30 of the Best Picture Books of 2024

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.

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:

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.

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