A Dinosaur Eats Her Classmates, Two Kittens Trade Places, and a Giraffe Moves to a New Town: 11 More Summer Picture Books We Love

Vernon Is on His Way: Small Stories, by Philip C. Stead
Vernon is back! The beloved toad who charmed readers with his sweetness in A Home for Bird has returned in Vernon Is on His Way: Small Stories with a series of sweet tales featuring good friends Skunk and Porcupine. Beautifully drawn watercolor illustrations add charm to this lovely stories of three friends and their adventures, from learning to fish to catching the slowest form of transportation (a slooooowww snail).

Geraldine, by Elizabeth Lilly
This debut picture book by Elizabeth Lilly introduces Geraldine the Giraffe. Geraldine is in a bit of a pickle and she is NOT happy about it. Her family is moving to a new town where she will be the only giraffe, and worse she will have to start a new school where she will have no friends. Geraldine just doesn’t know what to do, that is until she meets Cassie, a girl who is an outcast just like her.  Sweet and nuanced, Geraldine is a lovely tale about making new friends, and learning to be happy with your differences.

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, by Ryan T. Higgen
You wouldn’t think the idea of a dinosaur (temporarily) eating  humans could be both funny and heartwarming. You would be wrong because We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by author and illustrator Ryan T. Higgins is both. Our protagonist is the most adorable T. Rex ever, Penelope, who has just started preschool. Penelope’s pretty excited about it, especially when she finds out all of her classmates are children, delicious children. Luckily for the other kids, every time Penelope eats a kid they end up unharmed, even if they are a little slimy and more than a little irritated. Penelope just can’t seem to grasp that eating other kids is a no-no…that is until she encounters someone who thinks Penelope would make the perfect snack…both hilarious and sweet, We Don’t Eat Our Classmates will have young readers (and adults) laughing out loud.

Walk Your Dog, by Elizabeth Stevens Omlor, illustrated by Neesha Hudson
Dogs and little kids go together like ice cream and summer. But Walk Your Dog explores what happens when you have a strong-willed little girl and a doggie who is just as stubborn. Beautiful watercolors and a playful writing style combine to make Walk Your Dog a true delight.

Bear’s Scare by Jacob Grant
Bear’s Scare by Jacob Grant helps introduce young readers to the idea that friends can come in all different shapes and sizes. Bear loves keeping his house clean and taking care of his stuffed little friend, Ursa (which adorably means little she-bear). But than Bear finds a spiderweb, which means somewhere there is a spider. Bear is determined to find the little arachnid to get hid of it…but when the two finally meet, an unexpected friendship blossoms.

Best Frints at Skrool, by Antoinette Portis
Cute aliens and a lesson in friendship are the best part of Antoinette Portis’ Best Frints at Skrool. On the planet Boborp, Omek and Yelfred go to skrool together and even though they are always late, its ok because they are best frint and do everything as a team. Until Yelfred meets a new friend named Q-B. Omek doesn’t know what to do; he doesn’t think he can share his best frint. But can he?

Pretty Kitty, by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
This book is almost too cute. A little old man discovers a kitten on his doorstep, but he doesn’t want a kitty so he says scat! The only problem? It doesn’t work, instead another kitty pops up. And than another and another…from the wonderfully twee illustrations of the cute kitties to the delightfully grumpy old man who just doesn’t want any more kitties, this counting book will have your little reader both counting and giggling.

Niblet & Ralph, by Zachariah OHora
Zachariah OHora is the author and illustrator of some seriously awesome children’s books, including My Cousin Momo and the Not So Quiet Library, and the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller, Wolfie the Bunny. OHora brings all of his writing and illustrating talents to the fore in this enchanting story of Niblet and Ralph, two cats who switch places in a silly case of mistaken identity. Little readers will be enchanted by this tale of two calico cats, who are determined to find their way back to the right home.

Don’t Eat That, by Drew Sheneman
Drew Sheneman, the author and illustrator of the sweet and funny NOPE!, is back with Don’t Eat That, the story of a little girl out to earn her nature merit badge, and a special bear who just can’t figure out what to eat but has some bad ideas on the subject (hence the title). After our heroine stops the bear from eating a rock or her (it would be terribly rude) she realizes she has to teach him to survive. For anyone else this might be a daunting task, but our heroine is up to the challenge!

Dear Substitute, by Audrey Vernick and Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Chris Raschka
Dreamy watercolors are paired with witty dialogue in Dear Substitute, a book about a somewhat unwelcome substitute teacher, Miss Pelly. When Mrs. Giordano isn’t there one day, her class must contend with Miss Pelly. Miss Pelly is nothing like Miss Giordano; she can’t pronounce names correctly and she is too casual about the rules. Just when it looks like poor Miss Pelly has no redeeming qualities, the class discovers that their new substitute teacher just might have a few surprises in store for them.

What the Ladybug Heard Next, by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Lydia Monks
A great read-aloud book with lots of animal noises and rhyming texts, What the Ladybug Heard Next tells the tale of a little ladybug who outsmarts two bandits, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len. The two bandits have plans to steal a fat red hen but what they didn’t plan on was one tiny, little, hardly noticeable ladybug overhearing their scheme.