2025 Picture Books

Back in 2023, I made a post about picture books, highlighting two really good picture books I had read and noting that I'd add more throughout the year. Well, I didn't end up adding any more, but I figured I'd try that again this year. I have 2 to start, and maybe I'll actually add more this round. :)

[Adding later: I am adding more! Basically I'm adding any picture book that I read and think, Wow, I loved that!]

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long. I saw this on a possible Caldecott short-list, and it didn't end up winning anything, but I thought the story was clever and beautifully written, and the pictures were beautiful.

Touch the Sky by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic. I also saw this on a possible Caldecott short-list, but it also didn't win. I thought the illustrations were beautiful, and I really loved the message of the book (trying something hard, not giving up, helping others). The book also had some really good humor in there (Gretchen and the things her mom says to her).

This won the Caldecott Honor this year. The illustrations are beautiful, and I just love how they tell the story even on pages with very few words. The book got me a little choked up and was really sweet.

This won a Sydney Taylor Honor (for outstanding books for kids that authentically portray the Jewish experience), and I just loved the story! Just a super cool guy that really made an impact.

This won the Caldecott this year, and I think it was well deserved. Really nice pictures and just a sweet, relatable story.

This is an older book (2010), but I'm not limiting this list to books that are brand new but rather brand new to me in 2025. :) I read this for a preK storytime, and the kids enjoyed it. It's just a fun book to read aloud with hilarious pictures and just a funny/silly vibe the whole way through. And bonus, it practices counting!

I just saw this on the new book shelf and got it from the library. I had my 8-year-old read it, and then he made some positive comments about it (including telling me that Tomie dePaola had written the text before he died and then they created the book after), so I was intrigued and read it. I just loved it. It was such a sweet book that I think would be a great gift to someone whose pet dies. And I loved that the illustrations were reflective of Tomie dePaola's, along with hidden characters throughout the book (Strega Nona, Big Anthony serving spaghetti, etc.). 

I got this book from the library after seeing it on the newly purchased book list, and the cover caught my eye (fun title, love Melissa Sweet's illustration style). Then I read it to my son and just LOVED it. The poems were so sweet and beautiful. I loved the format and the suggestion at the end of how children could write their own letter poems.

I saw this book sitting out at the library since it was new, and the cover caught my eye. I started reading through it and then just read the whole thing and then got it for my kids to read too. I thought it was so good! Just a relatable, fun story for kids with amazing illustrations (including fun ones that take up the whole page. I could totally see this being a Caldecott contender for next year.