The best children's books for summer 2026

In Seahorse is Furious by Morag Hood (Simon & Schuster, £7.99) Seahorse is in a bad mood. He is having the worst day and to top it all off everything in the ocean is wet! He doesn’t want your fun stories or silly snacks and he certainly doesn't want a cuddle from his favourite bunny. This hilarious book perfectly sums up the emotions of a frustrated toddler and is a brilliant conversation starter for navigating children’s way through their feelings. The beautiful illustrations are a joy to explore and little ones will be drawn to the brightly coloured characters.

In The Ice Cream Crocodile by Mariesa Dulak and Rebecca Cobb (Faber & Faber, £7.99) Elvis has big dreams for circus life but anything with scales and spikes is kept to the sidelines. By day he keeps the place in tip top shape but by night he trains with Flossie the flamingo to dazzle at the trapeze. When a new fairground arrives in town Elvis thinks he has his chance, but ringleader Sid has other ideas and makes Elvis sell ice-cream instead! Can Elvis use his acrobat skills to make him the best ice-cream seller the circus has ever had? This charming story is a rhyming delight and Elvis is a loveable rogue who will have everyone rooting for him.

Tigers Don’t Eat Jelly by Genevieve Aspinall (Fox and Ink Books, £7.99) but this Tiger loves jelly, and she discovers lots of other food she loves too such as delicious noodles and spicy burritos. Everyone’s mouths will be watering by the end of this scrumptious book. It’s an excellent way to introduce little ones to interesting tastes they may not have come across before, and have a chat about their favourite food.

How to Be a Cat by Sam Voulters and Yoshiko Hada (Do Re Mi, £8.99). Stretch and roll, drink water from a bowl, pretend to be a cat! With simple rhyming text and quirky illustrations this playful board book will have wee ones giggling at the fun and silly antics. ED

​READ MORE: The best YA fiction for the summer holidays

AGES 6-9 Written and illustrated by Circle Yuen, Our Dance (Graffeg, £12.99) and is a gentle book which can help support children and parents through the challenging experience of family breakdown. The story begins with the family living together but the little girl is aware of the tensions and disagreements between her Mummy and Daddy. When her father leaves home she lives with her mother and sees Daddy once a week as she learns to embrace two very different ways of living and, as the story says “and that’s OK too.” A touching and sensitive read.

Accessible and young-child-friendly Tales of the Cobb Street Commandos (Faber, £7.99) is written by Tony Bradman and illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff. The commandos’ adventure is fast-paced and engaging and provides a child’s perspective of what life in Britain was like during WW2, this includes the games children played, school life, ration books, air raid shelters, fundraising to build Spitfire planes, fears for family members reported missing in action, gathering together to listen to the wireless and the aftermath of bombing. With a positive message about the benefits of working together and strength in unity, this is a joyful story.

Celebrating 100 years of Winnie the Pooh, 100 Things to Find in the Hundred-Acre Wood (Bonnier Books, £7.99) is a search and find activity book featuring the well-known and best-loved characters created by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Working through the four seasons of the year it has seasonal specialities for young children to discover and discuss. Enchanting! CF

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AGES 9-12 Such a gifted storyteller, Beth O’Brien wastes no time in plunging us into a major dilemma for two teenage, trainee sorcerers in Feather Vane (Harper Collins Children’s Books, £7.99). The siblings are faced with the challenge of using their newly acquired magic skills to complete what appears to be an impossible task and this fabulous tale moves with pace, excitement and the most beautiful descriptions of nature and landscapes. A magical book with loving relationships at its heart and a reminder that we all need courage, strength and love to overcome life’s challenges. A very special book.

Chris Packham’s Nature Is the Answer 9 (Dorling Kindersley, £9.99) is a toolkit for eco-positivity for all young (and older) people who are experiencing eco-anxiety. With clear explanations of terminology such as fossil fuels, biodiversity and climate breakdown, Chris shows us how we can notice, appreciate and protect nature by taking small, positive actions that can make a real difference and he talks about how we can create our own “pot of positivity” to value what’s good in our lives. A treasure of a book.

In Max and Ella, Stuck Together (Nosy Crow, £7.99), Kristina Rahim writes with empathy about Max who has been conceived by IVF using sperm donor, Hari, whom his two mums now want him to meet. Hari’s daughter, Ella, is resistant to the idea and Max is anxious too so the visit initially seems doomed. But as the story unfolds Max and Ella discover that finding connections and building positive relationships can help us to overcome hurdles, rejoice in our uniqueness and recognise the individual contribution that each one of us makes just by being who we are.

Emotional intelligence floods every page of Strong Girls (Rocket Fox, £9.99), an authentic, encouraging book by Jodie Ounsley, and co-written by Becky Grey. It highlights the importance of making good friends – and being a good friend – and offers advice on how to cope with adversity when we feel low or are overwhelmed by the fear of failure. An exercise regime, British Sign Language and references to Jodie’s life as Fury the Gladiator are all included. This first ever female, deaf, international rugby player provides tips on how to be a strong version of yourself in this excellent handbook for girls everywhere. An ideal gift for any girl. CF

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