School is coming to an end for most students around the country. While many families are looking forward to vacations, camping, swimming and backyard barbecues, let’s not forget to use the free time to keep up with the skills that kids will need for the new school year (and beyond!).

Reading is an important skill that children should never loose touch with. It breaks my heart that the kids I come into contact with either “hate” reading, or they are not reading at their grade level. I don’t know why kids don’t read more. I’m guessing a lot of it has to do with smartphones, tablets and video games.

Providing your child with fun books they will enjoy reading is imperative to help keep them at their grade reading level. Even reading to and/or providing books for young children can set the tone for a love a reading later on.

If you are looking to add some new books to your family’s library, check out these new offerings from the publisher Candlewick Press.

Peekaboo: Dog

Written by Camilla Reid and illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius.

This is a super adorable dog themed book that has easy to read rhyming text and bright, colorful illustrations.

Each page features a “slider” that will change the illustration once pulled. Children will seen dogs pop up from hiding places, dog’s eyes move and more.

The above photo is the cover of the book (also pictured above) with the slider pulled. You can see how puppy’s face changes. Here is another example.

There are actually a series of books by the same author and artists set up the same with (sliders) such as Peekaboo: Santa, Peekaboo: Dinosaur and Peekaboo: Pumpkin, to name a few.

This board book is fun for both babies and toddlers alike. Not only are they interactive, but they also feature easy to read words, which are great to teach young ones to recognize and read words.

The Greatest Gift

Written and illustrated by Emma Dodd.

This is my first Emma Dodd book. I have seen her books on Amazon and I think the illustrations are extremely adorable. They are super cute! What the books are about look wonderful too.

This book did not disappoint – the illustrations are not only adorable but the shimmering gold highlights really bring this book to life.

I tried to capture the shimmering gold highlights, but my camera couldn’t capture the gold sparkling. Everywhere there is gold it’s shimmering and sparkling. That made the ocean scene even more beautiful.

With Mother’s Day and upcoming Father’s Day, this book is ideal to show young readers just how special and unconditional the love between a child and parent truly is.

The text is rhyming and features easy to read words for young readers.

Now I need more Emma Dodd books in our family’s library.

Hazel the Handful

Written by Written by Jamie Michalak and illustrated by Matt Myers.

Hazel was a pampered pooch. She has everything a dog could want – and more. She is the center of attention… that is until a new baby joins the family. Suddenly everyone’s focus is on the baby and not her.

Hazel runs away and hides, but when the family is desperate to find her, Hazel realizes that their love for her hasn’t changed at all, even with the new family member.

This is a wonderful book that families can use to explain to an older child how a parent’s love doesn’t change even when a new sibling joins the family.

This is a great story with wonderful illustrations.

Maisy Big, Maisy Small

Written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins.

My son LOVED Maisy books growing up, so I was happy to check out this book too. We also have a cat named Maisy Boo (yes, “Boo” is part of her name).

If you are familiar with Maisy books you know how bright and colorful they are with simple, adorable illustrations.

This is a great book to teach children all about the concept of opposites in a fun way, which rhyming text that children enjoy.

Opposites such as fast and slow, young and old and thick and thin are just a few touched upon in this enjoyable book.

This book joins a plethora of other Maisy books from Lucy Cousins.

Other notable mentions…

Our Gorgeous Baby

 

Written by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and illustrated by Eve Coy.

Baby’s eyes are not brighter than the sun. And she isn’t as light as a feather—she weighs a ton! Less princess than clown, with a voice a little more screechy than angelic, this baby may keep their family up at night, but no one could love baby more.

What Color is the Baby

Written by Harshini Vankineni and illustrated by Neha Rawat.

A debut author takes a familiar loaded question, steeped in colorism, and turns it into one child’s openhearted celebration of her new baby sister.

 

First There Was Me, Then There Was You

Written by Yvonne Sewankambo and illustrated by Aurore McLeod.

A heartwarming story of new siblings captures the friendship, imagination, and occasional rivalry of a brother and baby sister growing up together.

I See Me! A Guess How Much I Love You Mirror Book

Written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram.

Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare love to go out exploring together. What will they see today? And who is that peeking out from the water? Join an iconic pair of beloved characters in a sweet and comforting story for the littlest of readers, who will happily shout out at the end: “I see me!

For more information about Candlewick Press, visit Candlewick.com. You can also check them out on social media.

These books are available at retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, to name a few.

Kimberly

*I received samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.