Whether your little ones love the water or are a bit more hesitant to jump in, these pictures books celebrate the joy of getting in the water and splashing around. (Find our swimming-related reading for adults here.)
1, 2, 3, Jump! by Lisl H. Detlefsen
illustrated by Madeline Valentine
Recommended for ages 2+
A young girl gets ready for her first time in a swimming pool, learning about what to wear, putting worries to rest, and getting excited about what’s to come.
Bubbles… Up! by Jacqueline Davies
illustrated by Sonia Sanchez
Recommended for ages 3+
Oh, the things you can do underwater! Hanging out at the community pool, a girl does handstands on the bottom, surfaces like a porpoise, and looks for treasure as families play around her. A thunderstorm interrupts the fun, and then it’s back in the water!
Swim Swim Sink by Jenn Harney
Recommended for ages 3+
Three little ducklings follow Mama into the water, and they swim, swim, until the last duckling … sinks. Determined, she comes up with elaborate solutions to solve her floating dilemma.
There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi
illustrated by Laurel Molk
Recommended for ages 3+
Eleanor, dog Sukie, and toy monkey Chunka Munka head to the beach, but while Eleanor is eager to dive in, Sukie worries about all the things that could be in the water, lobsters among them. When Chunka Munka floats off, Sukie discovers her bravery.
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
Recommended for ages 4+
Finished with his swim lessons, Jabari is ready to jump off the diving board! But when he gets to the ladder, nerves hit. Jabari and his dad talk through his anxiety, and soon Jabari is jumping.
Sakamoto’s Swim Club by Julie Abery
illustrated by Chris Sasaki
Recommended for ages 5+
This true story follows Japanese Hawaiian swim coach Soichi Sakamoto as he trains the children of sugarcane workers swimming in the irrigation ditches of Maui sugar plantations, eventually creating a swim club that journeys to the 1948 Olympics.
~ posted by Andrea G.
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