7 picture books to beat summer boredom

San Francisco Chronicle​

22-06-2025

Before modern parenting culture made incessant scheduling the norm, kids used to spend their summers being unproductive — and occasionally bored. But even those who believe in boredom want to offer their child entertainment that's good for them. Reading is the perfect solution — except kids today seldom read for fun. We can blame screens and schedules, but surprisingly, it may also be the books. Too many children's books try to teach something: a lesson, a moral, a behavior. Those are all well and good, but children need more opportunities to read for pleasure.
Summer is the ideal time for that freedom.
If you need help kick-starting your child's love of reading, try a picture book. Picture books are a form rather than a genre, and work best as shared performances between adults and children. Reading them fosters connections, sparks curiosity and encourages deep thinking. So, next time boredom hits, grab a picture book.
What If We…
By Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang
(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 40 pages; $18.99; ages 4-8)
Summer boredom is a familiar feeling to children, so they'll immediately relate to Max, when on day two, he's already in agony. With 'nothing' to do, he wonders, 'What if I…was at the park?' Off he goes — along with his eager-to-play-together little sister, Mimi — but the satisfying feeling is swiftly surpassed by his longing for something new.
As Max's imaginings grow more surreal (jumping in giant jello, riding a koi fish), Mimi becomes increasingly frustrated with being ignored, until finally, she speaks up, 'What if WE?' Her sweet, inclusive suggestions help Max realize that the solution to his boredom was in front of him all along. A cleverly crafted, visually stunning book by two Bay Area rising stars.
Let's Be Bees
By Shawn Harris
(Neal Porter Books; 40 pages; $18.99; ages 4-8)
What does every noise on Earth sound like all at once? Find out in this playfully profound picture book by Half Moon Bay author-illustrator Shawn Harris. Richly drawn in crayons, this exuberant read-aloud is a poetic meta-story that engages readers on multiple levels. The father and child are reading the same book we're reading, what they become, we become; they become each other, we become them. Together, we are the book, as we wildly embody life on this planet: buzzing, rustling, roaring — and inevitably — laughing. Stange and satisfying, it's a transformative experience that kids will want to relive again and again.
Every Monday Mabel
Even if summer is mostly boring, for a certain type of kid, there is at least one exciting event guaranteed to happen every week: garbage day!
Every Monday, Mabel wakes up with giddy anticipation, eager to see 'The best thing in the world!' She drags a chair down the hallway; past her older sister, mother and father — all of whom have varying opinions about Mabel's interest — out the door, and waits patiently for the trash-tastic spectacle to begin.
It turns out, Mabel's transportation admiration isn't so strange after all. All around town, there are other kids, like her, watching with glee. With punchy text and vibrant art, it's an enthusiastic tribute to a child's passion.
Fireworks
Written by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Cátia Chien
(HarperCollins Publishers; 44 pages; $19.99; ages 4-8)
On a hot July day in the city, two young sisters head outside to beat the heat. The sun-baked, steamy sidewalks are filled with people, sweaty and sticky. As the girls travel around town, they find a leaking fire hydrant and splash in sweet relief, indulge in squishy drippy watermelon and shimmy to the sound of salsa music.
When the sky grows dark, they head to the top of a skyscraper, and wait excitedly until — POP! POP! POP! — a dazzling show of fireworks dances high above their heads, and into their dreams, on this special summer night. The tantalizing text and images will captivate young and old alike.
The Gathering Table
Written by Antwan Eady and illustrated by London Ladd
This story effortlessly recounts a Southern family's tradition of gathering around the table, portraying their funny and poignant moments, while touching on larger themes of love, hope, pride and freedom.
Eady's prose is poetically spare but emotionally rich ('The air, it cools. The leaves, they change.'), and Ladd's illustrations, like the summer sky in late afternoon, are warm and expansive. They visually articulate the story's layered narratives, and help remind us that to gather is to create stories, whether we're around a table or a book.
Lone Wolf on Vacation
Written by Kiah Thomas and illustrated by K-Fai Steele
(Neal Porter Books; 48 pages; $16.99; ages 6-9)
A common theme in stories is change. A character is faced with something difficult and either they or their situation is transformed by the end of the story. But we, especially children, know that the tidy ending is a fallacy. That's what makes the 'Lone Wolf' books so refreshing.
Wolf is a grumpy loner with no friends, and that's exactly how he likes it.
Throughout the series, he is constantly pushed by society to be happy and social, but his reaction doesn't change. 'Grrrr' is all he ever says.
In the latest book, Wolf goes on a solo vacation, eager to smell fresh air and see new sights. The issue is, he's not alone; there are annoying tourists at every turn. Exhausted and overstimulated, Wolf realizes there is no place like home, and that a staycation in solitude is exactly what he needs. Sarcastically written with a stand-out cast of hilariously illustrated characters, it's perfect for beginner readers, but also fun to read together.