And just like that, the year was done.

There’s a bittersweet joy to this final post. On the one hand, I’ve a palpable sense of relief. 31 days is a manageable amount of time, but it’s still a LOT of lists to present. On the other hand, there’s a bit of sadness. No matter how many you read, there are always titles you’ll miss. Just yesterday at work I packed up all the 2025 titles for kids on my shelves so that I could send them to the teachers of my local school district. The publishing industry of 2025 created far more books than one person could ever read. Still, I couldn’t help but get excited when I started shelving the 2026 books on those same shelves. 2026? It’s gonna be great.

You can find a full PDF of today’s list here.

Curious to see what the previous years’ lists of picture books looked like? Behold the fruits of my past labors!

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

Now let’s get into it.

2025 Picture Books

FEATURED TITLE

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird, ill. Andrea Tsurumi

To be clear, Pop! is my third picture book to date. It is first, however, in my heart. In many ways, Pop! is also, by far, my most successful title, though it took me a little while to realize why that might be. Now when I say “successful” I don’t mean in terms of public or critical reception (though that hasn’t hurt). I mean that this was the first picture book I ever created specifically as a readaloud. It was, of course, inspired by my own children when they were small. The idea of a mischievous weasel interrupting other nursery rhymes was, as I’ve said before, comedic gold for my toddlers. Happily, when one takes that concept and combines it with the visual genius of Andrea Tsurumi, you get a book that works. Is it self-indulgent to make my own book the final Featured Title of these lists? 100%. But note that I never called them the “Best”. As you’ll see (and as I kvetched to my co-workers in mock exasperation) 2025 was a shockingly strong picture book year. I’m just honored to have been able to take part in some way.

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Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe

[Previously Seen on the Funny List]

“Aggie was very excited to live on her own, until she found out her house was haunted.” A girl and ghost odd couple tale. This book seriously pissed me off. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I had resigned myself to there being a LOT of great picture books in 2025, but then this came out. Just when you think you’ve seen all the amazing books of 2025, then you stumble on friggin’ Matthew Forsythe (who, cruelest of the cruel, only ever illustrates his own picture books anymore, so I’ll never be able to even dream of getting him to do one of mine). Here he has written a girl and ghost story that utterly destroys all other kid and ghost stories out there (by my count there are at least 4 others out this year alone). Again, his art just glows on the page. Again, he is some kind of literary genius, capable of fantastic storytelling, utilizing only the barest minimum of words. And again, he’s funny. Seriously funny. I can’t take it anymore. Stuff was just too good this year.

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Astro by Manuel Marsol, translated by Lizzie Davis

[Previously Seen on the Science Fiction and Unconventional Lists]

Naturally I start with this one. How could I not? In it, a sweet alien recounts his time befriending a curious spaceman. A bittersweet tale of love, loss, friendship, and the fragility of life. Boy, they just don’t make ‘em like this in America, do they? I think I can faithfully say that this is one of the very few picture books I’ve encountered where the plot is recounted by a deceased narrator. But before we get to any of that, let’s just take a moment to admire the art itself. So many picture books try to show alien worlds, but this one really committed to the bit. Things don’t just look alien to us. This world seems to operate on an internal logic that it’s not particularly interested in catching up the reader on. Then there’s the story, which is so sweetly recounted and told. I adored the relationship between the alien and Astro. And that was before I reached that 2001 Space Odyssey-styled ending. Wowza. This is the kind of book that is going to wiggle its way deep into some young readers’ minds so that they spend the rest of their natural born lives asking people, “Do you know that picture book? That one about the spaceman and the alien and the alien dies? I think it’s orange?”

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The Bear Out There by Jess Hannigan

[Previously Seen on the Funny List]

More bears! More Goldilocks references! By the way, are you aware that there’s a BEAR outside right now? Good thing you’ve met a bear expert… or are things not truly how they seem? Bear-related hilarity ensues. Seriously, though, what is it with original takes on Goldilocks in 2025? You know Jess Hannigan already, of course, thanks to her work on last year’s Spider in the Well. This next book has a lot more fourth-wall breaking action (there’s a scene involving a hand that is WAY too close to the reader that I particularly enjoyed). The bold colors and shapes within Hannigan’s books are rather fascinating. They make me feel like I’m reading a snarky Byron Barton book. Two thumbs up on more funny in 2025 in any case. Times are dire. We need the laffs. 

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Big Rhinoceros, Little Rhinoceros by Jerrold Connors

[Previously Seen on the Simple Picture Books List]

The art of the simple picture book finds its natural home in the work of Jerrold Connors. And what a year he has had too! In addition to that STELLAR (and I use my caps with purpose when I write that) picture book bio JIM! (more on that when we get to nonfiction picture books AND biographies) Connors has done a deep dive on two rhinos of varying proportions. The story follows a big rhino and a little rhino after they hear a threatening HONK. Big rhino? It wants nothing to do with it. Little rhino? It’s curious. I don’t want to shock you, but it turns out that the honk comes from a non-threatening source. Cute simple story (with a bit of a killer ending, actually) but I’m also loving what Connors is doing here with his bold, almost construction-papery colors and his flaps. Really good flaps too. Quality I-could-survive-a-small-child’s-enthusiasm flaps. Oddly tactile and satisfying.

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A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer, ill. Maxwell Eaton III

A series of maps introduces the reader to a small town, its people and places, and the new home that you are moving into. TWIST! I love me a picture book that can turn everything on its head when you get to the ending. I particularly love it when the ending has an emotional punch as well. On the outset, this just seems like a great book for those teachers that do map units with their students, since it doesn’t just cover just one kind of map, but several! There’s a maze and a pirate map and maps of streets as well as different rooms in various buildings. I could easily see a kid getting inspired by this book, making maps of their own home. But it’s that little twist at the end that makes it clear that for the person writing this book, this town was a special place. These were friends and important places. *sniff* Also, I don’t know why, but I keep focusing in my head on the advice to place your bed under the skylight so that you can see the stars at night. Aside from everything else that is SUCH a cool idea. Oh, and what a great idea to get Maxwell Eaton III to do the art. The man knows how to draw intricate maps while keeping a lot of humor and fun intact. Incredible pairing, Heuer and Eaton. Well done, oh editor that thought this up.

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Broken by X. Fang

[Previously Seen on the Funny List]

What happens when you make a mistake you cannot undo? Do you let an innocent cat take the fall or do you confess? A heartfelt and hilarious tale of guilt and unconditional love. Put another way, this is just another knock-out winner from Fang. The comic timing on her latest is amazing. I was reminded of a lot of other guilt-soaked picture book stories as I read this, like Penny and Her Marble. It even pairs well with another 2025 title, The Playdate by Uje Brandelius, illustrated by Clara Dackenberg. In both cases you’ve a kid purposefully doing something wrong, only to be thoroughly distraught about it later. Still, the cat in this book is the true star of the show. Its stare is the picture book equivalent of the beating of the terrible heart in The Tell-Tale Heart. You’re gonna FEEL this one.

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Cat Nap by Brian Lies

[Previously Seen on the Caldenott List]

This book is pure fun. Reminding me of nothing so much as Ursula Murray Husted’s graphic novel A Cat Story (in which two kitties weave in and out of classic art) Lies’s premise is, on the outset, simple. Like any proper Tom & Jerry cartoon, a small kitten notices a mouse slipping into a poster for the Met and follows. The two slip in and out of a variety of different styles. What’s remarkable about this is the sheer amount of work Brian pored into each piece. If you didn’t know he made them all himself, you might make the mistake of thinking there was some computer trickery at work. Not at all. Indeed, Brian eschews any and all trickery and the book is a delight of a read as a result. Very cat-centric. Very cutesy. Very demure. Kids and parents will adore it, though maybe not for the same reasons. 

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City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon, ill. Alexis Franklin

New York, meet Country. Sent to the country for the summer, a boy makes friends with the kids there after false starts and confusion. There’s a feeling you get when you read a picture book without thinking too much about it, only to discover that the writing is out-of-the-blue shockingly good. And it’s only heightened when you feel like you’ve gotten NO WARNING about that fact. We’ve loads of Kiese Laymon books in our adult section, but I’d admittedly not read one before. I might have to now. This story is suffused in nostalgia, but in a healthy, good way. It’s kid-friendly, yet also feels like it was plucked straight out of one of Laymon’s memoirs. And it feels REAL. Not like something that someone could just make up out of nowhere.  The art is wholly digital and for the most part it has a nice natural feel. This doesn’t feel like anything else out there to me. A true original.

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Cranky Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey Tabor

Nobody wants to get anywhere near Crow today. He’s cranky and crabby and scaring everyone off. But what if there’s a secret reason for his mood? Clues and codes hide in this seemingly simple tale. This is one of those cases where you don’t realize that the title is literal. Now I was already fairly enamored of the other Corey Tabor 2025 title Papilio (see below) but it may be worth noting this other little weirdo as well. Normally when Tabor writes a picture book with an animal at its center you learn a bit of natural science along the way. Whether it’s a kingfisher or an upside-down catfish, there’s always a tiny bit of learning about the natural world woven into the storytelling. In this case, unless crows are all secretly saving the world every day on the sly (and I wouldn’t put it past them) there’s not a whole lotta science here. What there is is a TWIST. I love picture books with a twist. The kids never see them coming and there’s nothing sweeter than blowing a jaded five-year-old’s mind. Plus, whatever Tabor is doing with that floating eyebrow is top notch work.

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Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, ill. Dan Santat

[Previously Seen on the Funny List]

When considering the great funny picture books of 2025, there is no contest. One picture book shines brightly. You might even call it the picture book of the year. Oh sure, they may look innocent but those fishies in the sea? They’re up to something. An absolutely hilarious explanation of a hidden underwater threat told by an unreliable narrator. One of my favorites, no question. Sharpson’s Irish lilt works itself into the narrative in a variety of neat ways (example: “Birds are dead easy”). But what’s truly so unique about this book is the beautiful hand-in-hand collaboration between the words and images. Dan Santat is never better than when he has a text that he can play off of. Yet in this book he doesn’t just play off of Sharpson’s wordplay. He embodies it. He’s adding all these small jokes into the page’s margins that reward multiple readings (the S.S. Minnow goes down at one point and there’s a running joke involving pancakes that I greatly appreciated). Also, have you ever wanted to see Santat illustrate an anglerfish? Your wish has been granted, my dears. Bonus: The readaloud potential of this book is incredible. The page turns! The jokes that land! The twist ending! Am I being clear enough about how much I like this?

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Duckie & Snaps: We Cannot Be Friends by Ame Dyckman, ill. Tim Miller

[Previously Seen on the Funny List]

Duckie and Snaps’s eggs hatch right next to one another, convincing Duckie that they are bound to be friends. But can a croc and a duck really be buds when one of them is so darned delicious? MAN! What is it with the picture books these days? The funny ones are just KNOCKING it out of the park in 2025! I am always here for an Ame Dyckman book, but whatever godlike genius decided to pair her with Tim Miller ought to be making a six-figure salary or something. Tim’s wry, succinct linework is the perfect complement to Ame’s accomplished tomfoolery. First and foremost she’s a master at repetition (“Fried Duckie! Duckie Smoothie! Duckie Pie!”). The panelwork and the jokes are the kinds that adults will appreciate as much as the kids, particularly when it all comes together perfectly. I love a picture book that’s got a hilarious concept and that I’ve never really seen before. This is hitting on all cylinders.

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Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

[Previously Seen on the Readaloud List]

Most people don’t love Mondays, but Mabel does. Why? Because something very special and exciting happens every Monday morning, in this ode to garbage truck enthusiasts everywhere. Oh, I LOVE this. Seriously, I adore it. Man. I don’t think I’ve been giving Jashar Awan enough attention these last few years. This is a perfect encapsulation of what happens when someone finds that thing that they love and they then proceed to dedicate themselves to it heart, body, mind, and soul. The fact that Mabel’s family doesn’t understand her passion feels so very true, but does she care? She does not! She grabs that cereal, heads out the door, plants herself, and watches what she loves. And talk about a successful ending to the book! This is a book that gives kids, and the things that they love, respect. And on top of all of that, it reads aloud brilliantly. I imagine a storytime around garbage trucks (Trashy Town, I Stink, etc…) would welcome this inclusion readily.

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A Fall Day for Bear by Bonny Becker, ill. Kady MacDonald Denton

Consistency is key. Consistency in quality, that is. It’s a little difficult to believe that this is actually the seventh Bear and Mouse book produced to date. Part of me wants to credit Becker & Denton’s success to the old grumpy/sunshine trope, but anyone who’s read even one of these books knows that there’s a lot more to them than that. Every time a new book in this series comes out, Becker’s words and Denton’s art produce this little magic dance with one another. But why are they always so good? I mean, the story and art, of course. The plot in this particular book is that Mouse is feeling sad, which is very unlike him and places Bear in the awkward position of being in a better mood. And, of course, the design of the books is incredible. They are extremely horizontal. Very long and lovely and they read well on either a lap or as a readaloud across the room. As an autumnal story, it’s ideal for the fall, but you could honestly read this any time of the year and it would be just as charming. I don’t usually do books in series, but for this title I’d make an exception every time.

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Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, ill. Cátia Chien

On a hot summer day, two children pass their time splashing in water and munching on watermelons, waiting for the big event that night: an enormous burst of fireworks. Explosive poetry, vibrant art, and… oh dang. You know, I was 85% convinced that this was a great book when I read the PDF. Then I went and read the physical copy and OH LORD! These images just explode (pardon the pun) off the page! Catia Chen has, at long last, found a text worthy of her skills. She does things with fluorescent pink that can only heighten just how good this book is. And then there’s this gatefold… 100% it’s my favorite gatefold of 2025. I don’t want to speak out of turn, but this is Caldecott material right here, people. An incredible and incredibly BEAUTIFUL picture book. Just make sure you see a finished copy.

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Freya and the Snake by Fredrik Sonck, ill. Jenny Lucander, translated by B.J. Woodstein

[Previously Seen on the Translation List]

When Freya’s father’s attempts to remove a snake from their property ends with him taking the creature’s life, Freya has to come to terms with her dad’s choices and whether or not she can ever forgive him. Folks, you don’t know how many weird European imports I read and then decide not to include on my best of the best of the best lists. Tons! So when one slips in, you know I’m only including it because it made me really think. I’d have given this book a slightly different cover, had I been in charge of it in any way, but that’s my only gripe. There’s a surplus of reality imbued on these pages. The kind of reality that American picture books for kids tend to eschew. At its heart, this is a story about a girl losing faith in her father. Rightfully? Wrongly? Kids can make their own decisions. Now I know for a fact they cleaned up some of the gore in the dead snake image for North American readers, but the blood is definitely still there, so it’s not for the squeamish. For me, Freya is the heart and soul of this story. That look of entrenched anger when everyone else has moved on and her dad, the “snake-murderer”, has seemingly bought them off with ice cream? The bags under her eyes should get an award alone. It also has, what has to be, the best last page of a picture book I’ve seen in years. Incredible.

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Here Is a Book by Elisha Cooper

How does an idea get turned into the book in your hands? A supremely lovely delve into both the process and the heart of bookmaking.  I am of the generation that grew up watching Reading Rainbow. One episode that sticks out particularly prominently in my head is the one about how books are made. I remember the book they focused on was Aliki’s How a Book Is Made (a kind of early proto-nonfiction picture book). That book was lovely but it’s been outdated for quite some time now. In comes Elisha Cooper to fill the void. Not that there aren’t other similar titles out there, but Cooper has an artistic style and a kind of inner calm (dosed with humor) that makes all his works distinctive. Now I had an ongoing theory for a while that the author of this book with her cloud of white hair and jeans was Kate DiCamillo, but I have since learned that she’s actually a mash-up of Cooper’s wife, grandmother, and Barbara McClintock. Which is just cool. 

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I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive by Leslie Barnard Booth, ill. Alexandra Finkeldey

[Previously Seen on the Caldenott List]

You may have seen them. You may have heard them. But how well do you know them? Crows introduce themselves to you, and you may never be the same. This book is a classic case of informational fiction. Now Booth’s text is just fantastic. Accurate but with just the right hints of creepy and wild. Never scary, I’d say. Just vaguely unnerving and eerie. Meanwhile this Alexandra Finkeldey character needs to pack her bags and move to America ASAP, or else how are we going to give her a Caldecott? It chaps my hide that this book is ineligible, when it has these incredible otherworldly two-page spreads and evocative colors. This book would also, I would like to note, be an incredible readaloud to a group. The pictures just pop from a distance. The colors! The sense of place and season! And then all this lovely backmatter (including a Selected Sources section that’s better than at least half the straight nonfiction we see in a given year). Irresistible. 

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The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi, ill. Monica Arnaldo

[Previously on the Funny and the Caldenott Lists]

Can a kid have a job? Sure! Cecilia has two. There’s the job of being a kid and the job of interpreting for her parents. But what happens when one job overwhelms the other? Ye gods! What a fantastic book! Now you may not recognize it right off the bat, but that illustrator Monica Arnaldo is the same person who created Mr. S two years ago (a.k.a. The funniest picture book of its year). This book is funny too but with a remarkably serious core. The idea of a kid having an actual job (I was getting serious Bea and Mr. Jones vibes from the suits) as an interpreter to her parents is both funny and desperately serious. Author Olivia Abtahi’s tone is just absolutely on point. It has a really good message without blaming anyone. This is for all those kids overwhelmed by the adult duties they’re obligated to take on. So why is it on this list? Alas, Monica lives in Canada these days.

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The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo, ill. John Picacio

[Previously Seen on the Holiday and Fantasy Lists]

Deeply ensconced in grief over her beloved grandfather, Cala doesn’t want to go to the Día de Muertos party in the graveyard. But that’s before four mysterious riders teach her a little about love, loss, and courage. Why yes, one of my favorite picture books of 2025 IS a thinly veiled metaphor starring the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, how did you know? I’m always particularly happy when a book manages to be about a specific holiday (in this case Día de Muertos) while also having a much wider scope. In all honesty, this is a book about a girl trying to wrestle with her grief. Now I’m always a bit wary when authors of YA or adult fare swerve so hard into picture book territory and that goes for illustrators as well. Happily, Bardugo and Picacio must have had a steady editor, because for all that it’s a touch wordy, I don’t think anyone would call this overlong. And, of course, the art is JAW-DROPPING! This is gonna be the weirdest, most beautiful thing you read today, so grab it fast!

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Island Storm by Brian Floca, ill. Sydney Smith

[Previously Seen on the Caldenott List]

“Now take my hand and we’ll go see the sea before the storm.” Two children venture forth as terrifying clouds creep ever closer. Will they make it home safe in time?  Lest you forget, Brian Floca knows how to write a picture book, people. It feels like a bit of a flex that he’s so good at it that he can get someone like Sydney Smith to illustrate one of his own as well. Consider this almost the emotional opposite of Downpour by Yuko Ohnari. Where in that book the rain is comforting, here it’s a distinct threat. As a reader, you’re torn between wanting the characters to soldier on, and a desperate need for them to get back home to warmth and safety. Smith is at his finest when the storm truly does arrive, this terrifying black mass enveloping the sky, plunging the world into wet darkness. I also got a hint of Where the Wild Things Are at the end, with the warmth and the comfort mom can provide. I read a lot of picture books that fade in the memory over time. I don’t think that this book is in any danger of that.

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Let’s Be Bees by Shawn Harris

[Previously Seen on the Simple and Readaloud Lists]

You’re beginning to see now the overlap that often happens between successful simply picture books and the best readaloud texts. Let’s be bees. And what do bees do? “Let’s buzz.” Father and child pretend to be a wide array of things, in this eclectic, colorful, and incredibly fun readaloud for our youngest readers. Give bees a chance. I am so sorry. That terrible pun was inevitable. But it’s also heartfelt because I seriously think that this is a great SIMPLE (the hardest kind of picture book to write) title. The irony here is that when I saw Shawn Harris present this book at ALA back in June, I really wasn’t on board. I think I needed to see the book firsthand for it to hit me just right. What we have here is the ultra-rare and rather beautiful (note the trademark Harris crayon style) readaloud for toddlers and preschoolers. This thing is also terribly interactive. You’re literally telling the kids what to be and what sounds to make. Then, as all truly great picture book readalouds should, it gets weird at the end in a hilarious way. It’s funny, and exceedingly simple, and brilliantly done.

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Little Moments in a Big Universe by Todd Stewart

[Previously Seen on the Science Fiction List]

While I’ll acknowledge that this book could, potentially, have also been included on the Unconventional Children’s Books list, I guess I just love it here instead (and, if I’m being honest, I didn’t write it up in time, which is probably more significant). It certainly belongs here, but of all the science fiction-minded picture books on the list today, this is undeniably the most beautiful of them all. This is the kind of book where the front endpapers are a map of the nearest galaxies in the universe “used by space explorers and robots to fly their spaceships” while the back endpapers are diagrams of chemical compounds, whose structures are identical throughout the universe. “Many organic compounds, such as cellulose, are the building blocks for life.” Alas, I don’t know how Stewart creates this art. I just know that I want more of it. In this tale, a space explorer and robot crash on a strange new planet. However, I’m making this sound a lot more simple than it really is. The book is written in the first person from the explorer, robot, spaceship, forest, planet, solar system, galaxy, universe, and more’s point of view. On the planet the two encounter friendly life, depicted in a myriad of cool and interesting ways. You know what this book does for kids? It expands their minds. You’ve the text to help you out, which you’ll need because the art is doing this wide range of interesting things on beyond the immediate words. Mind-blowing is the only way to describe this. And maybe beautiful as well. The kind of book I may just keep for myself, it’s just that great. 

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Mayhem at the Museum by Hannah Brückner, translated by Laura Watkinson

[Previously Seen on the Translation List]

*sigh* There really are too many picture books coming out this year. I’m not talking about the schlock. I’m talking about really and truly good books that, for whatever reason, don’t get the same levels of notice or attention. If Mayhem at the Museum had the publicity money of, say, your average celebrity picture book, you’d find it stocked in every museum gift shop in the country, to say nothing of the hearts and minds of countless children. Lucky you, you get to have the 411 on this little treasure (I’m trying to purposefully avoid the overtired term “gem”, but it’s hard, folks… it’s hard). Brückner utilizes this thin pen-lined style to talk about a good old fiasco, in the classical sense. We’re warned of this at the start when the book kicks off with, “People say that really big catastrophes happen completely out of the blue. And sadly, that’s absolutely true. For example, a catastrophe could happen right now, on a very ordinary Thursday afternoon, just before closing time, at the Dinosaur Museum.” Beautiful foreshadowing. The nature of the disaster? Let’s just say it involves a small bird, a phobia, a dinosaur skeleton, and a gatefold gag that may be one of my favorite twist endings in a picture book this year. This book kind of turns on its head the old the-whole-community-works-together-to-solve-a-problem genre. Not that they don’t work together. They’re just… awful at it. Now I’m no Batchelder committee member or anything, but when I read lines like, “When the fluttering little parakeet collides with Yuri’s colossal fear of birds, then… it happens,” it makes me really respect the art of translation. Man. This book’s a delight. 

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Menudo Sunday by María Dolores Águila, ill. Erika Meza

[Previously Seen on the Math List]

Two abuelitos, four tias, a slew of kids and pets, and one big Sunday dinner make up this clever counting book. As the book itself is quick to tell you, this is a Spanglish affair, more than anything else. English and Spanish words mix and mingle effortlessly on the page. Now what I like so much about the book is partly the gay grandparents (please name me ANY other gay grandparent books where their relationship is not the focus), and partly the clever use of counting up to fifteen, but mostly the art of Erika Meza. I could read her picture books all the livelong day (and if you folks haven’t seen To the Other Side recently, THAT is the picture book everyone should own in 2025). In this story, the kids and dog are messing around a bit too wildly before dinner, causing the menudo (a “traditional Mexican soup made from beef honeycomb (tripe) and hominy”) and its container to crash and create the mess to beat all other messes. I love how the numbers count down in that slow motion way that happens when you see some accident happening in real time and you can do nothing to prevent it. Backmatter includes a Glossary and tip for hosting your own Menudo Sunday (tip #1 says to make sure your animal friends are somewhere safe and away from the food). 

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Mistaco! A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas by Eliza Kinkz

[Previously Seen on the Funny List]

What do you do with a bad day, chock full of mistakes? Eat it! Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes there’s a tasty solution to them. If you know me then you know that I’m a huge fan of the art of Eliza Kinkz. Turns out, she’s just as funny a writer as she is an illustrator. This sort of takes the old Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day motif and gives it an eclectic spin. In this tale, people are encouraged to put their bad days into the tacos they make, and then eat them up until there’s nothing left. That concept of “eat your mistakes” is kind of fascinating from a psychological point of view too. I’d argue that it’s different from “eating your feelings” (which I fear is a thing that may be lobbed against this book). Funny from page one onward, it’s also nice to see adults in the wrong and pouting. 

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Octavio and His Glasses by Marc González Rossell, translated by Susan Ouriou

[Previously Seen on the Translation List]

Before, Octavio couldn’t see so well. Now, thanks to his glasses, the world has opened up for him. Incredible art and a playful story show how glasses can be the key to truly experiencing our world. Now this title has no chance of winning a Batchelder and I weep for the loss. After all, this is a book that works on so many levels. There’s the practical story of Octavio getting his glasses, but then there are the dreamlike implications of what those glasses can now allow him to do. Spanish Rossell works entirely in yellow, white, and black, the blocks coming in thick and charcoal-like. In fact I’d say that this book is probably the closest thing you’ll find to magical realism in a picture book for kids this year. But the yellow, man, the yellow. It vibrates off the page. It entices. The art in this story is so strangely satisfying. Just seeing the rows and rows of glasses frames on display quells the soul. I adore the monsters, cheaters, and liars that Octavio will now be able to see with his new glasses. Reality and fairy tale logic combine in this extraordinary title. 

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Our Lake by Angie Kang

Two brothers go to a lake on a hot summer’s day. The water’s far down? Not a problem. Just jump! A deeply touching story about memory, love, and taking a leap. See, this is why I like picture books as much as I do. They always have the capacity to surprise you. Looking at this cover, I’ll confess to you that my hopes weren’t particularly high. We see a lot of sweet, touching, meaningful picture books in a given year, and whole swaths of them leave me cold. The fact that this book began as a poem inspired by a Milton Avery painting titled “Quarry Brothers” is cool, but it was no guarantee of quality. And then I got to that image of the older brother under the water. He jumps off the ledge and Angie Kang just… does something with the paints. I can’t even describe it. The way she is capable of somehow drawing what bodies look like underwater… it’s incredible. I was hooked… and then we got to the heart of the book. The fact that this jump was something the boys’ dad used to do and now their dad is gone? And just as I’m dealing with that (emotionally) we get this shot of the younger brother leaping and there’s this image of what looks the dad reaching for him and . . . I’m a puddle. I’m a mess. This has “award winner” written all over it. Be warned, be wary, and enjoy it.

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Papilio by Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser

Three different author/illustrators come together to tell the three different stages of Papilio, the caterpillar ,then chrysalis, then black swallowtail butterfly. If you’d asked me, I suppose I would have said that Clanton, Tabor, and Musser sorta had similar styles. And certainly for this book to work, they’ve had to match one another, to a certain extent. But what these three truly have in common is the shared ability to meld their tones. The gentle sweetness of these stories shines through each tale. Each creator has taken a different stage in Papilio’s life (and I think Corey R. Tabor should get extra credit for taking on the chrysalis phase). There’s a mouse character that serves as a kind of connecting throughline between the tales, and I give full credit to the creators when I say that I never once noticed that the mouse’s body changes a lot more between the three styles than Papilio ever does. My favorite part of the book? When Papilio is done being a caterpillar and merrily sings, “Got a full belly, time to turn to jelly.” Beautiful.

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Patty Dreams by Nadia L. Hohn, ill. Sahle Robinson

Keep your eye on Canadian artist Sahle Robinson. I’d not seen anything of his prior to reading this book, but there’s something about his style (clearly influenced by his work in film and TV) that gives his characters that extra added oomph they need to be interesting. Nadia L. Hohn tells the tale of a Jamaican family that moves to Canada (the shot of them near freezing to death when they arrive felt real real to me) and runs into a lot of the problems new immigrants face. August, the hero of this book, misses the delicious patties his daddy used to make and sell in their old home. When he convinces his dad to make some for school so he can share, the family unexpectedly finds a whole new business. There’s some rather fascinating backmatter at the end that recounts the “Patty Wars” in Toronto, when the 1985 government food inspectors started charging Jamaican bakeries $5000 for their patties. But don’t worry. The front matter is still more interesting than the backmatter. Warning: Reading this book will make you patty hungry. 

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Popo the Xolo by Paloma Angelina Lopez, ill. Abraham Matias

Little Popo is the kind of dog who knows just how to keep Nana company. So when she sets out through the nine lands of the deceased to find her final destination, brave little Popo stays with her all the way. My first thought upon reading it was that it feels like a natural companion to the aforementioned picture book The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo. Then, as the year went on, I thought it also paired nicely with Xolo, the almost-but-not-quite graphic novel by Donna Barbra Higuera. In the case of this book, I don’t know if kids will necessarily pick up on the fact that Nana is proceeding through the land of the dead as the story continues, but that’s okay. It’s actually kind of an exciting story starring a grandparent. Of course, above and beyond the setting (explained in the backmatter as representing the Nine Levels of Mictlān as celebrated by Indigenous Mexican cultures) is the art. All the publication page says is that it has, “Illustrations done in cut paper and digital media” which is a bit brief. The bio on the bookflap adds that Abraham Matias works primarily with paper-cut puppets and dioramas. That makes a great deal of sense when you see Nana’s incredible hair. But also look at how Matias is using light in each of these scenes. This book is blooming gorgeous, and a darn good read besides. Worthy of your eyes.

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Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue! by Howie Shia

[Previously Seen on the Unconventional and the Fantasy Lists]

Back in November I interviewed Howie Shia about this eclectic picture book. I asked him a whole slew of questions about the book’s origins. And at one point Howie said, “Picture books are a really special medium because they not only enjoy endless varieties in style, subject, and tone, but they also have a wide audience that advocates that variety. Nobody I know who reads picture books only reads one kind of picture book (whereas lots of people only read crime novels or superhero comics or histories).” Here, the man goes out of his way to find his own particular style and look. The story takes place in a land where the adults have all been kidnapped away from the children. Determined to get their grown-ups back, the children march and, to the beat of their own drums, chant the titular “Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue!” Whence that phrase? Howie said, “Ratamacue is one of forty patterns that drummers learn when they first start drumming. The patterns – called “rudiments” – are basically the equivalent of scales for other musicians (although drummers should learn those too) and they all have really great names that reflect how they sound. Paradiddle, Flam, Pataflafla, etc.” With its epic storytelling, visually eye-popping art, and lesson our 21st century children need NOW, this one stands apart from the pack.

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Raven’s Ribbons by Tasha Spillett, ill. Daniel Ramirez

Raven loves the round dances, particularly when the women dance in their ribbon dances. Could he ever dance with a skirt of his own? A touching tale of empathy and change. I shall admit to you freely that when I saw this cover my first instinct was not to gravitate towards this picture book. A textbook example of why one should never really judge a book by its cover. Intersectionality is the name of the game with this title. It’s succinctly told, and beautifully illustrated with those rainbow colors. Honestly, though, there was one line in this book that really tipped the scales for me . It’s a line that Nokhum gives late in the story. Early in the book she says, “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim, and have never seen a boy in a ribbon skirt.” Then, at the end, this is bookended beautifully with her saying, “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim, and I’m lucky to see beautiful things that I’ve never seen before.” What a beautifully succinct way to, as the author says in her Note at the end, “honor the imperative of prioritizing our people over rigid cultural protocols.”

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Recess by Lane Smith

[Previously Seen on the Readaloud List]

Want the ultimate party book? School may be staid and serious, but at least there’s recess to look forward to, right? So why wait? An eclectic explosion of fun and zippy art, perfect for getting the wiggles out. Oh yeah. Lane Smith is applying that weird vibe he’s perfected over the years into the ultimate picture book readaloud. Say what you will about his other books, for all their fun and energy, they’re not terribly interactive, right? This book is 100% the Red Light, Green Light game, only with the word “Recess” as the go ahead to let loose (within specific parameters). I remarked to someone that this looks like what you’d get if you combined Smith with David Shannon and I think I’ll stand by that statement, while adding the beautiful brightly colored handmade papers of Eric Carle as well. This goofball title is SO much fun to read aloud to groups too. Man. Kids are so lucky these days to get books like this one. 

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Safe Crossing by Kari Percival

[Previously Seen on the Informational Fiction List]

Each year in the spring, humans help a vast array of amphibians cross busy roads to get to their spawning grounds. Is there a better way to help them? Fabulous art and an ecological message are the hallmarks of this tale. You may remember Kari Percival from her previous title How to Say Hello to a Worm. This book feels like she took that same style and applied it in this really cool way to a tale of roads, critters, rain, and the dark. The purple/yellow colors really pop off the page, and even if you take the message of creating animal crossings away, you’d probably still be floored by the sheer beauty of the art. Informational fiction is the best way to describe this. Other words that might apply: Eclectic. Fascinating. Eye-popping.

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The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole by Cecilia Heikkilä, translated by Polly Lawson

[Previously Seen on the Translation List]

That title isn’t wrong: This truly is slightly spooky. Maybe even a little more than spooky at times, since it involves a trusted friend turning into a monster (which is scary for kids in an entirely different kind of way). The story also involves something I haven’t seen much in a picture book before: Sheer horrifying ingratitude. Fox and Mole are friends and that would be fine except that Mole is the kind of guy who takes and takes and it just never occurs to him to give. He’s not mean about it. He just has zero interest in his friend’s wants or needs. And Fox is a great guy but this is the kind of thing that wears a person down. One evening Fox is reading a book called “The Legend of the Scuffling Monster” (and I’m going to give translator Polly Lawson 30 points here for making that word “scuffling”) aloud to Mole. The story is about a raccoon who turns at midnight into a scuffling monster. Mole’s a little freaked out, then arranges to come back (and eat all of Fox’s stuff because “I don’t have any storybooks” at his place). When Fox’s birthday arrives Mole is … well, he’s an even bigger jerk this time than ever and you are just SO on Fox’s side when his anger transforms him into a beast. And, oh man, oh man. There is this two-page spread that is just the EYES of beast that will haunt your children’s dreams for the rest of their natural born lives… in a GOOD way! So strangely, enticingly, satisfying. 

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A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, ill. Erin E. Stead

The curse of the sequel dictates that in the event that a picture book has a follow-up of any sort, it will automatically be placed in a sort of second tier area on Best Lists and end-of-year round-ups. Even, I’d say, if the creators happened to win a Caldecott for the first one. Maybe that’s why I’m not seeing this book on enough lists these days. Well, folks, I say enough is enough! Why should the Steads be punished for being the best? Behold one of the loveliest books of the year. I can’t be the first person in the world to finally realize that Amos McGee has the spirit, soul, and gentle tones of a 21st century Mr. Rogers. In any case, this is a tale of Amos and friends waiting desperately for enough snow to play it. When it arrives (and 500 points to Erin Stead for that shot of the owl meticulously rolling snowballs) they have the time of their lives. Bound to give countless children happy snow day memories, even if they’ve never seen so much as a a flake in person.

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Snow Kid by Jessie Sima

[Previously Seen on the Message List]

A snow kid starts out just fine, perfectly content to fulfill its snowmanly duties (by the way, if anyone wants to write a picture book now named “Snowmanly”, that’s a freebie). But when the snow kid (named Twig) finds that its hat has blown off, it has a sort of reverse Frosty moment and starts moving and grooving to go get it. As it does, it discovers all sorts of things, like how much fun it is to talk and move around. Interestingly, Twig goes through some introspective, even philosophical, moments where it tries to figure out the world around it as it walks about. It’s rather amazing how succinct Jessie Sima is with these sequences. In a scant number of pages Twig begins to question, “Am I Twig?” since the being known as “Twig” had never walked, talked, or grown like this evolving snowkid has. I mean, honestly, it’s kind of a Ship of Theseus consideration in a picture book form. As more happens, “The snow kid kept getting further and further from the Twig that was frozen and silent.” The happy ending here is discovering a tribe of other snow kids, all completely original and different from one another. By the end, Twig, changes to what Twig wants to be. “It felt like a good thing to be becoming.” I mean, it doesn’t take much of an effort to see this as an LGBTQIA+ title about finding your people alongside finding yourself. Rather elegantly and eloquently done, but all within the trappings of a cute little snowperson tale. Hand this to an Olaf-obsessive who wants a little something more out of their literature. And from the philosophical standpoint, it might actually pair rather beautifully with that snowman sequence in From Memen to Mori by Shinsuke Yoshitake too.

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So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story by Anne Wynter, ill. Jerome Pumphrey

[Previously Seen on the Holiday List]

How would you dress, dance, sing, or eat after years of various forms of oppression? A glorious celebration of Juneteenth that cleverly links the past to the present in new, vital, and vibrant ways. It can be hard to come up with an original holiday book, particularly when that holiday comes with as much history and weight as Juneteenth. Full credit to Anne Wynter then. Working with only one of the Pumphrey brothers (!!) she makes the importance of Juneteenth come through her crystal clear words. The text frames the history of Blacks in America through the sense of “How would you?”. So you’ve questions throughout the book like, “How would you dress after so many years of mending your clothes with rags?” all at the beginning. Then, after the muted colors have passed, you get this glorious riot of color in the second half taking place today. Few books tie the past to the present quite as clearly as this one does, and to loop it all together with a holiday kids are familiar with today? Brilliant. Every library should own this. Every last one.

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Tíos and Primos by Jacqueline Alcántara

Visiting her father’s homeland for the first time is exciting for his daughter but there is one problem: She doesn’t speak the language! A tale of family found and language barriers crossed. It is also, undeniably, Alcántara’s most personal book to date. One cannot help but think that pairing this alongside The Interpreter would lead to some really smart and in-depth conversations with your child readers. As for the story itself, I noticed that within a scant amount of time, the author was really able to drill down deep into the discomfort that comes with being immersed within a family where you do not speak the language they do, even as you have this overwhelming desire to connect. Of course what Alcántara excels at above all is life and dance and movement, and so it was absolutely fantastic to see all that coming together at the story’s end. Love the colors, the storytelling is great, and it rounds out with a satisfying ending.

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To See an Owl by Matthew Cordell

Budding birder Janie loves learning about owls, and desperately wants to see one in the wild. But nature doesn’t work on a set schedule. Will she ever see one? A lovely book about the magic of nature. Poor quiet books. They’re so incredibly difficult to sell when they have to compete against big, loud, brash, funny titles. Happily this book sells itself. There’s a quiet, contemplative triumph to the end of this story that I really loved. Plus, anytime Cordell gets to show off his skills drawing animals in the wild, I am HERE for it! Particularly when those animals in question happen to be raptors. Comparisons to Owl Moon are inevitable, but Cordell is telling a story that also incorporates disappointment and the fact that, a lot of the time, trying to find an animal in the wild is always a bit of a crap shoot. A tale that acknowledges the role of patience in birding.

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The Trickster Shadow by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

[Previously Seen on the Message List]

“Zoon was an ordinary boy with a peculiar problem.” That problem? A naughty shadow that constantly follows him and gets him into trouble. But how do you tame something that might actually be inside you? It’s been a day or two since Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley illustrated SHARICE’S BIG VOICE but I can still see the cover of that book clear as crystal when I think about it. And true, he’s done some other beautiful books since then but this is a particularly toothsome treat. The thick black lines and the representation of the shadow as an overexcited dog work so beautifully together. And the colors! I hate to whip this word out (because reviewers tend to overuse it) but “luminous” definitely comes to mind. I love what he’s doing with light and shadow (obviously) here. I thought the story was strong and a pretty nice metaphor for self-care,when you get right down to it. Hoping this will inspire Mangeshig to make more books along these lines in the future!

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We Are the Wibbly! A Tadpole’s Tail by Sarah Tagholm, ill. Jane McGuinness

[Previously Seen on the Readaloud List]

“Oh my crikeys!” A tadpole watches the changes in its friends and tries desperately to catch up in this clever encapsulation of the life cycle of a frog. There is a moment at the beginning of this book when you first encounter author Sarah Tagholm’s odd little words and it catches you off guard. “We are eggs. We are egg friends. We are the Wibbly. We float and we are all very relaxing. It is niceable.” So at that point my brain is asking, “Is this fun or is this twee?” And knowing myself as I do, I suspect that I’m going to fall onto the “twee” side of the equation. But then, as I read on, I really got into this book. I mean, I REALLY got into this book! Because, yes, it is about the life cycle of a frog, but what it’s really about is that kid who’s always just a little behind everyone else. I felt that SO hard. And then I discovered on top of everything else, the language that Tagholm is using works amazing well. The book is hilarious, it has some fantastic art that accompanies the text perfectly, AND it acknowledges the fact that frogs get friggin’ eaten all the time. There’s some cursory backmatter, but since this is a straight up fictional picture book with informational content, I’m happy with whatever Tagholm wants to provide. This is great!

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Where Are You, Brontë? by Tomie dePaola, ill. Barbara McClintock

[Previously Seen on the Message List]

An ode to both the dog that brought him so much joy, and the man behind Strega Nona. At its heart, this is a posthumous remembrance of a beloved pet and an acknowledgment of how they never really go away. I sat on this one for a little while before adding it to any lists, but I think that what it’s doing is just so smart and accomplished and needed that it’s well worth considering. And yes. It’s a dead dog book. It is also, by extension, a dead Tomie dePaola book. May be all live such good lives as to be rendered in the style of Barbara McClintock when we pass away. Now the manuscript is by Tomie, but the art is Barbara’s and what she’s doing (which is so very clever) is melding her own style with Tomie’s style to create something wholly new. Now I’ve never been much into airedales as a dog breed, but maybe that’s just because I’ve never seen them as puppies. McClintock? She does puppies real real good. You might come close to actually wanting to own a dog of your own after reading this.

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Interested in the full list of titles this month? Here’s what we were able to get done. The full roster, if you will. Thank you so much for taking some time to look through these choices. And let me tell you, if the titles I’ve already seen for 2026 are any indication, then books for kids are only getting better. Better join me here at this time next year!

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts

December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Children’s Books

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – Caldenotts

December 8 – Wordless Picture Books

December 9 – Bilingual Books for Kids

December 10 – Math Books for Kids

December 11 – Books with a Message / Social Emotional Learning

December 12 – Easy Books

December 13 – Translated Children’s Books

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Gross Books

December 16 – Poetry Books

December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 18 – Early Chapter Books

December 19 – Comics & Graphic Novels

December 20 – Older Funny Books

December 21 – Science Fiction Books

December 22 – Fantasy Books

December 23 – Informational Fiction

December 24 – American History

December 25 – Science & Nature Books

December 26 – Unique Biographies

December 27 – Blueberry Award Contenders (Celebrating the Environment)

December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 29 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

December 30 – Middle Grade Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2025