2 books for lazy summer days

Add these delightfully serene reads to your quiet time, nap time or bedtime book rotation any day of the year.

I am not good at resting.

When faced with an open window of time, I worry so much about what to do with that time that I accomplish nothing and end up more stressed and exhausted than had I simply sat down and put up my feet.

So, this summer, I have been endeavoring to actually rest. I force myself to take some quiet time while my children do and, what do you know, it is actually quite nice! I feel rested and have a bit more energy to tackle the evening shift. And because I am resting during quiet time, my children are more apt to follow suit.

I don’t do it every day, but I try to do it more often than not. Saving a book or magazine to look at specifically during this time is an excellent motivator!

What does rest look like for you this summer?

In the spirit of rest, here are two delightfully serene, sweet reads for your lazy summer days:

“Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing” written by Amy Hest, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

“Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing”

One day, Big Bear and Little Bear are just in the mood for fishing. So they go fishing.

This book is very low stakes, but both of my children are entranced by it. The illustrations are beautiful, and the simple story (it reminds me a little of “Frog and Toad”) draws your attention to tiny details that, in a child’s world, are truly the big things.

Two bears spend a delightful day together simply enjoying each other’s company. There is no rushing, no conflict—just two bears reminding me that sometimes you should forget your to-do list, make warm blueberry scones, pack a book and enjoy the present moment with your tiniest family member. Then go home and take a nap in your hammock, simply because you were “just in the mood.”

"Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing"

Recommended age: 3-8 years

“The Napping House” written by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood

“The Napping House”

This classic has been around since 1984, and it is every bit as enchanting today as it was then. On a rainy summer night, a granny, a little boy and their pets pile into a cozy bed where they all slumber soundly—until a wakeful flea startles everyone out of bed just as the sun comes up. The whimsical illustrations and rhythmic repetition pair beautifully to lull energetic tots (and tired grown ups) to a sleepy state.

I read a review from School Library Journal that described this book as “silly serenity,” and that description encapsulates this book perfectly.

"The Napping House"

Recommended age: 1-4 years

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“Later she remembered all the hours of the afternoon as happy—one of those uneventful times that seem at the moment only a link between past and future pleasure, but turn out to have been the pleasure itself.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Tender in the Night”

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