buster, who goes to stay with his Grandma on her farm. Grandma asks Buster to fetch the eggs and he ends up visiting all of the different animals on the farm before finally finding them.
This is a great hands on book for toddlers, with lots of repetitive language.
Yoga Babies by Fearne Cotton
This is one of my all time favourite children’s books! Whilst it is not specifically about summer, the illustrations show the characters enjoying yoga outside in the summertime.
The rhyming story is set around a toddler yoga class, with each character demonstrating a cute and simple yoga pose when they are either at home or out and about. I have lost count of how many times I have bought this book for young friends and family members, it’s brilliant!
Hungry Babies by Fearne Cotton
Hungry Babies is the follow up book to Yoga Babies by Fearne Cotton. The same characters from the first book are slightly older in this story and are enjoying different foods.
It features sunny picnics outside and garden birthday parties. I would recommend these books for children aged 3 and above.
Sometimes I Feel Sunny by Gillian Shields
This is a wonderful book to help your toddler put words to different feelings they may experience. Again, it is not specifically about summer, but the illustrations show the children playing outside during the summertime.
This is another book that I read on repeat to my eldest daughter and is great for children aged 3 and above.
Summer Books for Children Age 4+
Brambly Hedge Summer Story by Jill Barklem
These seasonal stories follow a little community of mice that live in adorable miniature homes, set within the roots and trunks of Brambly Hedge. We have the Brambly Hedge collection, which features a story for each season.
Summer Story is my favourite book in the collection, as the mice throw a beautiful wedding for two of the residences of Brambly Hedge. The illustrations are really intricate and beautiful. You can also buy the individual stories, which I have linked to below.
Wild Summer – Life in the Heat by Sean Taylor & Alex Morss
Wild Summer is the story of a young girl who goes to visit her Grandpa in the summer. Outside they talk about the different plants and animals they can see and how they survive in the heat.
At the back of the book there are also lots of interesting facts about nature. It talks about climate change, without making it seem too scary. The illustrations are also fantastic.
Books about the Seasons
A Year Around the Great Oak by Gerda Muller
This is a story about two siblings who go to stay with their cousin in the countryside during the summer. Their cousin takes them to see a 300 year old oak tree.
Each time they visit, it’s a different season and they notice how the tree and the wildlife surrounding it changes throughout the year. Suitable for ages 4 and up.
We Are The Gardeners by Joanna Gaines
This is a lovely book about a family learning to grow things together in their garden. It would be great to read during the springtime as well as in the summer.
I really liked the moral of this story, to not be afraid to try new things and not give up if things go wrong. Suitable from age 4 onwards.
Summer Books for Children Age 8+
The Famous Five by Enid Blyton
I have been reading The Famous Five books with my daughter for the last year or so now. These classic books have been part of the British culture for over 80 years, but they are still wonderful adventure stories.
Siblings Julian, Dick and Anne go to stay with their tomboy cousin George in the English countryside during the summer holidays. Along with Timmy the dog, they end up getting involved in all sorts of mysterious adventures.
Some of the adventures have some slightly scary scenes, so I would recommend these books for ages 8 and above.
Anne of Green Gables
I have recently started reading Anne of Green Gables aloud to my 8 year old daughter. We are both loving this wonderful classic.
It’s a great summer read as the story starts out in the month of June. Anne is 11 years old and has the most fantastic imagination and appreciation for the natural world around her.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this list of summer inspired books. I plan on adding to this post as I discover more books with my children in the future.
Let me know in the comments below if you have a favourite book to read with your child during the summer months and I’ll be sure to check it out.
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Here are my other seasonal book recommendation posts for children:
Last update on 2025-06-22 at 03:09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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