About the Holiday

Today at exactly 4:51 p.m. Eastern time the earth and sun align in just the right way to create the longest day of the year and usher in the official astronomical start of summer. Whether summer to you and your family means spending time outdoors, a special vacation, camping, swimming, or more time to read, read, read, enjoy the longer days, the warm weather, and all the fun and adventure that summer can bring!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending me a copy of Summer Is Here for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Summer is Here 

Written by Renée Watson | Illustrated by Bea Jackson

On a perfect summer day, “tickling” rays of sun awaken a child from sleep, calling “Rise and shine.” The narrator wonders what joy summer will bring that day. In the kitchen, the child finds “a feast of fresh fruit” for breakfast, and later it’s time to dive into the pool in her backyard with friends.

Illustration copyright 2024 Bea Jackson, text copyright 2024. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Summer has so much more in store as the day goes on. “Summer brings me a dance,” the protagonist says. A performance between “two jump ropes” that “leap and move and tap, tap, tap on the pavement.” And, of course, there is food—lush garden fruits and vegetables, family cookouts with sizzling burgers and hot dogs, and dessert from an ice-cream truck that serenades with tinkling music as everyone chooses their favorite sweet treat.

Illustration copyright 2024 Bea Jackson, text copyright 2024. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Summer brings other games—the cooling splash of water balloons and iridescent soap bubbles that float away with a soft breath, reflecting the colors of the twilight sky. As night falls, the child marvels over more magic summer offers: glittering stars and “her moon, a bright night-light watching over me.” If only this perfect summer could last forever.

Illustration copyright 2024 Bea Jackson, text copyright 2024. Courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Renée Watson’s glorious paean to a personified summer celebrates all of the best activities and feelings that the long, warm days and outdoor freedom of the season bring. The bounties of friendship, family, and fresh food that Watson highlights on each page will fill readers’ hearts with joy and evoke memories for both adults and kids of summers gone by they’ll want to share. 

Bea Jackson’s gorgeous illustrations burst with light, happiness, and the exuberance of childhood. In her stunning, two-page spreads, Jackson perfectly captures not only summer’s activities but the thrill they elicit in facial expressions that give each character their own personality—a touch that will resonate with every reader. Every reader can feel the warm hugs, the cool splash of the pool and water balloons; hear the sizzle of burgers on the grill; and experience the child’s wistfulness at the end of the day. No detail has been overlooked, and every page is a showstopper to linger over.

Summer Is Here is a must for every public and school library and will be a favorite on home bookshelves to read during the summer or to recall the season’s joys during the rest of the year.

Ages 3 – 6

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2024 | ISBN 978-1547605866

About the Author

Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Her novel, Piecing Me Together, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books include the Ryan Hart series, Some Places More Than Others, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, and Love Is a Revolution as well as acclaimed picture books Summer Is Here, Maya’s Song, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, written with Nikole Hannah-Jones, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen, and Harlem’s Little Blackbird, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Renée splits her time between Portland, Oregon and New York City. Visit her at reneewatson.net.

About the Illustrator

Bea Jackson is the award-winning artist of beloved picture books such as Hair Like Mine by Latashia M. Perryand the New York Times bestseller Parker Looks Up by Parker and Jessica Curry. She lives in Detroit, Michigan. Visit her at beagifted.com.

Summer Solstice Activity

How Many Scoops? Ice Cream Stacking Game

How many flavors do you like on your ice cream cone? If you say “All of them!” then this game’s for you! 

Supplies

• Printable Ice Cream Cone
• Printable Ice Cream Scoop Playing Pieces
• Printable Playing Die
• Heavy paper for printing (optional)
• Tape
• Crayons

Directions

This game can be played with as many scoops as you like. Younger kids may only want to gather three or four scoops before a winner is declared. Older kids may want to earn six or even more scoops before they’re done. 

1. Print out one ice cream cone and one set of scoop playing pieces for each player. The number of playing pieces you need will depend on how many scoops players determine it will take to win.
2. Cut out the ice cream cone.
3. Cut out and color the ice cream scoop playing pieces in your favorite flavors (or make up your own flavors!).
4. Color the scoops on the die. The scoops on the die must correspond to the colors on the playing pieces. If more than six scoops are needed to win, print and color two die with 12 different colors/flavors. Kids can roll both dice at once or one at a time until all the flavors are gathered.
5. Tape the playing die together.
6. Choose a player to go first. That player rolls the die and places the color scoop shown on their cone.
7. Play continues to the left.
8. If a player rolls a color/flavor they already have, they lose the turn and play continues with the next player.
9. Play continues until one person has collected the number of scoop playing pieces decided on to win.

You can purchase Summer is Here at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Bookshop (support your local independent bookstore)