5 Splashy Picture Books about Swimming

Froggy Learns to Swim, by Jonathan London and Frank Remkiewicz
Froggy’s mother assures him that all frogs are great swimmers, but Froggy’s not so sure. He’d much rather swing than swim. However, after an overzealous turn on the swing set lands him in the pond, a sputtering Froggy lets his mom try to teach him to swim. After some practice, lots of encouragement from his mom, and a couple of funny songs, Froggy goes from a reluctant swimmer to being reluctant to ever stop swimming. Kids will love the onomatopoeia—Splash! Zook! Flop!—and vivid watercolor illustrations in this fun read-aloud.

Pool, by JiHyeon Lee
Remember as a kid bragging to your friends about how long you could hold your breath underwater? Well, the two children depicted in JiHyeon Lee’s Pool definitely have you beat. In this debut picture book, Lee elegantly tells a unique story without any words. A young boy is visiting a crowded public swimming pool—its rowdy inhabitants and their many inflatable toys depicted in black, white, and gray. Wearing his goggles and swim cap, he dives beneath the surface, and suddenly his fanciful world of beautiful fish and other underwater creatures is in full color. The boy also finds a kindred spirit—a girl in a bright red swimsuit—with whom to share his pool adventure in this inspiring story about imagination and friendship.

Swimmy (50th Anniversary Edition), by Leo Lionni
Little Swimmy doesn’t look like other fish of his kind in this Leo Lionni classic that was awarded the 1964 Caldecott Honor. Swimmy is a black fish, and the rest of the fish in his little school are all red. He also has something else they don’t have—bravery and a sense of adventure. Swimmy ventures out on his own and sees all the beauty and weirdness life underwater has to offer, detailed with Lionni’s simple poetic language and colorful artwork. And he’s also able to teach the other little fish not to be controlled by fear and how they can band together against bigger fish in the sea.

The Whale in My Swimming Pool, by Joyce Wan
There can be lots of barriers to swimming: rainy weather, fear of the water, watching Jaws too many times. But a whale in your swimming pool? The little boy in Joyce Wan’s pop art-style picture book certainly never expected this. He tries everything to get the whale to leave—bribery, a game of fetch, and even a crane (which breaks). And his mom is certainly no help—her response to him telling her there’s a whale in the pool? “Great honey. Don’t forget about sunscreen.” In the end, though, the boy finds a way to share his space and have a great day in the water.

Maisy Learns to Swim, by Lucy Cousins
Part of the Maisy First Experiences Book collection, this picture book about sweet little mouse Maisy shows kids that swimming isn’t something they’ll learn in just one lesson and that it’s totally normal to be a little nervous about the whole process. Maisy eases into the cold pool slowly with her friend Tallulah, while their pal Eddie jumps right in. The bright childlike drawings and simple language take readers from the locker room through the lesson—in which the kids practice floating and blowing bubbles—all the way to the post-swim shower and snack. Great for kiddos who might need a little healthy peer pressure in the swimming department.
What’s your favorite kids’ book about swimming?