Picture Book Beach Reads
This summer, my family moved from Maryland to Hawaii. We traded the Chesapeake Bay for the Pacific Ocean, the National Harbor for Pearl Harbor, oak trees for palm trees, and all of our long-sleeved shirts for tank tops. Now that the last day of summer is less than one week away, I am really curious to find out what autumn is like in Hawaii.
When I look at the month-to-month temperature averages, it doesn’t seem like very much will change between now and January. Nonetheless, a few of my new friends have assured me that it will feel noticeably cooler by November.
But is temperature all that makes a season? Growing up in the Northeast, autumn always meant crisp, cool air, the scent of woodsmoke, and layer upon layer of foliage. What does autumn mean here? Will the shorter days signal a visible change in tropical plants? Will we really feel those few degrees of temperature change?
Without all of the obvious markers of autumn, will the subtle changes—like the relief of a more predictable daily rhythm—be more noticeable? Will we have to find creative ways to pretend there are leaves falling outside? (If so, I accept the challenge!)
To be honest, I know that I’ll miss the apple cider and the sweaters and crunching through leaves of a Northeast autumn. But I also know that our time in Hawaii will only be a few years. These final, true summer days still need to be celebrated (no matter what the season on the other side looks like—even if it’s only slightly different than what we’re experiencing right now).
My Favorite Picture Book Beach Reads for the Final Days of Summer**
And so, I don’t want to let these last, true summer days go without acknowledgement. To help everyone celebrate those final days of fun in the sun, I compiled my favorite picture book beach reads!
**As always, since I am a Bookshop affiliate, I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!) if you click through and purchase a book through the Bookshop links below.
by Josh Funk, illustrated by Sara Palacios
Where STEAM and summer fun meet, a girl programs her robot friend, Pascal, to build a sandcastle. Through mishaps, overcorrections, and clever coding techniques, Pearl and Pascal construct an epic sandcastle. And when that gets swept away by the tide, they use a loop to recreate the castle—and an entire kingdom!
by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Dan Santat
Two animal pals go surfing, and one single word, “Dude,” is all they need for a day full of adventure, friendship, danger, and even more friendship. This is one of my favorite books both for kids just beginning to read (it’s such a confidence-builder!) and for kids who are fascinated by how one word can have so many different meanings. Especially a cool word like DUDE!
by Gloria Whelan, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
This book is so fun to read out loud! It turns out that Queen Victoria loved swimming in the ocean just as much as anybody else, only unlike everybody else, she couldn’t be publicly spotted in her bathing suit. Her adoring husband, Prince Albert, devised a plan to keep her concealed from “prying eyes” on the way to a splash in the Atlantic. How romantic (and true)!
by Simona Ciraolo
Maurice is an (adorable) flapjack octopus. He is shy. He is good at hiding. At staying out of the spotlight (usually). Most of the sea creatures don’t know that Maurice has a secret, super-fun side. But the others? The shy ones? “[They] can always spot one another.”
by Megan Maynor, illustrated by Kate Berube
Lola finds herself at the beach one last time before summer officially comes to an end. She wants to build a sandcastle, and in the process builds friendships—three of them! Lola discovers true friendship when the tide washes away the sandcastle and her new friends help her to rebuild.
by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
When a girl and her grandmother move to the shore, they turn an old, empty house into a bright, fresh bungalow. It’s friendly, inviting, and… right next door to grumpy Captain Swashby. Each time the girl tries to befriend the old seafarer, he grumbles and leaves a grouchy note in the sand. The sea fiddles—just a little—in the style of blackout poetry to bring out the best in Captain Swashby—and a new friend to the girl and her grandmother.
by Linda Skeers, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns
In the early 1800s, a young woman named Mary Anning made a shocking discovery along the rocky shore of Lyme Regis, England: a dinosaur bone! At the time, she didn’t know what it was—no one did. Because before Mary’s discovery, no one had heard of a dinosaur, and, in fact, “dinosaur” wasn’t yet a word. And then Mary came along. After reading Dinosaur Lady, digging for seashells will never be the same again!
by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Laurel Molk
Eleanor can’t wait for a day at the beach, but her little dog Sukie sure can. Sukie is terrified of the ocean, the waves, and even a tiny splash of water. But when the biggest waves swoop away Sukie’s favorite toy, we discover the stuff Sukie is really made of. And Sukie discovers the ocean isn’t so scary, after all!
