Books to read a toddler by a lake in New Hampshire?

July 23, 2018 9:58 AM

My family will be staying in a cabin by a lake in New Hampshire for a week in August and my mom would like to get my daughter (two) some books to read. What are some location-specific picture books she'd enjoy?

We already have Blueberries for Sal which she loves so we're planning to get One Morning in Maine. Other favorites include The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site. Anything involving lakes, swimming, New Hampshire, cabins, boats, nature, and similar motifs would be great. What should my parents get to read to the kraken?

At the risk of stating the obvious, please only suggest books that are in print and easy to obtain! Thank you for your suggestions!

posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl to Writing & Language (14 answers total)

Recently deceased Donald Hall was from New Hampshire, and wrote the lovely book Ox-Cart Man (generic New England setting but nothing will make me believe it wasn't specifically New Hampshire).
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:07 AM on July 23, 2018 [4 favorites]

The delightful Jamberry [Youtube link] has nature, boats, and swimming.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 10:21 AM on July 23, 2018 [2 favorites]

Linked to DCPL for your local convenience but all these should also be available on Amazon if you prefer to buy.

In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming

Jump Frog, Jump by Robert Kalan

Pool by Jihyeon Lee

Nest by Jorey Hurley

Burt Dow, Deep Water Man by Robert McCloskey

Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey

Vernon is on his way by Philip Stead

Roger is Going Fishing by Koen Van Biesen

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

Good Night, Owl by Greg Pizzoli

Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton
posted by donut_princess at 10:29 AM on July 23, 2018 [3 favorites]

If she likes blueberry books, she may like More Blueberries! which was my son's favorite book for a good four months when he was around two.

My little guy (3) has grandparents who own a lake cabin and my mom loves to stock up on "lake/cabin" related books, a few others she has purchased for him that he likes:

Good Night Lake
The Summer Visitors
posted by castlebravo at 10:31 AM on July 23, 2018

Enthusiastically seconding Jamberry! Margaret Wise Brown's The Little Island and Little Fur Family would also be age-appropriate.
posted by nonane at 10:36 AM on July 23, 2018

Good Night, New Hampshire.
posted by amro at 10:40 AM on July 23, 2018

Hattie and Hudson by Chris Van Dusen. (Looks like it might be scary, but it's really not.)
posted by BibiRose at 10:47 AM on July 23, 2018

100 Bugs! doesn't have a body of water but it has bugs and plants and counting and I'm loving it this summer.
posted by BibiRose at 11:10 AM on July 23, 2018

A Kiss for Little Bear! Little Owl's Day and Little Owl's Night (if you don't have it already, I can't remember). Ox-Cart Man. Have fun!!!
posted by ChuraChura at 12:10 PM on July 23, 2018

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, about a woman who plants lupines along the Maine coast

Tattie’s River Journey by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, about a young woman who rescues people and animals in a flood by bringing them onboard her floating house (the illustrator, Tomie dePaola, lives in NH, and I always assumed that’s where the book took place)
posted by milk white peacock at 7:49 PM on July 23, 2018 [1 favorite]

Counting our way to Maine by Maggie Smith
posted by Sukey Says at 9:26 PM on July 23, 2018

Came here just to say Miss Rumphius and get to second the suggestion instead!
posted by Yoko Ono's Advice Column at 9:33 PM on July 23, 2018

Little Bear's Little Boat

Over and Under the Pond

My kids both demanded Jamberry so often my husband and I started speaking in dactylic.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 10:10 PM on July 23, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you for the suggestions everyone! We have a lot of good options and the ones we don't bring to New Hampshire we will read another time.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:48 AM on July 26, 2018