I curated summer book lists for my two elementary homeschoolers (rising 4th grade and 2nd grade), and didn’t want my pre-schooler to miss out on the fun. I read to her all the time, daily, but a book list for the summer is a great goal for us to read through together. Here are 30 books for summer to read to preschoolers (and I bet your older kids will gather around too!).

The Camping Trip — Jennifer K. Mann
A city girl goes camping with her cousin and worries about a lot of different things! This is great as a beginning graphic-novel type of style.

Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! — Janet Stevens & Susan Stevens Crummel
A group of farm animals attempts to make strawberry shortcake by following a recipe, learning through humor and mistakes that teamwork and persistence matter more than perfection. We will make our own cake when we read this!

Hot Dog — Doug Salati (Caldecott winner)
A tired little sausage dog escapes the noise of the city for a seaside vacation day to slow down, relax, and enjoy the calm of nature. The illustrations are beautiful. The text is almost poetic in the way it flows.

The Relatives Came — Cynthia Rylant
A joyful story about a large family reunion filled with travel, laughter, crowded rooms, and long goodbyes, celebrating the warmth of being together. Cynthia Rylant can do no wrong, in my mind. Best if eaten with purple grapes.

Daniel’s Good Day — Micha Archer
A young boy explores his neighborhood asking people what makes a good day. He begins to notice beauty in everyday moments, from nature to kindness, showing how gratitude can transform an ordinary day. Cut paper illustrations make this a unique vibe too.

The Paper Chase — Julia Donaldson
A sweet, rhythmic story where a boy named James and a girl named Ginger play together for one wonderful day under a tree and are separated. The tree is cut down and the book then explores what becomes of the tree, James, and Ginger. Written in rhyme.

Out to Sea — Helen Kellock
This is about the grief a girl named Lara feels after the death of her grandmother. She cries so much that her tears carry her to the sea. After deep sadness, Lara finds a pearl and community and joy again. It’s enough to talk about how Lara feels sad and misses her grandma with smaller children. Gentle exposure through a beautiful and hopeful book like this is part of intentional parenting to prepare our kids for life. “This would not be Lara’s last time out to sea. There would be other sleepless nights and sad goodbyes. But Lara knew she was not alone, and would always find her way back home.”

The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish — Chloe Savage
A whimsical scientific expedition story about searching icy northern waters for a mysterious giant jellyfish, blending curiosity, wonder, and exploration. This one has my kids laughing.

Mouse on the River — Alice Melvin
A gentle river journey told through the eyes of a small mouse who observes wildlife, plants, and the peaceful flow of water along the riverbank. Some of the pages fold out!

Otto Blotter, Bird Spotter — Graham Carter
A story about a boy who loves observing and recording birds, encouraging careful attention to nature and the joy of watching wildlife.

Make Way for Ducklings — Robert McCloskey
A classic tale of a mother duck guiding her ducklings through a busy city to find a safe home, with help from a kind police officer.

The Biggest Puddle in the World
A playful, imaginative story centered around a child and the joy of discovering (or imagining) a very big puddle after rain. (spoiler: it’s the ocean).

Over and Under the Waves — Kate Messner
A dual-perspective look at ocean life, showing what exists above the waves and what lives beneath the surface in a rich, connected ecosystem.

Poetree — Shauna LaVoy Reynolds
A tender story about friendship between a child and a tree, expressed through changing seasons and simple poetic language.

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver — Gene Barretta
An introduction to George Washington Carver’s curiosity and love of plants, showing how observation and experimentation led to discovery. PB and J goes great with this one.

Miss Rumphius — Barbara Cooney
A story about a woman who dreams of traveling the world and making it more beautiful by planting flowers wherever she goes.

Mossy — Jan Brett
A turtle grows a garden on her shell and must protect it, until kindness helps others understand and appreciate its beauty. Jan Brett is the best illustrator forever and ever.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit — Beatrix Potter
A mischievous rabbit sneaks into a forbidden garden and learns a lesson about listening to warnings and finding his way safely home. Such a classic!

Over and Under the Pond — Kate Messner
A calm exploration of pond life, showing the hidden world above and below the water’s surface.

Turtle Pond — James Gladstone
A peaceful nature story focused on the life of turtles and the slow, steady ecosystem of a pond.

Blueberries for Sal — Robert McCloskey
A gentle story of a child and a bear cub both picking blueberries on the same hillside, each with their mothers nearby.

The Raft — Jim LaMarche
A boy spends a summer discovering river life after finding a raft, leading to unexpected connection with nature and wildlife.

Growing Spaghetti — Katie Trujillo-Acosta (me!)
A playful story that sparks imagination and curiosity by blending everyday life with the wonder of how things grow. There’s a solid recipe for spaghetti sauce in the back as well.

Growing Popcorn — Katie Trujillo-Acosta (me!)
A fun and imaginative story that encourages children to see science, growth, and change in everyday experiences. You will definitely want to plan a movie night after this.