2025 Picturebooks That I Love
No one asked, but here are my favorite picturebooks released this year.
Moon Song by Michaela Goade was my most anticipated release for picturebooks this year. I am a huge fan of Michaela Goade's work, and adored the companion work, Berry Song. Her art has a dreamy, magical quality to it. I love how she highlights nature and human connection to nature. Her work in Moon Song was about the light and the dark, fear and education, and family. As a winter lover myself, I deeply connected to how Goade showed the beauty of snow and winter.
The Littlest Drop by Sascha Alper and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney is about a hummingbird who wants to put out the local wildfires. Jerry Pinkney was a powerhouse of picturebooks and his song, Brian Pinkney, used his sketches to create the art for The Littlest Drop. The timeless message about community and every little step counts is beautifully depicted in the detailed animals and vivid swirls of creating a whimsical atmosphere throughout. A timeless tale.
The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi and Monica Arnaldo immediately caught my attention and I read it the second I saw the physical copy. What starts as a story about a girl, Cecilia, proud to translating for her parents in adult situations, like the DMV, turns into the pressure children are put under. Arnaldo uses an office setting to emphasize the responsibility Cecilia has, Abtahi emphasizing through the language that to Cecilia, this is a job. Arnaldo captures the slow toll this takes on Cecilia, through her facial expressions, body language, and outfit. I loved how expressive the art was, as well as the balance of humor and seriousness throughout the story. (If I were in my Picturebook class again, this is the book I would argue to write my final on).
For a Girl Becoming by Joy Harjo and Adriana Garcia has not gotten the buzz I think it deserves. Adriana Garcia illustrates a warm, welcoming, and stunning journey to accompany Joy Harjo's poem, showing mother and daughters at different stages in their lives. Her contrast of colors, unique use of spaces, and the fantastical approach she takes to illustrating creates a rich and vibrant world. And I love the use of horses throughout. Absolutely stunning.
Honorable mentions:
Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan
Nunu and the Sea by Isabella Kung
Let's Be Bees by Shawn Harris
These three books were recommended by some of my friends and I really enjoyed reading them and can't wait to spend more time with them.