Books with high interest are really important for kids to read during the summer months when they aren’t reading in school. Teachers will tell you that the summer setback in reading ability is real for kids who may not read much because they are outside playing or at camp. And while want kids to be outside when the weather is nice, reading daily is important, too. And high interest books are the way to go. Here are many books about dogs, cats, and other animals that will not only intrigue kids, but that have important messages to share. Perfect for rainy days, bedtime stories, or just reading at breakfast to get a good start to the day.

Cats are well represented in this collection. From picture books to graphic novels, there’s something for every cat lover.

“I Am Cat!” by Peter Bently and Chris Chatterton is a picture book that seems very elementary on the surface, but my very competent grandson who can easily read picture books enjoyed the illustrations and the rhyming text which he was able to read with expression. While the sentences are fairly short, the vocabulary includes some fun-to-read words like “superior” and “scratchy” and “leopard.” This is a book that celebrates cats’ “finer” qualities like hiding in a closet, jumping on laps, and definitely hogging the dog’s bed. Napping, too. And tipping over plants. (Ask me why I can’t have vases filled with flowers in my house…) The illustrations are bright with plenty of exaggeration. Lots of white space and very expressive faces on the cats. A celebration—and a reality check—of all the joys and hair-tearing involved in being a cat lover. Kids will laugh and laugh. You might, too. (Penguin Workshop)

‘This Little Kitty” by Karen Obuhanych is another picture book featuring many naughty kitties. The cats are presented in a very stylistic manner but the expressions on each are clear as they do their cat activities like scratching up the chair and coughing up a hairball on the rug. No naughty kitty activity is ignored as they sit on pastries and lie on the plants. They knock over bowls and lie in empty boxes. And when they are not sleeping in the sun, they are kicking “sand” out of their litter box. This is a very realistic depiction of what cats do, while presenting them in an adorable light. I would read this to a group of 1st or 2nd grade kids and have them name each of the five cats, then perhaps have them write up a schedule of what each cat is doing as the day progresses. I think it would be a very enjoyable writing experience for youngsters who need to practice observation and writing skills. (Alfred A. Knopf)

“Tig and Lily: Tiger Trouble” by Dan Thompson is an absolutely adorable book about a tiger and a cat.The cat’s name is Tig, and Tig believes he’s a tiger. So he heads to the city zoo to inhabit the tiger cage. The only problem is that he meets Lily, one of the tigers who already lives in the tiger habitat. Tig assures Lily that she, Lily, is not really a tiger, and asks probing questions about her tiger-ness like whether she can hold her tail up (without using her paws) and whether she can say, “meow.” Lily cannot and she begins to doubt whether she is really a tiger at all. During this process, Tig and Lily become friends with a vey unexpected—and very humorous—ending. It’s about friendship and bullying and kindness. And it’s pretty funny. It’s one of the few books my grandson is intent on taking home with him because he loves the story. You will, too. (RH Graphic)

Another graphic novel featuring several cats is “Housecat Trouble: Lost and Found” from the “Housecat Trouble” series by Mason Dickerson. This multi-chapter graphic novel is a bit more sophisticated than the one featuring Tig and Lily. Buster has a woman who loves him and he’s as happy with her as a cat might be. One night a strange white cat appears. While we see it floating around, Buster seems to think it’s jumping places and doesn’t notice that this white cat seems otherworldly. They embark on adventures and when Onion, as he calls the cat, disappears, Buster knows he must find Onion and help him. Along the way Buster rescues other cats and there is a surprisingly sweet, touching ending. This is the second book in the series that began with “Housecat Trouble.” (RH Graphic)

Equally popular companions, dogs are much loved by children and authors everywhere. Following are a wonderful selection of dog-related picture books and early chapter books that kids will love.

In “I Have Seven Dogs” by Molly Horan and Dana Wulfekotte we meet a young girl who doesn’t have any dogs, but she wants a dog. Cleverly she figures out how to solve that predicament. Her family lives in an apartment which is wonderful for many activities, but having a dog is not one of them. So because Zoe’s neighbors have dogs, she is able to give them high-fives, feed them dog treats, read to one at the bookstore, encourage the dog who needs a doggy wheelchair, and entertain the two dogs at her piano teacher’s house. Zoe’s birthday becomes a community event as she unveils her creation: community dogs! Zoe doesn’t just have one dog, she has seven! The illustrations are very engaging and the dogs, of course, are precious. The endpapers feature drawings of many kinds of dogs in an eye-catching light green. Whether or not you have a dog, this book is perfect as you could be a dog sharer (if you have a dog) or a dog borrower (if you do not). What a lovely concept! (Release date June 13, 2023 by Nancy Paulsen Books)

“Wonder Dogs!” by Linda Ashman is illustrated by the author/illustrator of the cat book previously mentioned, “This Little Kitty.” This book is a love story to all kinds of dogs—those that perform incredible feats and those that perform perhaps the most important feat of all, loving us. The rhyming verse is lovely to read as it starts with a girl and her dog watching other dogs at the agility course. Her small black and white dog can’t really do any of it. Then we see other working and service dogs doing water rescues, sniffing baggage, checking cargo. We see purebred dogs of every breed standing tall (or short). And then we see the girl and her little dog, who doesn’t do much of anything. And that’s when the truly beautiful emotion comes into the writing. Written from the dog’s point of view, he (or she) admits that she isn’t really good at catch, she drools, digs, and sheds. But she explains that she, too, is a wonder dog. And get out the tissue, because she does what all our dogs do best. They love us. This is just a wonderful book about wonder dogs—and kids and adults will love it. (Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

“Life in the Doghouse: Finn and the Feline Frenemy” by Danny Robertshaw and Ron Danta is part of the series based on the real-life rescue run by the two authors. This series is about different dogs inspired by the real life dogs that they rescue. The two have turned their home into a shelter for many, many unwanted dogs and they were the subject of the documentary “Life in the Doghouse.” This story is about a three-legged redbone hound mix. In his new home, there is a cat who also has three legs. While it does take a while for dogs (and cats) to learn to walk and run with one less leg, it takes a lot longer for Finn to learn to live with the cat, Rusty. But as usually happens, the two learn to live together. In this sweet story, though, Finn and Rusty become best friends. Best three-legged friends. This story has special meaning for me because one of the sweetest dogs I ever rescued was a three-legged blue tick hound named Scarlett. She was adopted by a student’s family. The mom had grown up in Buenos Aires and was not a dog lover. She told me, “I will never love this dog.” But years later, when Scarlett died, after living a lovely, long life with the family she loves, this mom cried harder than anyone else. Hounds really are wonderful. And having three legs doesn’t slow down most dogs and cats. (Aladdin)

“Night Market Rescue” by Charlotte Cheng and Amber Ren is a delightful read. It’s stunning visually and a pleasure to read this book out loud. The descriptive wording almost reads like a song as the phrases follow the colorful illustrations. The setting is night at a busy market in Taipei, Taiwan. The beautiful use of light and bright colors with deep shadows really make the market seem magical. This is a heartwarming story of a stray dog who finds a lost girl. The dog tries to help the girl, and ends up finding a home. We fall in love with the idea of this fabulous market, but even more, we fall in love with the idea that GoGo, the dog, has found a home. Perhaps just as touching, the author herself rescued one of the Taipei market dogs and based this story on her dog. (Making this story close to home is the fact that one of my dogs is a lucky East Asian village dog who was rescued in China by my daughter. I flew there to bring back her and another puppy they rescued.) (Rocky Pond/Penguin)

And while dogs and cats are the most common pets, some swear by their pet pigs. Pigs are adorable and every bit as smart, or smarter, than dogs. Nic Yulo brings us “Patch of Sky,” a sweet tale of a girl and her much loved pig, Patches. Pia does everything with her best friend Patches. She and her father love looking at the sky together, so when he tells her that pigs can’t see the sky, she is horrified that her best friend will never know the joy of seeing a blue sky. He says, “The way their necks are build, they can’t look UP.” Well, Pia makes it her mission to enable Patches to see the sky. This book about a girl and her pig has some big ideas that will make for some wonderful classroom discussions. Why does the sky change from blue to gray and how does that affect our moods? What are we willing to do for our friends? How important is it for us to share what we love with those we love? (Dial Books for Young Readers)

Please note: The books in this review are all the final hardcover editions provided by the publisher for review purposes.