5 Best Swimming Books for Toddlers (Reviews)

How can reading books on swimming be beneficial to your child? Here’s how: it can give the children courage and confidence, as well as feel that they are not the only ones experiencing what they are experiencing. Hopefully, these books can help them if they are struggling with swim lessons because it is a common problem. I have included our top five favorite books about swimming for preschoolers below. All these books are kids books about swimming, fun to read, and are picture books.

Children's Books about Learning to Swim:

“Froggy Learns To Swim” by Jonathan London

• This book is about a frog named Froggy who is afraid of the water. Everyone assumed that he is a great swimmer because he is a frog and all frogs are supposed to be great swimmers. However, Froggy practices, and is encouraged to find different ways to become a great swimmer. By the end of the story, Froggy becomes an expert swimmer. This top favorite book benefits children who are afraid of swimming or have anxiety when it comes to water. The book not only shows children that they are not the only ones dealing with a situation like this, but that there are ways to overcome that situation. “Froggy Learns To Swim” is approximately $8.00 for a version that is a paperback book. The book can be found online (i.e. Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, etc.). The book is also offered at the library for anyone carrying a library card.

Clem Always Could by Sarah Watt

• This book is about a boy named Clem who considers himself as a boy who can do a lot of things. However, when it comes to swimming lessons, he is just not so sure that he can do it. When he refuses to get into the pool, his mother tries everything to convince him to go into the pool. Clem's mother keeps trying to remind Clem of all the things that he had to learn and can now do. However, Clem is convinced that he always could do those things because it came naturally to him. Finally, Clem finds the confidence to take his first step into the water. This book is a good reminder for children that new things can be scary, but they are able to conquer that fear with that first step. This book is also a good reminder to parents or guardians to remember ways to talk to your child who may be fearing something,such as having a fear to go into the water. “Clem Always Could” is currently unavailable to buy a printed book. However, past prices that was shown online was between $17.00 to $23.00. It is available at libraries for those who have a library card.

The Deep by Tim Winton

• This book is about a girl, named Alice, who tries to conquer her fears. Alice lives in a house by the sea, and she is very afraid of the deep ocean water. Her family members, who play in the water, urge her to come out and play with them. Nonetheless, Alice stood her ground and could not leave the shallows of the area to come out to the deep. She tries and tries, until she was finally able to join her family members in the fun of playing in the deep water. This book is for children who continually needs to conquer their fears. This book teaches children to keep trying, like Alice, to finally accomplish their goal. “The Deep” is approximately $12.00 to $17.00 for a paperback version book. It is mostly sold on Amazon and booktopia, although it can also be available at libraries for those who have a library card.

Ruby Learns to Swim by Phillip Gwynne

• This book is about a girl named Ruby who is reluctant to have fun in the water and reluctant to learn to swim. With a little encouragement, Ruby is able to have fun and is able to learn to swim. This book meant to help children discover the joy of swimming through the chanting/singing that goes along with the book. For example, the repetition is meant to help children remember this story. ”Splash the water; Splash the water; Learn to swim!; Blow big bubbles; Blow big bubbles; Learn to swim!”. This book, “Ruby Learns To Swim”, is approximately $5 to $20 depending on the version you get (i.e. hardcover, paperback, kindle, e-book, etc.). These versions can be found on Amazon, Audible, Walmart, etc. It can also be found in libraries for those who have library cards.

Saturday Is Swimming Day by Hyewon Yum

• This story is about a girl who has to face her fears of swimming every Saturday and the new experiences she must go through. Every Saturday morning, this girl has a stomachache to avoid going to the swimming pool. When she gets to the pool she clings to her mom and hides in a locker because she finds the pool to be too loud, the floor to be wet and slippery, and her swimming cap is too tight on her head. Her instructor, Mary, told her it is okay to just sit on the edge during the swimming lesson. Week by week, without any pressure from her mom or Mary, she returns to the pool and takes tiny steps forward and continues to build on small successes each Saturday. Slowly, the girl’s fear begins to change as her courage and confidence begins to grow. Finally, one Saturday comes around when the little girl has no stomach ache at all and goes to her swimming lesson. This book shows children that sometimes a little bravery and a lot of patience are all they need to face their fear. “Saturday Is Swimming Day” is approximately $12 to $17 for a hardcover book. It can be found on Amazon, Abebooks, Barnes & Nobles, etc. It can also be found at libraries for those who have a library card.

After preparing your child for swimming lessons with one of these children's books about swimming, get started at your own home or community pool with one of our Sunsational Swimming Instructors! Learn more about our private, at-home swimming lessons today!

Samantha Nguyen’s bio:

Swim Instructor in Chicago, IL

Hi! My name is Sam. I've been teaching swim lessons for over two years. I have worked with a range of people, including babies, children, teenagers and adults. I've worked with children for 8 years as a camp counselor, babysitter, coach, and teacher assistant. I went to UIC and graduated in 2018 with 2 degrees in criminal justice and psychology. I love teaching swimming because I love to see the progress of my swimmers who went from not knowing how to swim to being able to swim on their own.