The air changes first. It’s not just the temperature, which creeps up until the asphalt starts to smell like toasted pennies, but the vibe. You know that feeling. It’s the last day of school, the frantic cleaning of lockers, and the sudden, jarring realization that the schedule is gone. Tom Brenner captures this precise pivot in his picture book, and finding the right and then comes summer read aloud experience is basically a rite of passage for elementary teachers and parents across the country.
Most seasonal books feel like they were written by a marketing committee trying to sell popsicles. They’re saccharine. They’re repetitive. But Brenner’s collaboration with illustrator Jaime Kim is something else entirely. It’s sensory. It’s visceral. When you read it aloud, you aren't just reciting lines; you're evoking the sound of screen doors slamming and the rhythmic thwump-thump of bicycle tires on uneven pavement.
Why the And Then Comes Summer Read Aloud is a Classroom Staple
Teachers gravitate toward this book because it’s a masterclass in "show, don't tell." Instead of saying "it was hot," Brenner writes about the "scented breeze" and "the choir of crickets." It’s gold for descriptive writing lessons.
Honestly, the rhythm of the prose is what makes the and then comes summer read aloud work so well in a group setting. It uses a "When... then..." structure that creates a predictable, almost musical cadence. For example, when the days stretch out and the school year finally snaps shut, then come the long afternoons of nothingness. Kids lean in for that. They anticipate the "then." It builds a natural tension that keeps a room of thirty wiggly seven-year-olds weirdly quiet.
I’ve seen some educators try to rush through it to get to a craft project. Don't do that. The magic is in the pauses. You need to let the kids look at Jaime Kim’s illustrations. The way she uses light—that golden, hazy, late-August glow—is half the story. If you’re doing this as a formal read-aloud, maybe ask them what they smell when they look at the page with the lemonade stand. Is it sour? Is it sugary? Is it the dusty smell of the sidewalk?
Beyond the Surface: What Most People Get Wrong
People think this is just a book about vacation. It’s not. It’s a book about anticipation.
There’s a specific psychological weight to the "waiting" period that Brenner nails. The first half of the book is all about the transition—the signs that the season is shifting. This makes it a perfect tool for discussing seasonal changes in science or even just emotional regulation in SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) circles.
A common mistake? Using the and then comes summer read aloud only in June.
Try reading it in the dead of January. When the sky is gray and everyone’s wearing three layers of wool, that’s when the imagery of "flip-flops" and "lake water" hits the hardest. It serves as a mental escape. It’s a reminder that the world is cyclical.
The Power of Sensory Language in Literacy
If we look at the mechanics of literacy development, books like this are crucial for building "mental imagery." When a child hears the phrase "icicle popsicles dripping down chins," their brain has to fire off several neurons to simulate that sticky, cold sensation. Research from cognitive scientists often suggests that this kind of sensory-rich input helps with long-term reading comprehension. It’s not just "decoding" words; it’s building a world.
Brenner’s choice of verbs is particularly punchy. You don't just go to the lake; you plunge. You don't just walk; you pedal. These are active, vibrant choices.
Digital vs. Physical: Which Read Aloud Wins?
We live in the era of YouTube "storytime" videos. You can find dozens of versions of an and then comes summer read aloud online, some with animation and some with soft acoustic guitar tracks in the background.
They’re fine. Useful for a substitute teacher in a pinch, sure.
But they lack the "be-here-now" quality of a live reading. When you hold the physical book, you control the pace. You can stop when a kid notices the small dog in the corner of the page. You can speed up when the kids start getting excited about the Fourth of July fireworks scene.
If you are going to use a digital version, look for one that highlights the text. Seeing the words while hearing the expressive prosody of a skilled reader helps bridge the gap between spoken and written language for English Language Learners (ELL) and struggling readers.
Creating the Perfect Summer Atmosphere
If you’re a librarian or a parent, you can elevate the experience with a few small tweaks. You don't need a huge budget. Just a bit of intentionality.
- Temperature Matters: Read it outside. If you’re stuck indoors, turn off the harsh fluorescent lights and open a window.
- The Soundscape: If you aren't reading in a quiet spot, play a low-volume loop of "summer sounds"—crickets, a distant lawnmower, the faint sound of a sprinkler.
- The Follow-up: Instead of a worksheet (please, no more worksheets), have the kids draw their own "When... Then..." page. What is their specific sign of summer? For some, it’s the smell of charcoal. For others, it’s the sound of an ice cream truck’s jingle.
Brenner’s book is inclusive in its simplicity. It doesn’t rely on high-tech gadgets or expensive vacations. It’s about the lake. It’s about the backyard. It’s about the neighborhood. That universal quality is why it has stayed relevant since its release in 2017.
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Actionable Steps for Your Next Read Aloud
To get the most out of and then comes summer read aloud, you need to treat it like an invitation rather than a lecture.
- Do a "Picture Walk" first. Flip through the pages without reading a single word. Ask the kids what they think is happening based only on the colors. Notice how the palette shifts from the cool blues of the schoolroom to the warm oranges of the sunset.
- Focus on Onomatopoeia. There are so many sounds hidden in the text. Encourage the kids to make the sound of the "swish" of the grass or the "pop" of a firework.
- Connect to Personal Narrative. Ask: "What is the one thing that has to happen for you to know it’s officially summer?"
- Analyze the "When/Then" Logic. This is a great bridge into teaching cause and effect. "When the days get longer... then the shadows stretch." It’s basic logic wrapped in beautiful poetry.
The beauty of this book is that it doesn't try too hard. It’s not trying to teach a heavy-handed moral lesson. It’s just celebrating the passage of time and the joy of being a kid with nowhere to be. In a world that’s increasingly hurried and digital, that’s a message worth reading aloud, over and over again.