Summer is winding down, but books are always an open road.

Kids can stay as long as they like!

Read your way around the world to far destinations, step into adventures in another place and time, meet artists and look at art, find out why our national parks are so special and plan your next park to visit.

Destinations

• Africa, Amazing Africa by Atinuki, Mouni Feddag
• Discover Africa today – 55 different countries, the people, wildlife, traditions, languages, music, sports, religions, nomads and cities, deserts, rain forests and snowy mountains. Filled with colorful maps, this is a top staff pick! (Picture book)
• Also, another delightful book by Atinuki – Baby Goes to Market, perfect to read out loud with young kids.
• Where is Easter Island? by Megan Stine
• Illustrated history of one of the most remote islands in the world, inhabited by Polynesians who carved enormous statues, moai, from volcanic stone. Most fascinating is how the moai were carved in place, and then moved across the island miles away. How did the stones “walk”? (Chapter book)
• Where is Machu Picchu? by Megan Stine, John O’Brien
• Illustrated history of Machu Picchu in Peru. Who were the Inca, construction of the palace and stone building complex at Machu Picchu for the Inca king Pachacuti, conquest by the Spanish, discovery of Machu Picchu in early 20th century. (Chapter book)
• My Incredible India by Jasbinder Bilan, Nina Chakrabarti
• Take a journey around India today with Thara and her grandmother – each object tells a story. Sketches of cave paintings, Chennai dance anklets, miniature tuk-tuk, puppet from Rajasthan, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway ticket, spices from Bhubaneswar, Diwali diya lights, Punjab peacock feather, model rocket from the Space Centre and more. (Picture book)
• For younger kids, three fun books: Festival of Colors, Wheels on the Tuk-Tuk and Chaiwala!

Adventure

• Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei by Anita Yasuda, Yuko Shimizu
• Junko Tabei was the first woman to climb Mt. Everest.
• As a young girl in Japan, Junko dreamed of climbing mountains. She founded a woman’s team and planned an expedition to Mt. Everest. On the way up, Junko was caught in an avalanche, but rescued and kept going until she reached the summit!
• She continued to climb highest peaks on every continent, worked to clean up trash on Everest and help the Nepalese people. Gorgeous illustrations capture amazing adventure of Junko’s life. (Picture book)
• Amazon River by Sangma Francis, Romolo D’ Hipolito
• Imagine exploring the Amazon River that begins in Andes Mountains and flows thousands of miles to the ocean. In the river are pink dolphins, huge floating meadows, flooded forests, waterfalls, whirlpools and deep gorges. Indigenous peoples have lived in the rainforest for thousands of years, but in the heart of the jungle are also cities. The Amazon River ecosystem is unique, this “river of the world” is affected by climate change, and in danger of deforestation, mining and oil pollution. (Picture book)
• Also, more books about the Amazon Zonia’s Rain Forest and The Great Kapok Tree.
• Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill
• In 1914, Ernest Shackleton and a crew of brave men set out to explore Antarctica. Stuck in the ice, their ship cracked to pieces and sank. The men survived on an ice floe, sailed in open boats through monstrous waves, hiked across a frozen mountainous island, and every man survived. Spectacularly illustrated, a true story of courage and endurance. (Picture book)
• The Silk Road by Katy Ceceri
• Journey along world’s most famous ancient trade route that connected China with the Mediterranean – history, geography, and culture.
• What goods were traded – silk, spices, medicines, glassware, carpets. What were different routes across barren deserts, high mountains, treacherous oceans, and dangerous grasslands. What people lived along the Silk Route, from nomads in yurts to busy cities with bazaars, temples, and palaces. Plus 20 projects to make – embroidered butterfly, felt rug, good luck charm, spiced tea, central Asian noodles, and more. (Activity chapter book)
• For younger kids, Riding on a Caravan.

Arts and Artists

• Yayoi Kusama by Maria Isable Sanchez Vegara, Ryoko Ichikawa
• Yayoi Kusama is one of the most popular artists today, with exhibitions of her work in museums around the world. Growing up, she wanted to become an artist, but her parents didn’t approve. Yayoi kept drawing, and one day she envisioned a field of flowers as never-ending dots.
• With dots, Yayoi found her place as an artist – she creates huge paintings, sculptures and infinity rooms with repeating dots. Bright colored illustrations capture Yayoi’s unique art style. (Picture book)
• For older kids, easy reader Yayoi Kusama.
• A History of Pictures for Children by David Hockney, Martin Gayford, Rose Blake
• Go with David Hockney to look at pictures from cave art to images created with an iPad. This book with inspire your next visit to any art museum.
• This is a review from a parent who read this book out loud with her 9 year old daughter:
• The first chapter asks the reader to think about why we make pictures and includes a number of famous pieces of art including work from Picasso, cave drawings from France, Egyptian wall painting, Jan van Eyck, Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney productions, Hiroshige, and yes, David Hockney. Each chapter seemed to lead us to explore more.
• A book for older kids, illustrations are exceptional! (Illustrated chapter book)
• For little ones, ABCs of Art board book by Sabrina Hahn.
• Hokusai: He Saw the World in a Wave by Susie Hodge, Kim Ekdal
• Katsushika Hokusai, one of Japan’s most famous artists, lived all his life in Tokyo. He created thousands of paintings, illustrations, woodblock prints, and produced books (manga) about how to draw people and animals.
• Hokusai was inspired by nature – trees, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, ocean in all seasons,and he made over 100 prints of Mount Fuji. He also captured colorful life in 18th and 19th century Edo (Tokyo) – sumo wrestlers, samurai and geisha, holidays and festivals. (Picture book)
• Hokusai had a daughter Eijo, who was also an artist. Read about Hokusai’s Daughter.
• Through Georgia’s Eyes by Rachel Rodriguez, Julie Paschkis
• Georgia’s first memories were light and color. As a child running around with her brothers and sisters she always had a pencil and sketch pad with her. When she visited New Mexico, the land enchanted her, and she spent the rest of her life painting red hills, and the moon rising with silvery stars in the desert.
• Deep-colored cut paper collages capture the artist’s imagination and landscapes that inspired her work. (Picture book)
• For older kids, Georgia O’Keefe: She Saw the World in a Flower.

National Parks

• National Parks of the U.S.A. by Kate Siber, Chris Turnham
• Take a coast-to-coast journey of America’s national parks, from the Everglades to fossil-filled Badlands, condors in the Grand Canyon, hot and dry Death Valley, Bryce Canyon hoodoos, Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, Olympic rain forests, Hawaii volcanoes, maps and facts about each park. Beautifully illustrated! (Picture book)
• For younger kids – Little Park Ranger board book set.
• The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock, Mordicai Gerstein
• Ride with President Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir through Yosemite.
• Hiking on their own, sleeping outdoors, they talked about preserving the wilderness for generations to come. The result is national parks, national monuments, national forest service – public lands for everyone today. (Picture book)
• For younger kids, books about Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir: Teddy Roosevelt Loved the Outdoors and The Adventures of John Muir.
• If I were a Park Ranger by ‪Catherine Stier, Patrick Corrigan
• Find out about how park rangers protect nature and cultural heritage of America.
• Park rangers work in diverse parks with mountains, deserts, redwoods, volcanoes, national monuments in cities. They need to know natural and human history, legends of ancient people, plants and wildlife. Rangers do outdoor research with scientists to study animals, keep track of endangered animals,and help discover fossils or artifacts. They keep a lookout for fires and threatening weather, and part of search and rescue teams. Park rangers work on the NPS website and keep information about weather, closed roads and trails up to date. (Picture book)
• 50 Adventures in the 50 States by Kate Siber, Lydia Hill
• Outdoor adventures in each of the 50 states – walk on a glacier in Alaska, explore Hawaii volcanoes, rafting in Georgia, horseback riding in Canyon de Chelly, surfing in California, climb a New Hampshire mountain, snowshoeing in Connecticut, snorkeling in Florida, camp on Manitou Island in Michigan, bouldering in Alabama, sled down sand dunes in New Mexico, and more. (Illustrated chapter book)

Editor’s Note:

The American people love the national parks!

August 2025, it’s clear the government is out to destroy US national Parks for future generations.

Congress passed a bill cutting over 1 billion funding for national parks next year. National Monument sites can be closed by executive order and prime Forest Service lands auctioned for sale at low price.

Don’t forget, the Statue of Liberty is a national monument.

The government might issue an executive order, same as when they suspended United States Refugee Program Admission Program on Jan. 20, 2025.

“This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States. “

Next, look deportation order for Statue of Liberty, ripped from its pedestal, and tossed in the ocean or sent back to France.

The Statue of Liberty is a global symbol of welcoming refugees to the United States.