Children's Picture Books to Read in July
Welcome back to my seasonal blog series, where I share our favourite picture books to enjoy with your baby, toddler, or preschooler.
Each month brings new energy and new themes outside in nature, and so I try and curate and list of children’s books that encompass these cyclical themes - or at least loosely! It will hopefully give you lots of topics to talk and get curious about.
My hope is to encourage a love for reading as well as to offer inspiration for creating a monthly book shelf, rooted in nature’s rhythm.
Why Seasonal Reading Matters for Little Ones
Rotating your child’s books each month creates a feeling of freshness and curiosity.
Reading stories tied to the season helps children feel connected to what’s happening around them — the weather, the colours, the foods, the animals, and their own inner rhythms too.
It gives the days shape, especially in a time when screens can so easily take over and become the easy option. A seasonal book shelf or basket doesn’t need to be big or fancy — just a small way to honour the month or season you’re currently in.
July Shelfie
Book display of the month with themes for July such as sunshine, harvest, visiting the zoo, jungle animals and outside fun
July Themes to Explore With Young Children
July is the heart of summer. It’s (usually) full of very hot, sunny days, harvest, butterflies, bugs, an abundance of colour and flowers in the garden, family holidays and days out.
In cyclical nature, it’s a time of ripening and boldness where energy is bright and peaking - like during the full moon. It’s all about confidence, celebration and showing up in your fullest self (a bit like the full bloom of flowers everywhere).
It’s a great time to explore movement, music, wildness, butterflies, flowers and lots of other outside joy with little ones.
Use these seasonal themes to inspire your book choices, toddler activities, nature walks, or sensory play.
TRUE SUMMER (THE PEAK MONTH OF SUMMER)
SUN ~ HEATWAVE ~ DRY SOIL
GOLDEN AFTERNOONS
ICE CREAM
JUNGLE ADVENTURES
MUSIC
ENERGY ~ MOVEMENT ~ DANCE
CONFIDENCE ~ CELEBRATION ~ WILDNESS
WATER PLAY
SEASIDE
HARVEST ~ COMBINE HARVESTERS
BERRIES ~ STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY PICKING
FULL BLOOM
FLOWERS ~ BUTTERFLIES ~ BUGS ~ BEES
Best Children’s Picture Books to Read in July
Badger’s Band ~ Acorn Woods Series
Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
A celebration of sound, rhythm and music, this story follows Badger as he inspires other woodland animals to join his band. It gives me a nostalgic feeling of village summer fetes. Have fun with this one learning about all the different instruments with the usual rhyming, simple text and interactive lift-the-flaps.
age 1 to 5 years
lift-the-flap board book
simple short rhyming text
best read during the day
part of the Acorn Woods series
Zoo
Anthony Browne
Hilarious, thoughtful and old-school, this picture book follows a typical family on a day out at the zoo. The clever illustrations tell us everything we need to know - how it’s not really the animals who are trapped, but the humans who find the animals boring and enjoy the consumerism things like the gift shop and junk food cafe the most. It’s depressingly accurate of modern society even though it was written in the early nineties… Kind of funny, though!
age 4 to 7 years
picture book
text is reflective and humorous
daytime read
one-off picture book
Dear Zoo
Rod Campbell
This is another great short read and interactive lift-the-flap board book. It’s also a classic for babies and toddlers - on a search for a pet from the zoo with a series of unsuitable animals being delivered and sent back. The illustrations are simple and clear with a repeating structure making it a brilliant first book for infants and toddlers.
age 0 to 3 years
life-the-flap board book
text is simple and repetitive
daytime read
one-off classic
Tyrannosaurus Drip
Julia Donaldson and David Roberts
This one has been a hit in our house. As usual, Julia Donaldson creates a witty, funny, rhyming story. It’s a bigger read than some of her other books written for toddlers but still fairly simple and easy to follow. The artwork by David Roberts has a very unusual style with a bold colour palette which changes throughout the book and really helps set the scene and tell the story.
The book is a kind of twist on The Ugly Duckling tale about a peaceful, little, vegetarian dinosaur born in the wrong nest. Themes of identity, courage, water, reflections, and celebrating your own kind of strength.
age 3 to 6 years
rhyming picture book
text is longer, but bouncy and funny
daytime read
one-off picture book
Cave Baby
Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett
Set in prehistoric times, this story follows a creative baby with a love for painting who is taken on a midnight mammoth adventure. It themes around the boredom little children face when their parents are busy and an exploration of toddler play, creativity and imagination. Donaldson’s text is rhythmic and rhyming as usual with a great storyline. I particularly love Emily Gravett’s illustrations with a slight use of mixed media, quirky characters and fitting, vibrant colour palettes. There are clever hidden bears on every page. I also like the repeating line “look what he’s done” said in two very different ways.
This is a great story to read and then lead on to some of your own painting with your child.
age 2 to 6 years
rhyming picture book
poetic and rhythmic text
suitable for daytime or bedtime (as the main part of the story could be about dreaming)
one-off picture book
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
Disney Ladybird Edition
The classic retelling of the well-known Winnie the Pooh tale of Pooh following his determination to reach the honey in the tree. Just like the original stories and the Disney animation, it’s full of charm, soft humour and illustrations that match the animated film. A good one for summer that feels slow and sweet!
age 2 to 6 years
classic Ladybird picture book
the text is conversational and fairly full
daytime or bedtime read
part of the Ladybird classics and the Winnie the Pooh series (originally by A. A. Milne!)
Giraffes Can’t Dance
Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
A feel-good story about Gerald the giraffe who longs to dance and finally finds his own unique, creative groove. A story full of vibrant, jazzy colours, movement and joy. A story when you don’t quite fit in and have to find your own style.
age 2 to 6 years
rhyming picture book
text is lyrical with a strong beat and fairly simplistic
an energetic daytime read
one-off picture book
Nature Trail
Benjamin Zephaniah and Nila Aye
A lovely rhyming story inviting children to look closer at the natural world outside their door. The text is lyrical and sweet by Zephaniah and paired with bright, playful illustrations that include lots of details and many different bugs and insects to spot. A fun summer read that encourages curiosity and noticing.
age 2 to 6 years
nonfiction picture book
lyrical and easy to follow text
daytime read
one-off board book
Rosie’s Walk
Pat Hutchins
A clever and very minimal story about Rosie the hen going for a walk with a fox unknowingly following close behind. The text is extremely simple and allows the reader to explore the retro-style illustrations. Great book for observation, humour and exploring sequencing and movement.
age 1 to 5 years
classic picture book board book
text is very short and structured
daytime or bedtime read
one-off classic
Pin & Share This July Booklist
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this list, save it on Pinterest or share it with someone who loves books, seasonal rhythms and screen-free time with children. You can follow along on Pinterest or Instagram for more seasonal content, ideas for book shelves, creative life with little ones, and my kid lit inspired art work.
Looking for more kid lit inspired content?
You’ll soon be able to explore my portfolio to see my own illustrated work for children as well as visit my shop for prints, cards and nature-inspired stationery (coming soon in late summer 2025). For now, you can browse the full blog series for monthly booklists and inspiration for slow, seasonal living with young children.
