After combing through our many book baskets and shelves at home and revisiting our library favorites, my kids and I have put together this list of 50 Children's Picture Books for Summer.We have read every book on this list - in fact we own many of these books -  and each of these books has our wholehearted stamp of approval. They are beautifully illustrated, well written, kid friendly and parent approved, exceptionally good picture books.

All of these children's picture books invoke the magic of summer. There's camping and beaches and ice cream cones. We included books to spark imagination and liven up those dog days of summer. There's inspiration from the garden, trips to the zoo, and even some roller coasters just for fun. There's summer magic on every page in every book. Really, we feel pretty good about claiming that this is a perfect collection of picture books for summer.

At the end of this list you will find a printable version with a handy checklist so you can keep track of your summer reads as you head to the library and book store this summer. Happy Reading!

50 Children's Picture Books for Summer

1. Pictures from Our Vacation by  Lynne Rae Perkins

2. The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

3. Chalk by Greg Thompson

4. Should I share my Ice Cream? by Mo Willems

5. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

6. The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

7. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

8. Night of the Moon Jellies by Mark Shasha

9. Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

10. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

11.  Beach Party by Harriet Ziefert

12. The Gardener by Sarah Stewart

13. All In A Day by Cynthia Rylant

14. Flotsam by David Weisner

15. July by James Stevenson

16. Hippo! No, Rhino by Jeff Newman

17.  Beach by Elisha Cooper

18. Amos and Boris by William Steig

19. Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis

20. The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool

21. The Tree House by Marije Tolman

22.  The Blue Hill Meadows by Cynthia Rylant

23.  Crab Moon by Ruth Horowitz

24.  Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe by Vera B. Williams

25.  Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling

26.  Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee

27.  Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons

28. Henry and Mudge and The Starry Night by Cynthia Rylant

29.  Yes, Let's by Galen Longstreth

30.  Guji, Guji by Chi Yuan Chen

31. I took the Moon For A Walk by Carolyn Curtis

32. Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel Rodriguez

33. Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack by Lynnley Dodd

34. Curious George goes Camping by Margaret & H.A. Reys

35. Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox

36. The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg

37. House for a Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

38. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

39. Post Cards from Camp by Simms Taback

40.  Swim! Swim! by Lerch

41. Wave by Suzy Lee

42. The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow

43. The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson

44. Journey by Aaron Becker

45. Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett

46. Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

47. Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor

48.  The Whales by Cynthia Rylant

49. Magic Beach by Alison Lester

50. Summersaults by Douglas Florian

For a Printable Version of this Summer Picture Book Reading List, CLICK HERE. Take it to the library and book store with you and use it to check off the books you've read this summer. Happy Reading!