28 Children's Books for August: First Day of School, Dogs, and Hands and Feet Themes

Pick and choose books from these themed lists to develop your story hour, preschool circle time, or home reading time.

• First day of school
• Hands and feet
• Dog days of summer

• August 9 is also the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, a day designated by the United Nations. This day could be your focal point to explore folk tales around the world, or to learn about the native peoples of the world, or pair with a social studies unit on Australia.
• August 24 is Strange Music Day
• August 26 is National Dog Day, sponsored by the Animal Miracle Network.

August is a back-to-school month for many places in the world. And with the momentous first day of school are a few teary-eyed parents and knee-clutching toddlers. Many preschool and kindergarten teachers are looking for some special first day of school books and other fun school-related picture books to set children at ease in their new environments as they transition into new routines and adjust to a new teacher and new classmates.

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope the T-Rex loves children. They are very tasty. But this poses a problem for Penelope and the children in her class on the first day of school. They are irate when she swallows all of them, and they have to be spit back out, covered in dinosaur saliva. Penelope becomes something of a pariah, and her classmates are kind of terrified. But she just can't help herself. Until...she tries to make friends with the class fish and it bites her on the finger. Now that she knows what it's like to be eaten, she realizes that it's not a good idea, and she tries very, very, very hard not to eat the delicious kids. And she makes friends!! The comic timing on this book is impeccable, and the illustrations are hilarious.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School by Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud

When a little boy is late for school, his teacher asks him to explain himself. And he does! Does he ever! Attacked by ninjas, lured by the Pied Piper, caught in a giant spiderweb, captured by mole people, selfies with yetis...the list is exhausting. It's amazing he finds time to go back for a forgotten backpack after his strange and unbelievable adventures! This book reminds me of To Think That I Saw it On Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss, as the narrative gets wackier and wackier.

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

A lovable racoon's mother tenderly kisses his hand on the first day of school to help him remember how much she loves him. My daughter's kindergarten teacher, read the story The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn to her new class of anxious students, and their equally anxious parents. She encouraged us to share a kissing hand of our own with our children, then unceremoniously invited us to leave. It was what had to be done. And it was magic.

School's First Day of School by Adam Rex

The protagonist of this unusual book is the school building, Frederick Douglas Elementary School. Opening just days before school begins, readers are introduced to the school and his friend, named "Janitor". School embarks on a journey of self discovery when his doors open and a horde of children stream into the classrooms. The humor is gentle and quirky, and school comes to appreciate that he is a special place for children. And when a shy girl with freckles draws a picture of him, school agrees that she's probably the best artist.

Isabel and Her Colores Go to School by Alexandra Alessandri and Courtney Dawson

The protagonist of this realistic fiction story is a young girl named Isabel who speaks Spanish at home and little English. She is very anxious about her first day, and brings her favorite box of crayons along to keep her company. Will she make any friends? Written in a healthy mix of English and Spanish, with the English words translated into Spanish on each page, this is a true bilingual title, and not just a Spanglish reader. Isabel's fears about making friends is a problem most every child can relate to. The book offers children in classrooms with bilingual students an opportunity to empathize with their Spanish speaking classmates. I heartily recommend this book.

The Wheels on the Bus

Three children's picture books inspired by the "Wheels on the Bus" song will have your kids doing all the hand motions and asking for more. Each one is a bit different. Fans of Pete the Cat will love the kitties on James Dean's bus. The Wheels on the Bus by Melanie Williamson is fun sing-along with multicultural rhythms from Central America, and features a sing-along audio component. The most traditional version by Paul O. Zelinsky has been in publication for over 25 years and features many moving parts and lift-the-flap features.

A Letter From Your Teacher on the First Day of School by Shannon Olsen and Sandie Sonke

This book is narrated by a young, pretty elementary school teacher who has some things to say to her elementary school class. She talks about how they will get to know each other, that she will celebrate their successes and happy moments, and she voices her expectations for their behaviors. This book has appealing, friendly illustrations and a classroom of children from a variety of backgrounds, including a child in a wheelchair. This book doesn't really have a plot, but it will help any teacher who is trying to promote a growth mindset environment in their classroom, and to set expectations for having a good year together.

If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond

Numeroff's mouse character gets into all sorts of quirky situations while following his boy to school in this good-natured read-aloud. Like all of the author's "If You Take a Mouse..." books, the story ends where it begins, asking for a lunchbox, and going to school. This book was published in 2002 and was wildly popular when my oldest, now an adult, was in kindergarten. Bond's illustrations are a little bit wacky, gently humorous, and visually appealing.

The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing and Julie Durrell

Drawing inspiration from the Clement Moore's famous poem, The Night Before Kindergarten shows children with "visions of school supplies" that "dance in their heads." This cute picture books will set excited and anxious new students at ease.

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg

This book puts a new twist on the reluctant student's return to school. Someone has the jitters on the first day of school. Is it one of the students? No! It's the teacher, silly! This is a tried and true title used by many many teachers on the first day of school.

August is the month for both National Dog Day and Homeless Animal Day, so a dog-themed story time is in order! Here are a few dog-themed books to get you started. Check out my list of children's books about dogs for 16 additional titles to choose from.

Sally Goes to the Vet by Stephen Huneck

Sally Goes to the Vet is another tale told from a dog's point of view. In this story, Sally is injured during a day of play, and has to go to the vet's office for medical treatment. Though no serious harm comes to Sally, she has to get a shot. This book is a good introduction of veterinarians to young children, and the artwork is appealing and unusual.

The First Dog by Jan Brett

If you are familiar with Jan Brett's imaginative and detailed collection of winter-inspired stories, you may have missed this one, which Jan Brett admits was inspired by a visit to the natural history museum. Unlike her other books, which draw heavily from folklore, this is an original story about a prehistoric boy named Kip who befriends a wolf. The wolf's keen sense of hearing and smell save the day again and again. The story, obviously created by an animal lover, balances an adventure story with a look at canine and human companionship.

Some Dog by Mary Casanova and Ard Hoyt

Some Dog is a heart-tugging tale about two dogs: George and Zippity. George is the family pet, and he feels displaced by Zippity, a young energetic stray dog that the family adopts. Zippity is a high-energy dog with show-off mannerisms. But when Zippity runs away during a rainstorm, George saves the day by sniffing out the wet and shaking Zippity and rescuing him from a mud puddle. This story is action-packed and quickly paced, and the touching conclusion shows both dogs coexisting as family pets together.

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond and Diane deGroat

Charlie and his pal Suzie are more than just pets. They're working dogs, and they help around the ranch in all kinds of ways. Charlie has big ears and short legs, and he has a lot of work to do, really. When he isn't sleeping, that is. When everyone leaves Charlie alone at the ranch, one of the cows tries to get in Mama's garden. Will Charlie get to work and save the garden from being trampled? This book has western flair and will appeal to dog-lovers everywhere.

Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp by Denise Fleming

Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp by popular children's author Denise Fleming is a western-themed story told from a dog's point of view. Buster goes to cowboy camp (really the kennel) when his owner takes a weekend vacation. Buster is terribly homesick at first, but soon participates in camp crafts, stick throwing, ball chasing, and even makes some new friends before he goes home. The book features easy-going humor with a cast of interesting canine characters. The animals in this story are really cute, and any kid who's gone away to a sleepover camp will appreciate the humor in this tall tale.

Dot the Fire Dog by Lisa Desimini

Dot the fire dog works with firemen. She is always prepared to answer the call for a fire. In this story, she rescues a cat from a burning house, and finishes her day resting nearing the firemen's black and yellow-striped boots. The book is a friendly approach to fire safety.

The Stray Dog by Marc Simont

The award-winning book is tells the realistic story of a family who meets a stray dog at a park and rescues him from the dogcatcher. This book introduces the importance of animal adoption and rescue, and could also start a discussion about pets and proper care. Animal care and control in many cities make animals available for adoption. If you are a story time presenter, this book would be an excellent one to share during a coordinated event with a local pet adoption event. The watercolor illustrations in this book are lovely, and the story is based on real events.

Hands and feet are a fascinating subject for self-discovery, and lend themselves easily to beginning of the year preschool curricula. You can easily pair readings of these books with fun craft activities that will also create a snapshot of your children at the beginning of the school year.

My Hands by Aliki

Children will learn all about their hands, and develop an appreciation for all of things that they can do with them. The parts of the hand (fingers, thumbs, palm, nails, knuckles) and how they all work together to do various tasks, such as drawing, grasping, buttoning a shirt, etc. Aliki's easy-to-understand explanations are interesting and relatable for preschoolers, showing an understanding of a child's perspective. And adults may be reminded of how amazing their own bodies are, and feel thankful for their hands. A second title by Aliki, My Feet, follows a similar format.

Hands Can

Hands Can do lots of things. The full colored-photos in this board book show a young preschooler playing and exploring.

So Many Feet by Nicole Mara and Alexander Vidal

Nicole Mara's STEM board book for preschoolers about a variety of different animals and their feet is all about animal adaptations. Each page includes a two-word description of an animal's feet, such as slow feet, fast feet, high feet, wet feet, blue feet, and dirty feet, followed by a short explanation of how that animal's feet help it in its environment. For example, a duck's feet is webbed and helps it to swim. A gecko's feet is sticky, which helps it to climb up the walls. The book ends with a section about "your feet", what can your feet do? This would be excellent paired with the Aliki title above. Alexander Vidal's illustrations have a graphic design quality that make this book very easy to look at!

Whose Toes are Those by Jabari Asim and LeUyen Pham

A delightful and simple board book geared to toddlers. A young girl counts her toes and plays a game of "This Little Piggy Went to Market," with an author's adaptation of the words. The illustrations are bright and pleasing, and the message of bodily awareness and self-concept is presented in a playful way.

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins is a classic, rhythmic children's book that you can read or chant with the children. The text is easy and memorable, and you may find your entire class tapping to the beat of this joyful and animated story about percussive monkeys.

The Foot Book

The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss is a book of opposites, describing feet, feet, feet! As with all books, this one offers lots of rhyming words for early readers in first grade, and zany illustrations of Seussian creatures.

If You're Happy and You Know It! by Jane Cabrera

If You're Happy and You Know It! by Jane Cabrera is a fun and rhythmic sing along storybook to the popular song by the same title. With some original animal characters from the African savanna, and a few new verses, you'll enjoy performing with this book along with your story time crowd.

Shake My Sillies Out

Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi is a story time favorite and a crowd pleasing read for preschool rug time. You may just want to use this one again and again. Kids can clap their hands, stand up, and shake their bodies to the words in this activity-inspired book that makes a great music and movement activity.

Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig and Marc Brown

Animals are dancing with all kinds of feet in this simple rhyming book for toddlers and preschoolers. Animals have tippity, stompity, clackety, stampity and many other kinds of feet that smiling human children replicate at the end of the story. The collage art in this book reminds me of Lois Ehlert's, with a very textured feel.