Have your kids slayed their reading lists yet? With video games consuming much of children's free time, here's a reminder about the importance of summer reading with a crop of outdoor-themed reads.
"And Then Comes Summer" by Tom Brenner; illustrated by Jaime Kim; Candlewick Press; 32 pages; $16.99.
From decorating bikes for the Fourth of July parade, to setting up a lemonade stand, to asking, "Are we there yet?" on the road trip to the lake on a hot day, Tom Brenner's retro-look ode to summer is spot on. The grass-green-tinged tale doesn't rhyme, but it does read like a lively poetic adventure to the campground, hopscotch on the sidewalk and the oh-so-refreshing beach.
Jaime Kim's active illustrations are very mod and very vintage at the same time, making "And Then Comes Summer" the perfect vacation picture book.
"Jabari Jumps" by Gaia Cornwall; Candlewick Press; 30 pages; $15.99.
Swimming is a huge part of summer, and some kids need a little confidence builder at the pool, especially on the diving boards. Jabari begins feeling strong; he just passed his swimming lessons and test. He watches the other kids jump and is filled with excitement and apprehension, squeezing his dad's hand a little harder. He decides he's a little tired and suddenly remembers to do his stretches, and for a moment he thinks tomorrow may be a better day to dive. But he decides to go for it after his dad tells him to take a deep breath and that "Sometimes it stops feeling scary and feels a little like a surprise."
Gaia Cornwall's careful, step-by-step chronicle of Jabari's thoughts and actions will inspire hesitant young kids to emulate his scare-busting technique and remember that surprises are usually empowering and fun. They'll also love how thrilling Cornwall makes the end result, with lots of refreshing green-blue splashy water, big lettering with words like "Whoosh!" and the infectious joy felt by the boy, his father and his little sister. Next up? A "surprise double backflip!"
"There Might Be Lobsters," written by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by Laurel Molk, is a tale of dog Sukie's initial apprehension that leads to joyful beach swimming when she is finally empowered to join her owner in the waves.
"Hooray for Birds!" by Lucy Cousins; Candlewick; 36 pages; $15.99.
Lucy Cousins' iconic character Maisy is absent from this oversized, bird-filled, extremely colorful picture book. With large, childlike text and an invitation that reads, "Flap your wings and you can fly, higher and higher, up, up in the sky," Cousins focuses on action terms and friendly birds hopping and pecking and swimming and saying, "Hello, darling" and then "swooping like a starling." With simplistic but completely charming birds of all kinds catching flies and scratching the ground and singing "tra-la-la" and "cheep, cheep, cheep," "Hooray for Birds!" is a bright and boisterous introduction for the youngest children to nature's most amazing wonder: birds.
"The Summer of Bad Ideas" by Kiera Stewart; HarperCollins; 296 pages; $16.99.
This is another ode to bravery aimed at middle-grade kids ages 10 to 13 or 14. Kiera Stewart's fun summer read stars a girl named Edie who spends the summer with a cool and daring cousin. Edie was always a rule follower, but she is inspired by her more adventurous cousin and their bold grandmother's list of "Good ideas for summertime," penned back when she was their age. Edie thinks their new goals are actually bad ideas, reckless and foolish and even ridiculous. Still, she longs to be bold and brave like Grandma Petunia and decides to catch a snake bare-handed, dance in the hurricane, cross Corkscrew Swamp under a full moon and hug the person she least wants to.
With an abundance of refreshingly timeless outdoor adventures, a little wishful romance and an aim of slightly growing up, Stewart's "The Summer of Bad Ideas" is truly an exciting, funny, wonderful new novel.
"Do Princesses and Super Heroes Hit the Trails? A National Park Adventure" by Carmela LaVigna Coyle; illustrated by Mike Gordon; Muddy Boots Publishing; 32 pages; $15.95.
Get out and enjoy the national parks while you can! In this whimsical, fun installment of Muddy Boots' "Do Princesses ...?" picture book series, the unconventional princess and her super hero little brother explore America's national parks and highlight fun features. They visit the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion, Hawaii volcanoes and many other sights. The pages are filled with rhyming, bouncy text and cartoonish illustrations with lots of detail and humor. And what's best of all, besides the reminder to families to get outside and enjoy America? That our princess is rather tomboyish, her own personality shining through, and her super hero brother goes nowhere without his purple cape.
To find out more about Lee Littlewood, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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