2025 has already been a great year for children’s books. From picture books and board books to chapter books and young adult, books flood the shelves each year. Many are good, some are amazing. These are the children’s books that I have loved so far in 2025
(I will continue to update this list as the year progresses and I find new favorites. These are my favorites of 2025 as of July)
Note: affiliate links will be included below.
Best Read Alouds
Don’t Trust Fish
By Neil Sharpson
Illustrated by Dan Santat
This is an absolutely hilarious book. It starts out as a nonfiction book describing mammals and reptiles and then diverts into a book about all the reasons that fish can’t be trusted. Along the way facts about fish are ingeniously intertwined amongst the humor. A clever, read aloud that perfectly nails its target audience.
Published by Dial Books by Penguin
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Who Ate Steve?
by Susannah Lloyd and Kate Hindley
This is a hilarious book to read aloud. Intending to teach about size, the book starts with a bird named Marcel and a worm named Steve being asked to help demonstrate big and small. Marcel however has other priorities. The excellent voice and pacing will engage kids. I loved the comically expressive illustrations that only add to the humor. Great for fans of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates or Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and best read with lots of enthusiasm.
Published by Nosy Crow
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Lost in a Book
by Chris Britt
Gah! I love this book. It is so cute. With a little imagination, the premise is simple enough. Two friends go INTO a book and one of them falls into the “gutter” or the inner margin where the pages are joined together forming the seam down the center of the book. All sorts of ridiculousness follows but the solution is so perfect. This is a silly, well paced book any kid will love, but I especially recommend it for all the book nerds and library lovers out there. A pure delight.
Published by Abrams
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Every Monday Mabel
by Jashar Awan
This is an adorable picture book. Mabel starts her week with a very important tradition – spoiler alert! – watching the garbage truck. It is a simple story that feels so incredibly relatable. Every kid who also delights at the weekly arrival of the garbage truck or stops to walk a truck anywhere will love this story. The illustrations are lovely, the text is brief and well paced for reading aloud, and the whole thing oozes with childlike delight.
Published by Simon
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Who Meows? A Book of Animal Sounds
by Robin Page
Looking for a baby or toddler story time read aloud? This is perfect. It is a simple format with short text, repetition, and bright animal illustrations. The book begins with “Who Meows?” The page turn reveals a cheerful cat illustrations and “A cat meows” with “Who gobbles?” in smaller text towards the corner of the page encouraging you to find out. It is the type of predictive text and structure that empowers toddlers to feel like they can read too and paired with Robin Page’s lovely illustration style this is a winner.
Go, Go, Dodo!
by Huw Lewis Jones
illustrated by Fred Blunt
Follow a dodo bird as it goes through a carefree walk in the jungle. The text describes the jungle as gentle, the swamp as friendly. The illustrations however show a very hungry tiger on the hunt behind the bird. It is a simple story that works perfectly as a read aloud. I was reminded of the classic ROSIE’S WALK by Pat Hutchins in the way that it brilliantly uses the pairing of words and art to tell a hilarious story of a walk.
Published by Tiger Tales
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Big Bike, Little Bike
words by Kellie DuBay Gillis
pictures by Jacob Souva
This picture book is deceptively simple. On the surface it is a fun read aloud about different animals and creatures coming across a bike. However, it also discusses opposite words and is a fun springboard for a conversation about perspective. For example, a bike that’s way too big for a bird is still way too small for an elephant. Along the way energetic illustrations, exciting onomatopoeia, and a relatable concept for anyone who has hopped on a bike. A playful book that’s fun to read aloud.
Published by Harper Collins
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The Escape Artist: A True Story of Octopus Adventure
by Thor Hanson
illustrations by Galia Bernstein
This is a true story written by a conservation biologist but there is nothing boring or dry about this picture book. Inky the Octopus lives in a tank and escapes to the ocean. Well paced, well paced and full of action, Inky’s story is fun and great for reading aloud to a Kindergarten and up group.
Oh Dear, Look What I Got!
by Michael Rosen
illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Oh my gosh do I adore this book. It is so much fun. The premise is so simple and silly, and yet perfect for a read aloud. A little child goes to the store to get something, but oh dear, they give him something else.
Michael Rosen’s text is repetitive, rhyming and uses page turns so well. This is fun to read aloud and pause before you turn to let the kids guess what accidental animal the child is going to get next. The repetitive text also lends itself so well to encouraging re-reads and pre-literacy skills. Helen Oxenbury’s gentle, expressive illustrations are just the icing on the cake while offering little clues to help predict what’s coming.
A clever, fun read aloud for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
Best New Board Books to Share & Gift
3 Board Books by Jon Klassen
Jon Klassen, well known author/illustrator of picture books like THIS IS NOT MY HAT and illustrator of countless more, has created an adorable series of board books for younger readers.
YOUR ISLAND, YOUR FARM and YOUR FOREST follow a similar pattern of objects being introduced on the right side of the spread and then telling the reader where they can go on the left. When you turn the page you will find them in that position in the new left hand illustration. It’s a simple concept but a genius way to engage kids in exploring different prepositional words and phrases like “next to,” “in” and “under.”
The text is brief enough to engage the youngest reader, but the use of propositional words creating a bit of a game allows these books to grow with your baby or engage an older sibling sitting nearby.
By Jon Klassen
Published by Candlewick
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Best Picture Books to Add to Your Shelf
Just What to Do by Kyle Lukoff and Hala Tahboub tugged on my heartstrings in the most perfect way. This picture book answers the question: What do you do when someone you care about is sad about a loss? There is no easy answer to this as we are all different and that’s pretty much exactly what this book tells the reader. Along the way though are the sweetest, most perfectly childlike attempts to cheer up friends and family. It is a darling book with sparse text and gentle illustrations seeped in empathy.
Leafy Landmarks
by Michelle Schaub
illustrated by Anne Lambelet
Do you read books sometimes and think ‘gosh I wish I had written this’ because you’re so impressed by the plot or the way a character was described or some element of the book? I felt that way reading LEAFY LANDMARKS. It is such a clever concept.
I love the different layers to this book. It is a book about a road trip to visit different trees. Each spread has one of the trees – described in a poem and then information about the tree. The poems are all different forms, which are defined in the endpapers. With one book you can learn about poetry, trees, and geography – the educational spin off potential is huge!
This Book Bubbles Over
By Nora Nickum
Illustrated by Robert Meganck
Published by Peachtree
I have never thought very deeply about bubbles. They are fun and were certainly a huge part of my toddler survival kit as both a teacher and mom, but that was about the extent of my consideration for bubbles until I read this fascinating book. Nora Nickum carefully crafted her writing with two layers of text; the first that works as a read aloud and a second paragraph of text on each page that offers more information to study. From bubble wrap and soap, to undersea volcanoes and neoprene foam, this nonfiction book leaves no bubbly science un-popped.
Hurricane
by Jason Chin
Published by Holiday House
Set on Hatteras Island off the coast of North Carolina, this timely picture book follows one hurricane. Jason Chin carefully balances an honest account of the storm from start to finish with calm and comforting reports of the community and preparation that help get the island residents through the storm. It is nonfiction, but the thoughtful writing and beautiful illustrations make it highly readable. Clearly well researched and supported by extensive backmatter, this is a perfect book to pull out for hurricane season no matter where you live.
Here is a Book
by Elisha Cooper
HERE IS A BOOK answers the question, how does a book get made? From artist’s studio to publisher to your hands it is a beautifully illustrated, briefly told look at the process by one of my favorite picture book creators.
The Elevator on 74th Street
by Laura Gehl
illustrated by Yas Imamura
A picture book from the perspective of an elevator? I was immediately intrigued. The elevator, named Ellie of course, loves the people in her building and takes pride in her work. I absolutely adore the creative ways this elevator impacts the lives of those around her. I don’t really want to give too much away about the plot, but it’s darling. This is a book about the small things that make a big difference. I love this book for a friendship story time, a round up of books about apartments, story time about kindness, or for talking about POV with kids.
Welcome to Whalebone Mansion: Creatures that Lurk at a Whale Fall
by Laken Slate
illustrated by Bindy James
This playful nonfiction book compares a whale fall to a haunted mansion. At the bottom of the ocean floor, where a whale decomposes, all kinds of creatures arrive for a spooky feast. Ghoulish goblin sharks, vampire squid, and wiggly octopus haunt the decaying carcass. The highly readable text is well paced and just the right amount of creepy. Mostly it is a fun comparison full of bright sea animals. Side bars offer more information for the exceptionally curious, but the main text is brief and works well as a read aloud. A highly enjoyable nonfiction that is certainly at home on a Halloween shelf, but can also sit alongside any book about whales, whale falls, and ocean creatures.
Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States
by Rajani LaRocca
Illustrated by Huy Voun Lee
A clearly written, beautifully illustrated, and timely nonfiction picture book about the immigration process and path to becoming an American citizen. Between the words and illustrations the diversity and range of immigration and citizenship experiences are well captured. A great book for a classroom, a conversation starter, for the Fourth of July or to celebrate a naturalization.
Published by Christy Ottaviano Books from Hachette
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Best New Graphic Novels
Molly and the Bear: An Unlikely Pair
By Bob Scott and Vicki Scott
Molly has a new best friend – an 800 pound, scaredy cat Bear. She loves her new bestie but everyone else is terrified of him. I found this to be silly, sweet, and the bear is entirely endearing.
Best Middle Grade books
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli
by Karina Yan Glaser
Karina Yan Glaser, author of the VANDERBEEKERS series tries her hand at historical fiction in this dual timeline tale following Han Yu along the Silk Road in 731 China and Luli living in 1931 New York City. Both kids find their families facing difficult times, a plague in China and the financial crisis in America. With everything and everyone they love at risk, Han Yu and Luli are both determined to help their families.
Both story timelines are well paced with just enough suspense to pull you forward. Chinese history is woven seamlessly together while you root for these two characters. I love how the stories were woven together. A page turning, heart warming must read middle grade.
Schooled
by Jamie Sumner
Okay, first of all, I want this school experience. The main character, Lenny, and four other middle schoolers get to study on a university campus. They can audit classes and work on their own projects and I absolutely love this idea. I’m dying to know how Jamie Sumner came up with it. Does this exist somewhere?
Beyond the creative school experience, this is a book about grief and community. Lenny and his dad recently lost his mom and how they deal, or don’t deal, with this grief plays a huge roll in their story.
This story is full of sadness but also hope, loss but also grit, and teems with heart. Another excellent middle grade novel from one of my favorite MG authors.
Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign
by Sara Shacter
This novel is heart-breaking at times, but so real and honest. I think most girls have experienced Georgia Watson’s friendship issues at some point, I know I did. Georgia has the most wonderful best friend who nerds out on all things science just as much as she does, but unfortunately her archenemy is in their class this year and seems determined to steal her friend away. The misunderstandings, the subtle jabs, the feeling left out – the realness of these moments swell out of Georgia’s story. I love the whole classroom of characters who have amazing depth for a relatively short novel. I also love how science is woven throughout. It is a creative story full of heart with one of the best conclusions ever.
Aarzu All Around
by Marzieh Abbas
Set in Pakistan, AARZU is a twelve year old girl stuck in a traditional home with an unpleasant uncle after the death of her parents. She does a mountain of chores daily, fights to find a way to protect her sister who is struggling with kidney failure, while dreaming of running outside to play cricket.
Written in verse, this thrumming story of dreaming and surviving bursts with life. Aarzu feels so real and her struggle to be fully seen in a society that undervalues females is fiercely depicted. The culture of Pakistan also comes to life on these pages and while so much of Aarzu’s story feels universal and relatable, I also enjoyed learning more about life in Pakistan.
A well told, suspenseful, and heartwarming story about family, friendship, duty, and chasing your dreams.
Deep Water
by Jamie Sumner
DEEP WATER is a layered, emotional novel in verse. The premise is a 12 year old girl trying to swim 12 miles across Lake Tahoe to be the first kid to accomplish this feat and feat it is. The book is segmented into the six hours she plans for this exhausting task.
As she swims, her reasons for tackling this swim come to light in her thoughts where the story primarily takes place. She is dealing with a mom with depression who left her and her dad several months earlier.
Her one companion is her best friend in the kayak next to her and their friendship, along with other relationships are the heart of this book. How we show love, what it means to be there for someone you care about, and the mental fortitude it takes to do hard things are all themes throughout this book.
It is a powerful story and one that keeps moving pretty well despite the repetitive action. This one is for the poets, the swimmers, and anyone who struggles with understanding who they are when they lose someone important to them.
Published by Simon
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