Introducing Summer Reading BINGO!
By Zoë Gehring
Children’s Book Buyer, Birdie Books
June 9, 2026
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Hello and happy summer, everyone!
Summer reading is an activity I’ve enjoyed from a young age. I eagerly read as many books as I could and was so excited to turn in my completed summer reading list. As an adult, I haven’t participated in a summer reading challenge in a while. So, when I had the idea to create a challenge that all ages could participate in, I was overjoyed! I was heavily inspired by the Seattle Public Library's Book Bingo designs. Seeing other artists’ work is one of my biggest sources of inspiration; that’s why you can always find me in the Children’s section at Birdie Books. A lot of my job involves being surrounded by beautiful literature created for young readers, and that is just perfect for me. Inspiration is sometimes a fleeting thing, but even in the dreary months, I can find hope and joy in the books you’ll find there.
My art takes inspiration from many sources, but picture books are always something I’ve been drawn to. Authors and illustrators like the late Maurice Sendak, Tove Jansson, and Lillian Hoban were all early inspirations for me. Sendak’s illustrations for Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear books are heartwarming and cozy depictions of childhood. Minarik is quoted as saying, "Little Bear is me in Denmark, where I was cuddled and loved". You can feel this in her writing and in the illustrations of a young bear discovering the world for the first time; he is accompanied by the consistent safety of his mother, always there for him when he needs her. I love the style and linework Sendak uses to illustrate Little Bear.
Bears (and birds of course) are the main characters on my bingo sheet design. Why is that?
Well, apart from drawing inspiration from a childhood favorite, take a look at the hanging sign outside of Birdie Books. On it, you’ll see a painting of dancing bears reading books. You’ll also see the dancing bears throughout the store, on our cafe coasters, and on some of the bookstore gift cards. While designing the bingo sheet, I tried to keep this fun, whimsical “forest friend” feeling. To celebrate the joy of reading!
I’ve also had the chance to discover many contemporary authors and illustrators through my work at Birdie Books, like Matthew Forsythe, Lenny Wen, and K O’Neil. In O’Neil’s middle-grade graphic novel A Song For You and I, Rowan experiences moments of internal conflict and, eventually, self-discovery as they take on their duties as a ranger in training while also grappling with internal conflicts with their identity. Unlikely friends Rowan and Kes explore these feelings together in O’Neil’s richly illustrated fantasy settings. In relation to their book The Moth Keeper, O’Neil writes, “To me, nature is healing and delightful, while reminding me of my place in the wider balance of things and my smallness”. The feeling of smallness is powerful; it takes you back to being a kid. I feel this sensibility is reflected in Tove Jansson’s Moomin series as well. Whimsical fantasy worlds mirror our reality in beautiful ways. I love thinking of them as a metaphor for how we emotionally connect with our surroundings. The way a scene is drawn can convey the feelings of mystery you experience as you explore a new setting, or the contentment of lying in the sun on a summer day. I wanted to express this contentment and joy for reading in the warm colors, big, bright flowers, and summer sun. To embody the contentment of reading in a warm breeze with your loved ones.
I hope this reading challenge brings a spark of joy to you as well! Seeing families and friends carry them around and look for the perfect book to pick up next — it takes me back to the excitement I felt for summer reading challenges as a kid. I am intrigued to see how you achieve bingo and what unique book choices you’ll find for each category! I’ll be participating alongside you guys, so if you ever need any recommendations for a certain category, I or any other member of the Birdie staff can help you out! We also have some handy-dandy staff-curated lists of books on our webstore to help you if you’re feeling stuck!
