31 Days, 31 Lists: 2024 Gross Books for Kids

Because I am normally such a nonfiction stickler, I sometimes get a little flack from folks when it comes to works of history or science or biography. You see, I hate the mixing and melding of fact and fiction, but only in cases where the work pretends to be entirely informational. I have no problem with mixing literary techniques with nonfiction, just so long as we acknowledge that that is what’s going on. This is why I was so grateful years ago when Melissa Sweet came up with the term “informational fiction”. Think of it as book full of facts that also use a lot of fictional techniques to get the point across.

Today, we celebrate these most inventive of books for kids as they find new and interesting ways to introduce kids to nonfiction ideas, albeit with a leg up from fictional texts.

And if you’d like a PDF of today’s list you can find one here.

Curious about other books that mix their fact and fiction together? Then check out some previous years’ lists:

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

2024 Informational Fiction

Picture Books

Almost Underwear: How a Piece of Cloth Traveled from Kitty Hawk to the Moon and Mars by Jonathan Roth

Generally speaking, I get very nervous when works of history anthropomorphize an important part of that story. Do we really need Rosa Parks’s bus to talk about its feelings or the tree outside Anne Frank’s window to wax poetic? So seeing the cloth that would start out as a part of the Wright Brothers’ first plane at Kitty Hawk and then go on to fly even greater heights… can you blame me for approaching this with a bit of caution? But if we consider this in the vein of Informational Fiction then it’s a bit easier to swallow, particularly since it is truly a neat story. The cloth that was used by the Wright Brothers would normally have been used to be turned into undergarments (hence the book’s catchy name). Instead it was purchased, cut, and sewn around the tapered ash-wood glider wings of the brothers’ plane. After that, a swatch of the original wing fabric was taken to the moon with Commander Armstrong. I figured that was probably the end of the story, but then on July 30, 2020 another piece of the cloth was taken to none other than freakin’ Mars. Mars, I tell you! Incredible. The art is enticing, the photographs beautifully integrated, and the whole book is a very nice triple history lesson with a single connecting thread. I was particularly taken not just with the Author’s Note but also the “Glossary of Perseverance Instruments” and the Selected Biography. 

Angela’s Glacier by Jordan Scott, ill. Diana Sudyka

Since childhood Angela has loved the Snæfellsjökull glacier. As she grows up, she grows distant from the magnificent ancient ice, and feels the need to connect again. Lush and lovely images about one woman’s true blue love.  If you’re looking for books that instill a love of nature in children, I can hardly think of one better than a story of a girl who literally considers a glacier to be her friend. It makes for a marvelous mix of readaloud potential and good old-fashioned science and nature. I love how Angela’s father, and then Angela herself, chant the glacier’s name as they hike. “SNA (left foot) FELLS (right foot) JÖ (left food) KULL (right foot)”. Can’t you just see someone having a whole room of kids chant along with that? Sudyka, as per usual, uses her watercolors to maximum effect, really leaning into the beauty of the glaciers themselves. And look at that fabulous note at the end about the challenges the glaciers are facing these days! We see plenty of books about why glaciers are important. It’s kind of nice just seeing a book about someone who absolutely just loves one with all her heart. As for why I’m placing this in the Informational Fiction section, this story is actually based on the experiences of author Jordan Scott’s friend Angela Rawlings. So while it isn’t strictly a biography, it’s definitely treading along those lines. 

Barrio Rising: The Protest the Built Chicano Park by María Dolores Águila, ill. Magdalena Mora

When bulldozers appear in San Diego’s Barrio Logan, the residents are excited for a new park. But when they find out it’s going to be a police station instead, they band together to make their voices heard. An inspiring book based on a true story. These are maybe the most difficult kinds of books to write, in some ways. Activist picture books based on real events can easily come off as preachy or get the tone entirely wrong. Águila, in contrast, grounds her narrative in something kids can completely understand: A new park to play in. In doing so, she shows the slow grassroots movement that can make change, even when the opposing forces just seem too big. Love the writing and the art fits it perfectly. A really sophisticated melding of heart and real history.

Charles & Ray: Designers at Play by James Yang

I kind of love that the publisher felt it necessary to put the words “A Story of Charles and Ray Eames” on the cover in a little box, just to make it clear what this book is truly about. Now to be clear, James Yang is upfront about the mild fictionalization of his subject matter. He writes, “While Charles and Ray: Designers at Play is an imagined story, the real Eameses were intentional about playfulness and the enjoyment of solving problems.” For this reason, I’d be more inclined to place this book in the “design” area of the nonfiction section rather than the biographies. That said, I’d love to see Yang write a straight biography or nonfiction text in the future. He is, in many ways, the perfect person to have tackled the Eameses. Something about the quality of the design and the colors is just so dang kid-friendly. Plus, the Eames chair is something that a fair number of kids would have seen and next to none of them would have considered the idea that somebody had to invent it. Design is, in many ways, an untapped area of children’s book subject matter. There are so many ways to go with the content! This book is just the beginning, I hope. 

Dive, Dive Into the Night Sea by Thea Lu

Black and white picture books don’t sell, they tell us. But aside from whether or not that’s even true, does it count as a black and white picture book if it’s punctuated with the occasional spot of yellow or even blue or red throughout? Any book that insists on being read horizontally has to justify that choice. And a book in which a person deep sea dives into the sea at night would certainly count. Thea Lu is a Shanghai-based author/illustrator but from what I could tell, this book was originally published in the States. It’s also one of those books that has a younger text on the one hand, and an older one for kids who need more information on the other. Where do you find this older text? Under flaps! Not only are you holding this book in such a way where you’re turning the pages upward, but occasionally there’s a flap to turn. It gives the entire endeavor the feeling of a kind of informational treasure hunt. There’s even information here that I’ve never encountered in other books for kids before, like the fact that sperm whales drift vertically near the surface when they sleep and that the kind of sleep they do is called “unihemispheric sleep” (so that they can control their breathing). Does that mean that this book is one of the most creative of the year? Yes indeed. Not like any other out there, with a mix of fiction and nonfiction, yielding a pretty successful end result. And fun!

If You Want to Ride a Horse by Amy Novesky, ill. Gael Abary

I was never a horsey girl as a kid. Indeed, at a certain point I would curl my little 9-year-old lip at those girls who did enjoy books that focused so squarely on equine plotlines (never mind that I was ten times more nerdy with my love of Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall of Pern trilogy). I can now acknowledge the coolness of horses these days, particularly when we hear how difficult they are for illustrators to draw. What I find interesting, though, is that for all that we hear that some kids are obsessed with them, there are surprisingly few picture book titles that focus on them. Then comes along 2024 and it’s horses horses horses. Earlier in the year I fell in love with Terrible Horses by Raymond Antrobus, there’s the incredible My Daddy Is a Cowboy by by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C.G. Esperanza, and now I’ve encountered If You Want to Ride a Horse on top of all that. I’m placing this book squarely in the Informational Fiction section because in spite of its gentle imagining of all the different kinds of horses out there, the book is just chock FULL of horse facts. And if you, like myself, don’t know your forelock from your fetlock, don’t worry. With its lovely lilting text and classic looking mixed media art, you may (like myself) be unprepared for the full-blown wallop of factual information packed in the back. You can look at all the different colors (useful if you’ve ever wondered what a palomino really is), leg patterns, nose patterns, hairstyles, and much much more. Probably the most factual horse picture book couched in a sweet little fictional story you’ll encounter for a decade or two. 

It Happened In Salem by Jonah Winter, ill. Brad Holland

It sounds kind of weird to say that Jonah Winter is having a lot of fun with this look at the Salem witch trials and the way it connects to our own political landscape today, but he truly is. The book is written with a very familiar tone. “You know what I’m talking about,” it says. “You start whispering things about a person – hurtful things you know will get that person in trouble, untrue things you may have convinced yourself are actually true.” Sound familiar at all? This is all accompanied by art that is necessarily emotionless, considering the subject matter. The pointing finger motif is nicely done. Just a word to the wise that there is the occasional hanged person in the book, so if you’d rather not have a kid seeing that, consider this your trigger warning. Personally, I much prefer the surreal depictions that alternate between the more realistic pictures. And while I may dock points from Brad Holland for his truly terrible depiction of knitting (what precisely is Tituba doing with those needles?) he does gain back my love with what is clearly the creepiest doll in a children’s picture book in 2024. 

Lefty: A Story That Is Not All Right by Mo Willems, ill. Dan Santat

Huh! I guess those two Dan Santat books written for Mo’s Elephant and Piggie series weren’t just coincidental. Apparently Mo and Dan have some kind of a rapport (not all that surprising, considering the fact that Dan’s pretty much the nicest man working in show business today). Still, there’s a lot to admire in this kooky little picture book title. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but recently Mo’s been getting a lot more interested in incorporating nonfiction subject matter into his work. I’m all for it, since we desperately need more informational books for the younger set, but it is kind of bizarre to witness at first. Aside from books like Are You Big?, Mo’s writing titles like the one on lefty here. And you don’t have to be any kind of a genius to see that he’s definitely using a plotline as seemingly innocuous as how we persecuted left-handed people in the past to show how we continue to persecute people who are different today. I mean, when the hand tells you straight out that, “you can’t be born wrong,” you know what it’s saying. I have to assume that Santat and Willems must have had long conversations about the look of the book, too. Or maybe not, Maybe Santat shocked Willems with his use of photography and illustration. And yes, it’s also funny. Maybe a little message-y, but at this point in the game I’d say it’s long overdue. Is it about left-handed people? Sure it, but it’s a lot more than that. A lot more. Previously seen on the Funny Picture Books List.

Looking for Peppermint, or, Life in the Forest by Maxwell Eaton III

Where is Peppermint the dog? Learn about what it’s like in the forest as a young girl goes searching for her lost pet in this hilarious tale. I had a devil of a time figuring out if this should go in the Nonfiction picture book section or a fictional one, and ultimately with its story about Peppermint the dog I decided the safer route was to opt for fiction. Even so, this book is so packed with information about the forest of the Adirondack Mountains that you’d have a difficult time not learning something from it. Eaton has, by this point, kind of sunk into the beauty of teaching nonfiction with humor that he’s practically a Yankee Phil Bunting. In this particular story, you get the facts, you get the overarching story of our heroine searching for her dog, and you also get flashbacks. With a lesser book creator this could all have ended up a hopeless jumble, but here it plays out more like a symphony. I absolutely loved the storytelling, the art, and now I wanna see a fisher too! Previously seen on the Funny Picture Books List.

The Pelican Can! by Toni Yuly

Young nonfiction? Easy book but with a picture book size? Straight up picture book, no questions asked? It’s always a bit tricky to figure out the best possible place to put a new Toni Yuly title. In the case of this book, it really does do a very nice early job of showing kids precisely what it is that pelicans are and what they do. I can envision this as a beautiful storytime for preschoolers, giving them their first taste of nonfiction. Not that any library’s gonna stick it in the 500s (where the bird books go) or anything. For that matter, there isn’t even any backmatter. But even so, it’s just a really nice title, introducing those younger folks to an animal that they may or may not have seen with their very own eyes before. Note: Just try to read the title without singing “The Candyman Can” to yourself. Previously seen on the Simple Picture Books List.

So Cold by John Coy, ill. Chris Park

I’ve said it many times before, but it bears repeating: When an author takes a cool idea that I haven’t seen before and turns it into a picture book, I’m a happy pookie. Author John Coy is one of Minnesota’s proudest sons, and he brings that snowy cold knowledge to his latest. The temperatures have fallen way way below freezing. How low? Twenty-three below. It’s a Saturday, so you know what that means? Time to play around with science, that’s what! With his intrepid father by his side, a boy and dad try out a whole range of different fun things. They take a helium balloon outside, blow bubbles, turn a banana into a hammer, make maple syrup candy (I always wanted to try that one when I was a kid), throw boiling water into the air, and make my personal favorite on this list, standing pants. What are standing pants, you ask? Apparently you can wash a load of pants, then take them outside. The book says, “Toss them underhand into the air so they flip end over end. See if you can get the pants to land standing up in the snow. Be patient. This one takes practice and luck, but it’s amazing when you succeed.” Consider this my new favorite thing. 

There Are No Ants in This Book by Rosemary Mosco, ill. Anna Pirolli

Good news! There are absolutely ZERO ants in this book. Except that one… and that one… and that one. Watch as our reluctant picnic-er discovers just how cool these tiny creatures can be. This one really won me over. I started out skeptical since we see a LOT of fourth-wall busting picture books these days (you know – the ones where the narrator is talking directly to the audience). But Mosco really just packs this book full of ant facts in such a fun and natural way. I learned something (the turtle ant’s big flat head was completely new to me) and I thought it did a rather expert job of combining a readaloud text with facts in an elegant, subtle manner. There’s some pretty great backmatter here, but the story itself is nicely fictionalized, making this an ideal candidate for my Informational Fiction category later this month. Meanwhile, it’s the very rare readaloud that includes a slew of nonfiction elements. Absolutely fun, whether you’re reading it to one kid or to a group. Bonus: Ants! The hot critter in picture books of 2024. Previously seen on the Readaloud Picture Books List.

This Land: The History of the Land We’re On by Ashley Fairbanks, ill. Bridget George

Dang, this book is informative! So I was quite taken with this little title, though I feel like it didn’t get sufficient attention this year. This is a pity because Fairbanks and George (both Anishinaabe) do a great job of encapsulating what it means to live on land that was once inhabited by different tribal nations. Before you go any further, check out the endpapers on this book, which show a series of postcards from around America that show, say, NYC and say “Hello from Lenape Territory”. Of course, what the book does so well is show to very young kids what precisely happened to a great number of Indigenous people historically while also reinforcing the fact that they didn’t just “disappear” after that and that they have families and lives and homes today. The main character (who looks to be white) travels with her friend (who is Anishinaabe) and his grandmother to the Grand Canyon where she learns that eight tribes currently call it home (the Havasupai, Yava pai, Paiute, Hopi, Zuni, Hualapai, Apache, and Diné). There’s additional information about Land Acknowledgments (again, made simple so that kids can understand), as well as discussion questions and how to “Learn More About Indigenous People In Your Area.” As the book says so succinctly, “This land all has a history. Even my backyard.” There’s really nothing quite like this book out there. Perfect for literally every American library you can name. 

This Wolf Was Different by Katie Slivensky, ill. Hannah Salyer

A rather nice pairing with Boy Here, Boy There by Chuck Groenink, honestly. In both cases you’ve speculation about our ancient, even neolithic, past. This is a book about what could have been one of the first wolves to throw in its lot with humans rather than remain wild. Now you all know the rule, right? If the backmatter is more interesting than the front matter then the book doesn’t work. Happily, the front matter is a lot of fun. One wolf is capable of hanging out with its packmates, but it always lags just a little behind. When it bonds with a human child, it never looks back. The backmatter, for the record, really is fantastic. In it, Slivensky explains that the wolf in this story, “is highly social, forming strong bonds, first with her mother and then with a human girl. She has nonaggressive interest in other living things (in this case, snails) and a playful, gentle nature. Most scientists agree that puppylike behaviors and a willingness to bond with their new human pack would have been traits human preferred for their first canine companions.” She also includes great info on the fact that the domestication of dogs may have happened simultaneously around the world in different areas, which I’d never heard before. The story itself is accompanied by lovely charcoal and pencil drawings that were arranged and colored digitally. It isn’t the first book for kids to speculate on our first wolf-to-dog companions, but there’s a heart to this that sticks with you long after the book is done. Enticing to dog lovers, wolf lovers, and story lovers everywhere. 

Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas by Zachariah Ohora

Aw, dang. You know, if you just cut out all the fake dialogue, this could have been a pretty groovy nonfiction title. As it stands, the book is that perfect combo of facts and fiction throughout (the whales in the book put on some pretty human smiles from time to time) Ohora (who may have one of the greatest Instagram feeds of all time) brings us a fun 1970s tale of how a musician and a scientist worked together to help study orcas. The book definitely does not shy away from the problematic use of orcas and other sea creatures in live shows, put on for people, and it discusses the consequences of living in captivity. Is there a dead whale in this book? There is a dead whale in this book, but it happens off-screen (so to speak). The art of Ohora fits a story of this kind so well, though I was sad to see there weren’t any sources at the end, just a bit of written historical context and scientific info. It’s too cool to miss. Just be aware of its limitations. 

Books for Older Readers

Ant Story by Jay Hosler

Rubi’s always been a lonely little ant in a colony of leafcutters, but that’s before she meets Miranda. Now the question is, can your greatest enemy also be your greatest friend? Whatta delight! I think I like this even more than Hosler’s previous title, The Way of the Hive. I liked it so much that immediately after I finished it I proceeded to read it to my son and HE liked it too! It’s a great story in and of itself, but I really appreciated the fact that the message at the heart of it is that in nature there really aren’t any good guys or bad guys. Just everyone trying to survive in their own particular way, that’s all. The cartoon characters vs. realistic characters made for a nice take, and I loved the twist on who Miranda really was (it took me a while to catch on and Hosler basically had to spell it out for me). This is great! Previously seen on the Comics List.

Survival of the Fittest: Who Will Come Out on Top? by Rebecca Donnelly, ill. Misa Saburi

Come one! Come all! Welcome to the game show Survival of the Fittest, where animal contestants compete to pitch the most incredible engineering skills. Who will win? This definitely falls into the category of younger graphic novels, and with a slew of nonfiction facts packed in to boot. Personally, I kept waiting for the mantis shrimp to mention that it was capable of punching so hard that temperatures in the water go as hot as the surface of the sun. Or that it can see more colors than any other creature on earth. As such, the author missed a couple opportunities with this (or maybe I’m just too Team Mantis Shrimp to be an impartial reader). The story is fun, and pretty darn cute. Plus, while I knew some of these, I appreciated learning about how a whale’s bumpy flipper inspired fan blades and that interesting design on the elephant’s bendy trunk.

So with all that in mind, here are the other lists for 2024:

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts

December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – CaldeNotts

December 8 – Picture Book Reprints

December 9 – Bilingual Books for Kids

December 10 – Math Books for Kids

December 11 – Books with a Message / Social Emotional Learning

December 12 – Fabulous Photography

December 13 – Translated Picture Books

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Wordless Picture Books

December 16 – Poetry Books

December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 18 – Easy Books & 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 – Gross Books

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