Gorgeous New Picture Books to Read This Summer

I get a LOT of picture books in the mail. This is fabulous since I love picture books and I have a daughter who is starting to grow into them. Recently, I’ve received several gorgeous new picture books that I can’t help but rave about. Keep reading to learn more about them!

Gorgeous New Picture Books to Read

Animal Ark by Kwame Alexander, photographs by Joel Sartore

This book is full of exquisite photography and the beautiful poetry of Kwame Alexander. It’s a great choice for kids that like animals and nature and want to do something to help preserve unique species.

The photography is gorgeous. And that’s not a surprise considering the photographer’s years of experience and his goal to photograph every animal on the planet. The images are expressive and artistic—which is a rare find in photographic children’s books.

As for the writing, what else is there to say but that it’s beautiful? Again, this comes as no surprise, considering the author. Because it’s poetry, it might be challenging for younger kids to grasp the meaning. However, it opens up opportunities for a good discussion about poetry, nature, and endangered animals.

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On the Spot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Each page of this book has an empty “spot”. Before you start reading, you need to gather some small items to place on the spots. You’ll want to pick out a lot (get a specific number) so you don’t have to reuse any of your items. We picked things like a raisin, a crayon, scissors, white-out, erasers, coins, that kind of thing. Then, as you read the book, you place your items on the spots and insert their names into the story. The result is a silly, often gut-busting good time for young readers.

This book is brilliant. It’s a fun way to get kids interested in reading a book even if they don’t usually like reading. Nobody can resist a goofy story that changes every time you read it.

Perfect for fans of interactive picture books like Press Here and Touch the Brightest Star. Highly recommended!

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Stripes the Cat Tiger by Jean Leroy, illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte

A small tabby cat named Stripes has dreams of grandeur, but can’t get over his disappointment of being small. He constantly tries to prove his mettle by acting out in big ways. One day, Stripes meets a real tiger at the zoo who has dreams of pet-hood. They come up with a solution that suits them both.

This is a cute and funny picture book that’s perfect for the preschool crowd. It has a low word count, making it a nice, quick read. And those illustrations are to die for! This is one seriously cute book with a delightful twist at the end.

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The Highest Mountain of Books in the World by Rocio Bonilla

This is another picture book with gorgeous illustrations. It’s about a boy named Lucas who wants to fly more than anything in the world. When his mother tells him “there’s more than one way to fly” and hands him a book, he finds himself caught up in a new kind of adventure.

Like a few other picture books that celebrate reading, this story will delight young readers. Kids will love watching Lucas shift his obsession with flying to one of experiencing the world through books. It’s a lovely story that celebrates the joys of reading. Perfect for fans of The Snatchabook.

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My First Book of Soccer by Sports Illustrated Kids

With soccer being one of the most popular (if not the most popular) sports in the world, it’s nice to see this book available. Like its companion book, My First Book of Hockey, it explains the game of soccer in simple, easy-to-understand terms. My kids and I read this together and I’m almost embarrassed at how much I learned. Ha!

One of the things that make this book fun to read are the illustrated characters, their commentary, and the funny speech bubbles added to the photos. Not only is it informative, but it’s also humorous and keeps kids engaged the whole way through.

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Early Sunday Morning by Denene Millner, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

A young girl will be singing in the choir on Sunday, but she’s nervous. With a little help and love from her family, she gets control of her nerves and delivers a wonderful performance.

This sweet book is a lovely addition to the world of children’s religious books. It celebrates family, love, faith, and music. It’s the perfect read for Sunday mornings!

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Vampirina at the Beach by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Vampirina goes to the beach with her family and friends — at night. This adorable book puts a scary-cute twist on the typical beach day theme. Vampirina uses a tombstone for a surfboard and swims with monsters.

I’ve loved this series since I first read Vampirina Ballerina to my daughter when she was a toddler. She loves scary themes. Vampires especially. Even though she’s nine years old now, she still likes these books. And I can’t blame her. Plus, LeUyen Pham is an amazing illustrator! You might recognize her style from The Princess in Black books by Shannon Hale.

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Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds

This book is about dreamers and the joys of being lost in your own head. It’s a lovely book to read to kids who live with their heads in the clouds or are mentally absent much of the time. It’s a picture book about being yourself, exploring your creativity, and appreciating your imagination.

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How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea by Kate Hosford, illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska

This book is a unique and creative story about a privileged queen’s journey to find the perfect cup of tea. The author takes her readers on a journey to different lands and cultures with beautiful illustrations by Gabi Swiatkowska. I especially loved each child’s unique instructions on how to make a cup of tea.

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Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Katy Wu

This is a picture book biography of Grace Hopper, a woman who worked for the US Navy for almost fifty years. She wrote computer code and created a way for programmers to code in English instead of in 1s and 0s. When she needed to think outside the box, she spent time drawing fantastical creatures to get her creative juices flowing. Grace was one of the only women in her classes at Yale, but she didn’t get intimidated. She pushed forward and overcame each obstacle that barred her way.

I had never heard of Grace Hopper before reading this book. What an amazing woman! I love stories like this about women who worked hard and helped mold life as we know it.

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That’s Me Loving You by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Teagen White

This is the kind of book you want on hand for those days when your child needs some extra love and cuddles. It’s a great book to read aloud on sick days, at bedtime, or just because.

The thing I love the most about this book is the cheerful message and the feeling of love that persists throughout. Of course, having Teagan White’s extraordinary illustrations doesn’t hurt, either. Her artwork is bright, colorful, and happy. She is one of my favorite illustrators right now and her art was perfect for this book.

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Plenty of Love to Go Around by Emma Chichester Clark

This sweet little book is perfect for families bringing home a new pet or new baby. It deals with pet rivalry (or sibling rivalry, however you want to look at it), jealousy, insecurities, kindness, and love.

Having a new person/pet in the family can be hard. Learning to exist together happily takes time, effort, and understanding. This book beautifully depicts those feelings.

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