I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own.
I can’t believe that summer is almost over! I am one of those parents that enjoy having my kids home all summer and I dislike sending them back to school. For these last 2 weeks we are trying to get in all the last minute fun we can. That also includes reading all those “last minute books” of their choice before school reading lists start pouring in. For the 4 to 8 age group here are 9 Picture Books To Read Before Summer Ends.
Lost and Found, What’s that Sound? is written by Jonathan Ying?and illustrated by Victoria Ying. It’s a busy day at Rabbit’s Lost and Found. Poor Squirrel has lost his drum, Elephant has lost her piano, and Bat has lost his entire band! Will Rabbit find their lost instruments before show-time? With lively rhyming text and colorful illustrations, this second picture book from brother-and-sister team Jonathan and Victoria Ying (Not Quite Black and White) will have readers calling out the fun sound words on each page. The perfect read-aloud for story time!
A Band of Babies is written by Carole Gerber?and illustrated by Jane Dyer. It was just an ordinary day at play group until Benny arrived. With flute in hand and drums in tow, Benny’s love of music inspires the babies to get up and put on a show. Toot! Toot! Whee! Benny and his band of babies are a sight to see! With rhythmic text from veteran author Carole Gerber and lively illustrations from bestselling artist Jane Dyer, this musical journey will have readers of all ages snapping their fingers and tapping their toes!
Garth Stein returns with the newest addition to the Enzo picture book series, Enzo and the Fourth of July Races. Stein captures the excitement of the Fourth of July and the thrill of a car race as Enzo, Zo?, and Denny team up for the biggest race of the year. For Enzo, the Fourth of July means three things: fireworks, family, and car races! This year Zo? is finally old enough to compete in the Kids? Kart Challenge. But when one of the boys at the track says that girls aren?t fast drivers, Zo? gets nervous and backs out of the race. Enzo knows it’s up to him to help his family regain the confidence to compete on the big day.
Join Pete the Cat in a brand-new story from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator team James and Kimberly Dean in Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie! Pete is learning a new dance?the Cool Cat Boogie! When he hears a groovy beat, he’s full of happy in his feet. But when Grumpy Toad tells him, ?Pete, you dance all wrong!? Pete is determined to become a better dancer. With the help of his friends and some wise words from Owl, Pete learns that he’s his grooviest when he’s being himself. Includes step-by-step dance moves so readers can dance along with Pete!
Winter is over! Spring has sprung! Grizzle Grump has just woken up from his long winter slumber in Good Morning, Grizzle Grump! by Aaron Blecha. His big bear belly is quite rumbly. So he sets off with his trusty squirrel sidekick in search of a springtime snack. He gathers berries, but they go missing. He catches fish, but they disappear. Grizzle Grump finally finds his food?along with another big surprise! In this follow-up to Goodnight, Grizzle Grump!, Aaron Blecha presents another lively read-aloud tale with heart and humor.
It’s a shark! No wait, it’s a dog! It’s Shark Dog! From author-illustrator Ged Adamson comes the funny and sweet story of Shark Dog: half shark, half dog, and a one-of-a-kind pet.? Shark Dog is no ordinary pet. Sometimes when he does dog things, he’s more like a shark. And sometimes when he does shark things, he’s more like a dog. But when Shark Dog gets homesick, he starts thinking maybe he belongs with the other shark dogs. Will he go back to Shark Dog Island or decided to stay in his new home?
Confiscated! is a hilarious tale of sibling conflict and cooperation between two dinosaur brothers that all kids will relate to. When Mama hears Brooks and Mikey fighting over yet another toy, it gets CONFISCATED! (In other words, taken away.) It’s only when ALL the toys are confiscated that Brooks and Mikey finally learn how to work?and play?together nicely. (But not before creating a whole heap of trouble . . . )
Turns out nobody is perfect! Queens and kings; giants and trolls, and yes, even princesses all make mistakes! In this endearing and hilarious picture book Even Fairies Fart by Jennifer Stinson, young readers can take a peek into the marvelous mess-ups and ferocious faux-pas of fairy-tale characters. Rebecca Ashdown’s delightful colors and funny expressions will leave readers snickering. Perfect for fans of The Paper Bag Princess and Not All Princesses Dress in Pink. Bottom line: When children realize that everybody?else messes up, maybe they’ll feel better about messing up, too. Perfect for bedtime and for the classroom.
From internationally acclaimed author-illustrator Dan Yaccarino comes a heartwarming tale about finding your own courage in Morris Mole. Meet Morris Mole?he has always been a little bit different. When the moles are running low on food, it’s up to clever Morris to save the day. With a little help from an unexpected friend and a lot of digging, Morris learns that even the smallest creatures can do big things. Check out the book trailer below!
Each of these books are cute and enjoyable to read and look at. Big Sis can read on her own but at 8 years old she still enjoys me reading picture books to her. Lil Sis at 5 LOVES these big picture books. We all snuggle up and read one after the other. I will miss these long reading sessions once school starts. We will still read of course but with after school activities and homework there is just less time for pleasure reading unfortunately. Until those big first days of school happen here are 9 Picture Books To Read Before Summer Ends.
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