SOMMER, SONNE, URLAUBSZEIT! - Great Kids' books in German on summer (part 1:board and picture books)

School is out and summer time ahead.! Are you looking for some great books that reflect the feel good feeling of the summer glow and lots of beach time? Here are some recommendations for the little ones, our favorite board and picture books on summer in German.

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Axel Scheffler

PIP UND POSY - DER NEUE FREUND

Pip and Posy are best friends. Today they are headed to the beach, collecting shells and digging up sand. But when Posy takes a nap, Pip makes a new friend on the beach, Tom. Tom is super cool, he has lots of fun toys and knows how to do a hand stand. When Posy wakes up, Pip seems more interested in Tom than her, She feels sad and excluded. Later they all go to get some ice, and a seagull steels Tom's ice - and Posy has an excellent idea...

Axel Scheffler's Pip and Posy board book series about two best friends is always delightful, it resonates with toddlers depicting every day situations (with a twist) and feelings they know.

18 months and up

Christiane Hansen / Sabine Praml

WENN SIEBEN KLEINE BADEHASEN QUIETSCHIDEL ANS WASSER RASEN

A day at the beach with kids means lots of preparations: packing up snacks and bathing suits, beach gear, putting sun screen on, getting the kids ready to go... But it is lots of fun too.

This board book comes with cute little illustrations about a bunny family and their seven kids with lots of funny little details to explore, written in rhyme.

2 years and up

Jestin Westin Verona / Jesus Verona

KALLE UND ELSA - EIN SOMMERABTEUER

The friends Kalle and Elsa are at the beach as well: while Elsa's dad is blowing up the swimmies, Kalle and Elsa are digging up the deepest hole ever: a trap. Who knows what they will catch? A lion or a sea lion?

A sand castle made of sand and sea urchins is their next project, before they go on a boat trip fighting an octopus with a million tentacles..

A stunningly beautiful picture book with not too much text on the power of imagination.

3 years and up

Daniel Napp

DR. BRUMM AUF HULA HULA

The 3 friends, Dr. Brumm, Pottwal and Dachs want to go on vacation. Ideally far away. So Dr. Brumm books something on the internet, for the very next day. But as often when Dr. Brumm takes care of something, things are a bit chaotic and not exactly relaxing and peaceful...

Kids love Dr. Brumm and the sense of humour of the Dr. Brumm picture books.

4 years and up

Katja Gehrmann / Constanze Spengler

AM LEUCHTTURM GIBT ES ERDBEEREIS

Mika is on holidays on an island: There is sun, three is fun - all that is missing is ice cream. Mika's dad, however, is fully immersed in a book and slightly distracted. He gives Mika some money to get ice cream on his own, admonishing not to go beyond the ice cream truck. "Sure thing", Mika responds. But he is a little late and also somewhat distracted, and by the time he gets to the ice cream spot, the ice cream truck is gone. Luckily Mika knows the route of the truck and hops on a donkey...

And off to an island tour he is. Somehow Mika always keeps missing the ice cream truck, hunting for it. Until he arrives where he started from. And gets an ice cream just in time.

A super adorable picture book by Gehrmann and Spengler, a sequel on SEEPFERDCHEN SIND AUSVERKAUFT which was funny and slightly absurd as well.

3 years and up

Emma AdBåge

WIR FINDEN KRUEMELBERT

Let's be honest. A day at the beach can be a mixed bag in real life - just like anything else. The girl in this Swedish picture book is headed for a day at the beach with her mom and little brother Bert. On the way to the beach she and her brother quarrel who will be first in the water. "Quiet, or we will turn around and go home", the mother responds. When they arrive at the final destination they find a dead hedgehog on the parking lot. But once at the water all is forgotten: they build sand castles, play that they are dolphins in the water and that they are being chased by sharks. After a cookie picnic they find a little beetle struggling in the sand. Bert has the magnificent idea that it might be too hot and need a pool. So they build a pool for him... You might guess how that ends.

A beautiful picture book by award winning author and illustrator Emma AdBåge about a day at the beach, siblings, play - and life and death. Or that your actions have consequences.

4 years and up

Mari Kanstad Johnson

3, 2, 1 ANNA UND OMA ZAEHLEN LOS

Anna spends the summer break with her grandmother, while everybody else at her school is heading to fantastic destinations. To have something to brag about as well, Anna wants to get a wonderful plush animal. But it’s 50 Swedish Kronen and her grandmother says Anna has to earn that money. If Anna takes care of the 5 neighboring houses and the pets and plants there, she can get it! 1 snake, 2 rabbits, 3 birds, 4 tomatoes, 5 fish. Easy peesy! says Anna. It turns out to be lots of work for Anna - and she and the readers have to keep counting and recounting. Magnificent illustrations with bold colors, with lots of details to explore and an unusual grandmother make this a wonderful picture book.

5 years and up

Madlen Ottenschlaeger / Stefanie Reich

OTTO FAEHRT LOS - EIN SOMMER IN SCHWEDEN

Otto is a camping bus people can rent out. And that is what a family of four, Juli, Gusti, Mama, Papa and their dog Annie does for their trip to Sweden. They pack and pack - so much it hardly fits. Luckily Otto is magical bus, he jus expands a little and off they roll. Take a ferry from Germany to Sweden. And enjoy the longest day of the year, farm life, the sea, weird magical creatures and so much more.

A slightly longer picture book that makes camping, travelling and Sweden irrestible.

4 years and up