30 of the Best Picture Books of 2024 Book List
The Children’s Book Review
2024 brings a remarkable collection of picture books that celebrate diversity, imagination, and the enduring power of storytelling. From Maurice Sendak’s posthumously discovered Ten Little Rabbits to innovative new voices, this year’s selections tackle themes of belonging, cultural identity, and environmental awareness with extraordinary artistry.
The list features works by acclaimed creators like Oliver Jeffers, Sophie Blackall, and Aaron Becker, alongside exciting debuts pushing visual storytelling’s boundaries—exploring everything from the simple joys of cloud-watching and playground adventures to deeper themes of immigration, family bonds, and environmental stewardship. These books maintain the wonder and accessibility that makes picture books such a vital and inclusive part of children’s literature.
Be sure to check out all our Best Kids’ Books of 2024 for all ages here. We hope you’ll also check out A New Friend for Dragon and Cattitude by TCBR’s founder, Bianca Schulze!
Here are thirty of the best picture books of 2024:
The Yellow Bus
Written and Illustrated by Loren Long
Ages: 3+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1250903136
Through stunning black-and-white illustrations with pops of color, #1 New York Times bestselling creator Loren Long tells the heartwarming story of a yellow bus that finds joy in carrying generations of passengers and discovers that even when her driving days are over, there is still wonder and happiness to be found in new beginnings.
Listen to Loren Long discuss The Yellow Bus on The Growing Readers Podcast.
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I Am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes
Written by Karol Hernández
Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez
Ages: 3+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Dial Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0593529201
This rhyming picture book follows a vibrant chiva bus as it travels through Colombia’s Andes mountains, celebrating the country’s culture, landscape, and community spirit.
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Two Together
Written and Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
Ages: 3+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1797202778
A cat and dog’s journey home becomes an adventure in perspective as they experience the same path in very different ways, learning to appreciate their unique viewpoints and growing closer as friends.
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Jump for Joy
Written by Karen Gray Ruelle
Illustrated by Hadley Hooper
Ages: 3+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Astra Young Readers (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1662602023
Joy longs for a dog so much that she creates them from snow and seashells, while somewhere nearby, the perfect real dog is wishing just as hard for a kid of their own to love.
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The Last Stand
Written by Antwan Eady
Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey & Jarrett Pumphrey
Ages: 3+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0593480571
On Saturdays, a young boy helps his Papa harvest produce for their farmer’s market stand, where they share not just fruits and vegetables but also connections with their community—who, in turn, support them when Papa needs their help.
Hear Antwan Eady talk about creating books on The Growing Readers Podcast.
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Just Like Millie
Written and Illustrated by Lauren Castillo
Ages: 3+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1536224818
In this tender picture book, Caldecott Honoree Lauren Castillo tells the heartwarming story of a shy young girl who finds the courage to make friends through her special connection with Millie, a gentle rescue dog who helps her discover her own inner bravery.
Listen to Lauren Castillo discuss Just Like Millie on The Growing Readers Podcast.
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The Dictionary Story
Written and Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston
Ages: 3+ | 56 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1536235500
From acclaimed creators Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston comes a whimsical picture book about Dictionary, who longs to tell stories like other books, but when her words come alive and create chaos on her pages, she learns that sometimes the best stories need a little help from a friend named Alphabet to find their proper order.
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Summer is Here
Written by Renée Watson
Illustrated by Bea Jackson
Ages: 3+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1547605866
In this joyful picture book celebration of summer, a young girl experiences all the season’s delights—from fresh fruit and jump rope games to family cookouts and ice cream trucks—as she savors one perfect summer day from sunrise to starlight.
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Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden
Written and Illustrated by Christy Mandin
Ages: 3+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Orchard Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1339023274
In this charmingly offbeat picture book, Millie Fleur La Fae brings her wonderfully weird garden—filled with unusual plants like Sneezing Stickyweed and Fanged Fairymoss—to the bland town of Garden Glen, teaching readers that being different is something to celebrate and that true friends are those who appreciate our unique qualities.
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The Spaceman
Written and Illustrated by Randy Cecil
Ages: 3+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1536226164
In this charming picture book filled with deadpan humor and wonder, a tiny Spaceman’s routine mission takes an unexpected turn when he loses his ship on Earth, leading him to discover the extraordinary beauty of our planet and the possibility that the most surprising place might just become home.
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The Mango Tree (La mata de mango)
Written and Illustrated by Edel Rodriguez
Ages: 4+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1419745867
In this wordless picture book inspired by the author’s immigrant experience, two boys share idyllic days in a mango tree until a storm sweeps one away to strange new shores, where he must navigate an unfamiliar world while holding onto memories of home.
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Partly Cloudy
Written and Illustrated by Deborah Freedman
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0593352670
Two bunny friends watch clouds together, one seeing whimsical shapes like cotton candy while the other focuses on the science behind them, until they learn to appreciate both imagination and facts in cloud-watching.
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The Ofrenda That We Built
Written by Jolene Gutiérrez & Shaian Gutiérrez
Illustrated by Gabby Zapata
Ages: 4+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1797215624
Inspired by “The House That Jack Built,” this rhyming picture book follows a family as they build their Día de Muertos ofrenda piece by piece, celebrating the holiday’s traditions and the loving connections between generations past and present.
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Sister Friend
Written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1419767210
When a new hijabi student joins her class, Ameena, who has been feeling invisible at her new school, hopes to make a connection but struggles to find the right words—until they discover a shared greeting that bridges their silence.
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Being Home
Written by Traci Sorell
Illustrated by Michaela Goade
Ages: 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Kokila (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1984816030
A young Cherokee girl leaves her city home for her family’s ancestral land, drawing the changing landscape during their journey and looking forward to creek-side play with cousins and the welcoming feast that awaits.
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The Table
Written by Winsome Bingham & Wiley Blevins
Illustrated by Jason Griffin
Ages: 4+ | 56 Pages
Publisher: Neal Porter Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0823456420
When hard times force an Appalachian mining family to leave behind their beloved kitchen table, it finds a new home with another family, connecting their stories through the shared moments of love and life that happen around it.
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Joyful Song: A Naming Story
Written by Lesléa Newman
Illustrated by Susan Gal
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Levine Querido (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1646143702
As Zachary and his two moms walk to the temple for his baby sister’s naming ceremony, they gather an excited parade of neighbors, all eager to learn the baby’s name that will finally be revealed during the special celebration.
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Brown Girl, Brown Girl
Written by Leslé Honoré
Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0316314039
Based on Honoré’s viral poem inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris’s election, this picture book follows a brown girl’s journey through past and present, celebrating Black and brown girls’ power to create change through hope and activism.
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Animal Albums from A to Z
Written and Illustrated by Cece Bell
Ages: 4+ | 64 Pages
Publisher: Walker Books US (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1536226249
From Newbery Honor winner Cece Bell comes this unique alphabet book that cleverly reimagines vintage album covers featuring animal musicians—from the Barbershop Beagles to Ella Fontaine the elephant—complete with witty text, hand-painted artwork, and fictional music history that celebrates the golden age of album art from 1944 to 1984.
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Home in a Lunchbox
Written and Illustrated by Cherry Mo
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Penguin Workshop (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0593661345
When Jun moves from Hong Kong to America knowing only a few English words, she finds comfort and connection to her homeland through the familiar foods in her lunchbox at her new school.
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Dog vs. Strawberry
Written by Nelly Buchet
Illustrated by Andrea Zuill
Ages: 4+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Random House Studio (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0593643129
In this playful picture book, a determined dog engages in an imaginary race against an unmoving strawberry, darting around furniture and through rooms until mom’s arrival leads to an unexpected splat of an ending.
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Ten Little Rabbits
Written and Illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Ages: 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0062644671
In this newly discovered treasure from beloved children’s book creator Maurice Sendak, young magician Mino puts on a counting show with rabbits that goes from delightful to chaotic and back again, bringing Sendak’s signature whimsy to a simple counting tale that introduces his magic to a new generation of readers.
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Ahoy!
Written and Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Ages: 4+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Anne Schwartz Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0593429396
A child transforms an ordinary living room into a high seas adventure, convincing their parent to abandon vacuuming and join them as first mate in an imaginative nautical journey where couches become ships and rugs become oceans.
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Touch the Sky
Written by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic
Illustrated by Chris Park
Ages: 5+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1728460451
Vern wants nothing more than to swing high enough to touch the sky, but can’t figure out how to pump his legs—until he meets Gretchen, whose help finally teaches him how to soar.
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No More Señora Mimí
Written by Meg Medina
Illustrated by Brittany Cicchese
Ages: 5+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2024) | ISBN-13: 78-1536219449
From National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and Newbery Medalist Meg Medina comes a tender picture book about a young girl who, excited about her grandmother moving in, learns to appreciate the special bond she shares with her beloved babysitter, Señora Mimí, and the importance of all the caregivers in her life.
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The Book That Can Read Your Mind
Written and Illustrated by Marianna Coppo
Ages: 5+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1797229010
In this interactive and enchanting picture book, magician Lady Rabbit promises to read readers’ minds by guessing which character they’ve chosen from her illustrated audience, creating a magical book experience inspired by 17th-century magic books that invites repeated readings and delighted sharing between children and adults alike.
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Something About the Sky
Written by Rachel Carson
Illustrated by Nikki McClure
Ages: 5+ | 56 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick Studio (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1536228700
This stunning adaptation of Rachel Carson’s previously unpublished essay pairs her lyrical observations about clouds with Nikki McClure’s innovative cut-paper illustrations. The result is a picture book that celebrates the science and poetry of the sky while encouraging readers to know and feel the wonders of the natural world.
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The Last Zookeeper
Written and Illustrated by Aaron Becker
Ages: 5+ | 40 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1536227680
In this wordless, visually stunning picture book from Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker, a compassionate robot named NOA becomes the unlikely guardian of endangered zoo animals in a flooded future world, building an ark to save them and discovering profound truths about care and connection in challenging times.
Hear Aaron Becker discuss creating children’s books on The Growing Readers Podcast.
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Why Not?: A Story about Discovering Our Bright Possibilities
Written by Kobi Yamada
Illustrated by Gabriella Barouch
Ages: 5+ | 48 Pages
Publisher: Compendium (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1957891194
New York Times bestselling author Kobi Yamada and illustrator Gabriella Barouch present this empowering sequel to Maybe, combining photorealistic illustrations with inspiring words that encourage readers to embrace life’s possibilities, be brave in pursuit of their dreams, and recognize that they can be the ones to make positive changes in the world.
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Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair
Written by Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Ages: 7+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-0763697945
From acclaimed Coretta Scott King Award winners comes this vibrant celebration of Black hair in all its glory, combining rhythmic text and stunning collage art to showcase the beauty, creativity, and cultural significance of various hairstyles while honoring the rituals, expressions, and pride found in Black hair traditions.