Summer is a time to relax, go on vacation and spend time outdoors. However, it also provides great opportunities for shared reading experiences with your child. As you begin planning picnics, beach trips and barbecues, don’t forget to bring a book along!

Nursery rhymes, for instance, are a great choice for summer reading. They have stood the test of time for their ability to naturally teach children language, rhyme and rhythm. They develop imagination and critical thinking skills, while also instilling important morals and lessons.

Below are some nursery rhymes and other fun books to read with your child this summer.

INFANTS/TODDLERS:

• Usborne Very First Nursery Rhymes by Usborne Books
• Peek a Who by Nina Laden
• Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Harper
• From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):

• Nursery Rhymes by Kate Toms
• Ribbit by Rodrigo Folgueira
• Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats by Il Sung Na
• You Are Not Small by Anna Kang

INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):

• Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose: One Hundred Best-Loved Verses by Mary Engelbreit
• Waiting by Kevin Henkes
• Pet Show by Ezra Jack Keats
• Dot by Randi Zuckerberg

PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (ages 4-5):

• Little Golden Book Fairy Tale Favorites by Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen
• The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak
• I’ll Follow the Moon by Stephanie Tara
• The Dot by Peter Reynolds
• The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield

– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education