Five Picture Books For A Rainy Summer Day

Orange Alerts and thunderstorms mean young kids can’t always play outside in the summer. Here are five recently-released picture books to spark their imaginations when they have to stay inside.

Dirtball Pete by Eileen Brennan  JP BRE

Everybody has their good points, but being clean is not something Dirtball Pete is good at. Despite his mom's attempt to clean him up so everyone can see what a special little boy he is, dirt wins out (with some help from a dog, a ferret, a pile of leaves, the wind...). As bedraggled Dirtball Pete gets up for his part in a school performance, they learn he truly is a special little boy. A nice take on the "be who you are" theme with silly illustrations and a ferret named Eggroll. Suggested for grades K-3.

Ballroom Bonanza by Nina Rycroft  JP RYC

Everyone from the Alpacas to the Zebras dances at the Blackpool Ballroom Bonanza. Fun rhymes and detailed illustrations (bellydancing elephants have belly jewels and nail polish) are entertaining and there's the added bonus of scanning each page to find the 26 instruments the monkeys have hidden. Visual jokes such as a go-going goat dressed like Austin Powers will amuse the adults, too. Suggested for grades K-3.

I’m a Shark by Bob Shea  JP SHE

Shark is pretty full of himself. He boasts to Crab and Fish, "I'm not afraid of the dark. Dark is afraid of me. Dark saw me and RAN!" As long as the dark (or dinosaur, or giant squid, or bear) doesn't have spiders in it or near it, Shark isn't scared. Bob Shea's clean, silly illustrations complement the story perfectly. Suggested for grades pre-K-2.

Chalk by Bill Thompson  JP THO

Three school-aged children find a bag of chalk in the park on a rainy day. The drawings they make with the chalk on the sidewalk come to life. Thompson's realistic style (detailed down to a little girl's earring backs) makes the fantasy in this story without words seem almost plausible. Kids who enjoy this will want to move on to Chris Van Allsberg and David Weisner. Suggested for grades pre-K-4.

Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator! by Mo Willems  JP WIL

Amanda has an alligator. They surprise each other a lot, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. Simply-drawn characters with amazingly expressive faces and comedy with a touch of sweetness is what you expect from Mo Willems, and he delivers again. As a bonus, these 6 1/2 stories can be a nice transition to chapter books for younger readers. Surprise! Suggested for grades pre-K-2.

Kids (and teens) are welcome to read these or any other books they want as part of the Fairfax County Public Library Summer Reading Program.  Remember to complete your reading log online or on paper by September 3 to receive your coupon book.