Well, 2025 has come and gone! That means I’ve spent the past twelve months knee-deep in picture books, and I’m excited to share the ones that stood out.
For newcomers to OPB, I choose books based on these core principles:
- Books that have heart.
- Books that resonate.
- Books that are skillfully done.
- Books that matter.
But to earn a coveted spot on the “Best of 2025” list, a book needs to do more than check those boxes. This year, I found myself especially drawn to books with:
- Originality in Execution: Books that take familiar subjects and make them feel brand new through innovative structure, unexpected humor, or a fresh approach.
- Emotional Truth: Stories that capture authentic moments—the messy, complicated, beautiful reality of being human—in ways that feel both specific and universal.
- Visual Storytelling: Illustrations that don’t just support the main text but expand it, adding layers of meaning and inviting every reader to linger on each page.
- Playful Language: Text that delights in the sounds and rhythms of words, whether that’s through musicality, wit, or inventive wordplay.
- Sticking Power: Books that refuse to leave you alone, prompting conversations, rereads, and new discoveries each time you circle back to them.
In no particular order (except alphabetical, for easy navigation), here are OPB’s standout picture books of 2025. As always, I’m including my signature 5‑word reviews for each title, along with a link to the book’s Goodreads page.
Of course, this list represents just a fraction of the wonderful picture books published this year. If your favorite didn’t make the cut, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Now, let’s dive in!
The Baby Who Stayed Awake Forever
Author: Sandra Salsbury
Illustrator: Sandra Salsbury
Doubleday Books for Young Readers
11 March 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Sleep-deprived chaos rings delightfully true.
Big Enough
Author: Regina Linke
Illustrator: Regina Linke
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
1 April 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Courage outgrows fear and doubt.
Blue
Author: Suzanne Kaufman
Illustrator: Suzanne Kaufman
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
3 June 2025
48 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Boy and heron soar skyward.
Broken
Author: X. Fang
Illustrator: X. Fang
Tundra Books
14 October 2025
48 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Guilt transforms into forgiving grace.
Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World)
Author: Corey R. Tabor
Illustrator: Corey R. Tabor
Greenwillow Books
6 May 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Cranky exterior hides world-saving mission.
Don’t Trust Fish
Author: Neil Sharpson
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Dial Books for Young Readers
8 April 2025
40 pages
The Escape Artist: A True Story of Octopus Adventure
Author: Thor Hanson
Illustrator: Galia Bernstein
Greenwillow Books
22 July 2025
32 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Boredom triggers tentacled breakout. Legendary.
Every Monday Mabel
Author: Jashar Awan
Illustrator: Jashar Awan
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
25 February 2025
48 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Garbage truck love finds kindred spirits.
Fireworks
Author: Matthew Burgess
Illustrator: Cátia Chien
Clarion Books
13 May 2025
44 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Sensory city summer bursts. Spectacular.
The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs
Author: Mamiko Shiotani
Illustrator: Mamiko Shiotani
Translator: Polly Lawson
Floris Books
5 August 2025
36 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Solitary ghost discovers friendship’s charm.
Home
Author: Matt de la Peña
Illustrator: Loren Long
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
11 March 2025
48 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Hearts, not houses, hold us.
How Sweet the Sound
Author: Kwame Alexander
Illustrator: Charly Palmer
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
14 January 2025
48 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Black music’s triumphant journey. Revolutionary.
Hurricane
Author: Jason Chin
Illustrator: Jason Chin
Neal Porter Books
6 May 2025
48 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Science and neighbors weather storms.
The Interpreter
Author: Olivia Abtahi
Illustrator: Monica Arnaldo
Kokila
21 January 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Exhausted interpreter finally gets help.
It Started with a P
Author: Brittany Pomales
Illustrator: Andrew Joyner
Flamingo Books
8 April 2025
32 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Alliterative absurdity sparks delightful pandemonium.
Just Shine!: How to Be a Better You
Author: Sonia Sotomayor
Illustrator: Jacqueline Alcántara
Philomel Books
9 September 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Mother’s kindness illuminates generational brilliance.
Moon Song
Author: Michaela Goade
Illustrator: Michaela Goade
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
7 October 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Moonlight guides through winter’s darkness.
The Moving Book
Author: Lisa Brown
Illustrator: Lisa Brown
Neal Porter Books
22 July 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Homes change. Memories anchor us.
Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll!: The Inventive Rube Goldberg―A Life in Comics, Contraptions, and Six Simple Machines
Author: Catherine Thimmesh
Illustrator: Shanda McCloskey
Chronicle Books
6 May 2025
60 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Simple machines, complex whimsical fun.
Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave
Author: Drew Beckmeyer
Illustrator: Drew Beckmeyer
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
18 March 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Eons of friendship, eternally touching.
This Is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color
Author: Rachel Poliquin
Illustrator: Julie Morstad
Candlewick
21 October 2025
48 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Color theory meets cultural celebration.
The Trouble with Giraffes
Author: Lisa Mantchev
Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo
Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
16 September 2025
32 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Accessibility transforms welcome into belonging.
The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle
Author: Sy Montgomery
Illustrator: Matt Patterson
Clarion Books
9 September 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Fire Chief’s lucky, resilient journey.
Tuck Me In!: A Science Bedtime Story
Author: Nathan W Pyle
Illustrator: Nathan W Pyle
Random House Books for Young Readers
2 September 2025
40 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Bedtime physics explained through bickering.
Who Ate Steve?
Author: Susannah Lloyd
Illustrator: Kate Hindley
Nosy Crow
11 March 2025
32 pages
OPB’s five-word review: Educational plan goes hilariously awry.
John’s Turn
Knight Owl
Strong
Wally, the World’s Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat