5 Kids' Books About Summer (Camp)

A lot of singing may be involved

It’s safe to say that Summer is here to stay for the next several months and I’m very excited. I always promise myself that I’ll have every weekend packed with activities and inevitably the heat coaxes us to stay indoors, slouching (melting?) off the sofa. Nevertheless, like with every season, I approach this one with optimism and curiosity to see how much of my wishlist gets accomplished:

• Summertime picnic

• A little family getaway

• Vacation

• New features and series for this newsletter (probably what I’m most excited about!)

The reality of it is that most of the summer will be spent working between professional and personal projects. C’est la vie! But that doesn’t mean it still won’t be fun… just having daylight until nighttime is happiness enough for me.

With the school year coming to a close, I know a lot of kids will be going off to a quintessential summer experience: summer camp. Whether it’s a day camp or an overnight camp, is there anything more fun?

When I was a kid, I would go to a local summer day camp, and oh how deliriously fun it was. Getting to roam all over the park, eating popsicles, drawing, etc. It was the perfect combination of friends, structured activities, and freedom to roam. So today’s seasonal book selection is an ode to summer (camp)!

I Love The Mountains

Illustrated by Haily Meyers

Recommended Ages: 1+ years old

This utterly charming board book is illustrated to the popular children’s song, “I Love the Mountains.” There’s something extra fun about reading and singing at the same time. With this book, babies and toddlers will not only experience the outdoors in radiant color but also get a peek at what it means to be with friends at summer camp. The illustrations are resplendent with all the loveliness that summer has to offer; saturated with golds and oranges and sky blues—if that doesn’t feel like summer, I don’t know what does.

Buy Now* | Find it at your library

Gaspard at the Seashore

Written by Anne Gutman and Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben

Recommended Ages: 3+ years old

Gaspard, a precocious black dog, has been begging his parents to let him attend summer camp at the seashore so he can learn to windsurf. They finally relent and off Gaspard goes to his seashore summer camp. When he finally arrives, he is so excited he forgets one critical detail that can completely derail his windsurfing plans. I won’t give it away but it’s a delightful plot twist that makes lovable Gaspard even more endearing. While there isn’t a lesson in this story it does a great job of reminding us all that sometimes what you expect may not turn out exactly as you hoped but that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun. The painted artwork is saturated with bold colors that immediately immerse you into Gaspard’s innocent, hilarious adventure.

Find it at your library

Sweet Briar Goes to Camp

Written by Karma Wilson and Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Recommended Ages: 5+ years old

Between the inviting illustrations that make me nostalgic for my summer camp days to the kindhearted Sweet Briar, this is probably my favorite book on this list (and I love them all!). Like any kid, Sweet Briar is nervous about the first day of summer camp, especially about making friends. She finds however that it’s pretty easy but less so for Petal, the porcupine. As Sweet Briar watches the others shun and tease Petal, she knows she must do something about it. The story perfectly nails how awful it feels to be left out and, as an observer, how discomfiting it is to watch it happen. Sweet Briar beautifully shows how generous and thoughtful she is as she takes the courageous step of befriending Petal. So often our focus is on kids’ (valid) anxiety that they may not make any friends. But most do and it then behooves them to extend their hand and befriend someone else. The watercolor illustrations just add to the loveliness of this book; the soft, hazy artwork epitomizes the joyful fun found at summer camp.

Find it at your library

Mosquitoes are Ruining My Summer! and Other Silly Dilly Camp Songs

Written by Alan Katz and Illustrated by David Catrow

Recommended Ages: 6+ years old

Is summer camp really summer camp if you’re not singing songs? And does anyone do zany song adaptations better than the double-trouble duo, Alan Katz and David Catrow? Katz brings levity through comical rewordings of classic songs (e.g. Take Me Out to the Ball Game) and Catrow takes it one step further with the kookiest, oblong-est sketches illustrating the madcap lyrics. Katz and Catrow have done these types of song picture books before and they are always delectable—they tickle kids’ imaginations (and funny bone) in the best way possible. This isn’t the strongest of their work but it’s still a pleasant escape to the crackle of campfire songs.

Find it at your library

Postcards from Camp

Written and Illustrated by Simms Taback

Recommended Ages: 7+ years old

God, I love a good epistolary book and this one is particularly irresistible. Michael is off to camp and he shares his trials, tribulations, and tomfoolery in postcards exchanged with his father. (It’s pretty clear from the get-go that Michael’s sense of humor is passed down to him from his father). It’s a frolicking tale of the vexations of a kid who doesn’t want to go to sleepaway camp. While most of the letters are printed on the page, some are interactive: you can retrieve a letter from the embedded envelope, and sometimes you have to turn the book sideways to read a note. This book is just a fun time and a great reminder that what’s uncomfortable at first doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. But, inevitably, if you give it a chance, you might end up having a lot of fun! The “illustrations” are a wonderful melange of mixed media that never fails to delight or make me laugh. There are so many clever, thoughtful details hidden in the artwork that you’ll spend just as much time poring through the art as you will reading the exchange between son and father.

Find it at your library

Let’s Talk…

• What fun exciting things do YOU have planned for summer?

• Did you go to summer camp? Did you love it or hate it?

• What does childcare look like for you during summer?

*Thank you for using (at no additional cost to you) the affiliate links in this post! :-)