Summer gets a bad rep in Texas. I know some people have Halloween in mind by August 1st, but, if you are like me and like to squeeze all I can out of summer, below are 10 of our favorite picture books that give off that quintessential summer vibe.
1. A Day for Sandcastles
Written by JonArno Lason and illustrated by Qin Leng.
This one was my favorite this summer because it was all too much like our vacation. A family takes a tour bus for a day at the beach! However, the three siblings never quite make it into the water despite encouragement from their parents. They are too absorbed making and perfecting a sandcastle despite a few obstacles destroying it a few times. This wordless story is a perfect reminder to embrace and savor the moment. Leng’s illustrations are delicate and bright, as a day reflected on a sandy beach, and shift into golden light as the day ends. The spread of the family looking out at the setting sun on the horizon transmits a calm and a vision and feeling we have all experienced on a summer day. Translation Difficulty: Easy! Wordless picture books are my favorite for bilingual readers as you can narrate the story in any language!
2. It Began With Lemonade
Written by Gideon Sterer illustrated by Lian Cho
I love this book mostly because of Cho’s illustrations! The girl protagonist is not given a name but her personality and presence on the page make up for it! Readers can not exactly pinpoint her ethnicity, but, given Cho’s background — Taiwanese born and growing up in New Zealand— indigenous and pacific islander features are definitely represented in her characters with Monolid eyes, and stocky builds. Sterer’s narrative is frustrating, hilarious, suspenseful, but leaves most of the magic for Cho to interpret. The book takes readers on a wild ride from the usual selling doorstep lemonade to more enterprising dreams! Translation Difficulty: Medium. There’s a musicality to Sterer’s narrative that will be lost, but the humor and struggle will remain in another language. Toddler loved and approved!
3. And Then Comes Summer
Written by Tom Brenner and illustrated by Jaime Kim
Beautifully illustrated and poetically written, this title contains summer packed in a book. It covers lemonade stands, running after the ice cream truck, the fresh smell of fresh emerald green grass, 4th of July fireworks, cannon-balling into a lake, and summer friendships. Of Korean descent, Kim’s illustrations resemble Cho’s, especially in the Monolid eyes. The protagonists in this story are of Asian descent, which speaks of their patriotism and next-door “Americanness.” This book reinforces the idea that what makes someone American is more than their patriotism, race, or ethnicity: There is a certain lifestyle, customs, that despite being a heterogenous society, make us quintessentially American. Translation available! Read the book completely in Spanish:
4. Goldfish on Vacation
Written by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated
by Leo Espinosa
Based on the true story spanning the summers of 1992-2005. Three children living in New York are feeling bored and trapped in their apartment since “all [their] friends leave and there’s no one to play with.” Until one day, a volunteer of the Riverside Park Conservancy decides to create some excitement for the children who can’t afford to go on vacation: a chance to bring their Goldfish on one! Espinosa’s illustrations are whimsical and light, adding charm to Lloyd-Jones’s lengthy (but engaging) historical tale. This story is a great reminder that not being able to afford a vacation is not a complete tragedy. One can make memories and new friends during “staycations” as well. The upside is that the new friends will be local and capable of sharing in more adventures year round. Translation difficulty: Difficult. There is a lot of text to translate but it could be summarized. I chose to offer commentary on the illustrations in Spanish.
6. The Sandcastle that Lola Built
Written by Megan Maynor and illustrated by Kate Berube
A summer take of the nursery rhyme, This is the House that Jack Built. Lola is building a sandcastle with a “tall tall tower” for mermaids but she must be careful that no one runs into it! Soon she has three other children working on an elaborate sandcastle but, oops, can they keep it from destruction? An accurate depiction of what it is like to visit the beach and befriend strangers for a day. My toddler daughter really enjoyed reading this and I was not bored with re-readings. Berube’s paper-doll-like illustrations add their own dimension of appeal. Translation difficulty: medium. Text is sparse enough that after a couple of readings can be translated close to verbatim.
5. All The World
Written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated
by Marla Frazee
Written by a Texan (Austin), this is a classic I think about each summer, I finally bought a copy. I was first introduced to the book while working at the library. Since it has an 8 minute Weston Woods video adaption (available to watch through Hoopla), I first “read” the book by watching it. The book invokes feelings of abundance, security, posterity: like being wrapped by a fireplace after a surprise summer shower. Even with the matte finish, I still love the detail and color Frazee poured into each page. Garton Scanlon’s narrate is concise, uplifting, hopeful. Everyone in your family will love it. Inclusive of families both in gender and race. Translation difficulty: medium. One day I may try to create a poetic translation for this, but Garton Scanlon really carries you in her words. Listen or watch the audio version narrated by Joanne Woodward and you won’t be able to read it differently, ha ha.
6. Blue on Blue
Written by Dianne White and illustrated by Beth Krommes
Blue on Blue, like All the World, focused on a small moment — a summer storm — it’s color, taste, smells. The girl along with her pups is at first fearful of thunder but then grows weary of the confinement as the storm rages on. She springs out to roll in a mud puddle at the first chance! Coupled with White’s brief imagery, a pastoral in sight, the book features the charms of farm life in Krommes’s intricate, monochromatic-like spreads. Translation Difficulty: Easy-ish. English teachers always said not to overuse “ing” endings in writing, but White proves it is possible to do so in taste. All this to say, translations will be paraphrased or completely made up.
7. And its companion Green on Green
Written by Dianne White and illustrated by Felicita Sala
More encompassing of the passing seasons, I still really enjoyed reading this title this summer. Sala’s illustrations are so rich in tones and detail. The book features a beautiful dark family with sky blue eyes. The mother starts pregnant in the spring and gives birth by December. I thought this was a wholesome way of representing the changing seasons, as our lives are also in seasons of birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age and death. White writes just as stunning a poem with phrases like “lemonade petals, sunflakes between, lemonade sunflakes and yellow on green.” Translation Difficulty: Medium. Because of the poetic language, it will be harder to maintain original meaning (or find a translation, ex: sunflakes!?) but due to the sparse text, it is definitely doable.
8. Poppy’s House
Written by Karla Courtney and illustrated
by Madeline Kloepper
I’m not even sure that this book is set in summer, given the character’s sweaters. However, working through this list this book’s images came to mind: the puffins, the sea, the seashells. The little girl spends an extended holiday with her grandfather in Newfoundland. The book really captures the special grandfather/granddaughter bond and the magic and wonder that grandparents’ homes always carry. Kloepper’s illustrations are charming and as memorable as the little girl’s holiday. Translation difficulty: medium. May have to look up a few vocabulary words but the narrative is straightforward. Toddler approved!
9. Paletero Man/ ¡Que paletero tan cool!
Written by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player and translated by Dra. Carmen Tafolla
A title to complement her 2014 bilingual title What Can You Do With a Paleta / ¿Que puedes hacer con una paleta?, Dra, Tafolla seems as obsessed with Mexican style popsicles as I am! Honestly I did not really come across many bilingual/Spanish titles that I absolutely loved this summer. Adding this one because it was colorful and cute. Set in LA, the little boy runs through his neighborhood chasing the paletero (ice cream cart man), not realizing he is dropping his paleta money on the way, haha. Player has fun painting with the color wheel paletas afford. Translation difficulty: EASY! It’s already done for you!
10. The Wheels on the Bus
Written and illustrated by Jane Cabrera
Sure to make your toddler dance and sing along, my daughter has spent the past two weeks flipping through this book and singing, “The monkeys on the books chatter, chatter, chatter.” Zoo animals go on a ride to a water hole. Cabrera’s illustrations are always vibrant and her spin on nursery rhymes fresh enough that you will not mind reading this one repeatedly. I like to say “all ride long” instead of “all day long” to make it more relevant lol. Translation difficulty: easy! This one is a simple one to translate. The hardest term is “bush baby” which is “lemúridos” en español.
11. Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack
Written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin
A classic toddler read bonus! I loved reading this one to my son when he was a toddler. My daughter enjoys it as well (I registered for this book for her baby shower!). It is a concept book in which Cronin and Lewin’s crew covers the alphabet, while with mischievous Duck at the lead, readers follow the animals to their summer picnic. It is a quick read for those long summer days or when you just need to put them down for a nap pronto! Since the animals end up taking a siesta after their lunch, it is a very fitting naptime book lol Translation Difficulty: Medium. Because the book is carried by onomatopoeia and beginning letter words, I usually just read the text and discuss the illustrations in Spanish.
I hope you get to enjoy some of these titles before September 22, which is the official first day of fall! Hopefully I can get an autumn list before winter!
Biblioterika 