My Favorite Picture Books of 2024
Recommendations from an unreliable reader
On my Instagram bio, it says: “Professional Recommender & Promiscuous Reader.” While other descriptions of who I am have changed over the years, that has remained the same. And yet, the reality of it, the actual being of it, feels erratic and kaleidoscopic. It’s also somewhat of a contradiction. How can I be a reliable book recommender when my reading habits are unreliable? I’m an impatient and omnivorous reader. My nightstand is overflowing with books; some are half-read, others I’ve only read the introduction to, and most I’ve not opened; they are silent reminders, a promise to my future self.
Back when my reading habits were still being commodified into traffic-grabbing gift guides and monotonous monthly lists, I felt pressured to keep up with the new releases. I also meticulously tracked my books on Goodreads, and depressingly, I found I cared more about the number of books I read than the books themselves. I was no longer reading purely for pleasure; I was reading for an audience—a common internet tragedy. Then, I read The Seas by Samantha Hunt. It sent an electric shock to my calcified heart. This book wasn’t for show—it’s 20 years old, practically unknown, and deeply strange. No, this was a book for me.
I had a similarly startling experience reading Julie Morstad's picture book How To. At the time, I was already a fan of Morstad. I had read her delightfully illustrated books When I Was Small (written by Sara O’Leary) and The Swing (a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson) countless times to my daughter—but reading How To was different. It was the first time I recognized that reading a picture book could be like playing a game. Morstad’s books are especially good at this. They invite us to look closer and investigate things we often take for granted: time, flowers, faces, the moon, and what it means to be human.
In How To, Morstad presents us with a philosophical inquiry of the imagination. She playfully shows us how to wonder, stay close, go slow, and to be happy. Her surprising juxtapositions are only surprising to adults. Kids know there is no one answer to these questions because they still inhabit a world full of possibilities: their imagination. It’s adults who forget how to see and think differently. For me, reading this book was a slap in the face. I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of writing uninspired “how to” articles, many of them about books, and then here comes a book for young children that not only reminded me how to read, but how to live.
The author Franz Kafka knew all about this. He said we should only read books that wake us up with a blow to the head—that a book “must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” I’d lost that feeling, and now that I have it back, I’m not going to waste time reading books that don’t deeply affect me. But that decision comes at a cost. I don’t finish most books, and the ones I do finish aren’t usually on the current PR circuit. It’s hard to write a “Best Books of the Year” article when I’ve hardly read any new books. Thankfully, picture books are short; they’re easy to finish—and I’ve read some fantastic ones this year. However, because of my mixed feelings about these types of articles, I’m going to say they are “My Favorites” instead of “The Best.” Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, and very likely the best. But will they be an axe for the frozen sea within you? That’s too presumptuous for me to say. You could have a warm bath within you. In that case, maybe what you need is a rubber ducky.
My favorite picture books of 2024
We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang
“It was midnight when something crashed outside Mr. and Mrs. Li’s house.”
I think X. Fang is the most exciting up-and-coming picture book author-illustrator working today. Reading her books, I get the sensation of being grabbed by the face and forced into a penetrating stare, but not in an aggressive way, more like with passionate curiosity. I like that feeling.
Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan
“‘Ah, yes. As you can see, I am but a humble and trustworthy spider. I would never ever steal gold or overhear any secret wishes or tell those wishes to a nosy little boy.’ The townspeople immediately realized this was, in fact, exactly what had happened.”
This book is very funny—and dark! After reading it to my daughter, she said: “Mom, are you going to write about this one? It’s so you. And it has weird-looking characters and trees. You like weird stuff.”
It’s true, I like weird stuff. If you like weird stuff, I think you’ll like it, too. (And I did write about it.)
Listen to my discussion with Jess about this book (and many other great books).
“Bao wanted a birthday with cake, balloons, and most of all, a very special, very expensive, All-American Artist Amanda doll. Mama did not hear that. Bao hoped to share jokes, snuggles, and dreams with Mama. Mama did not see that.”
An honest, relatable story that touchingly shows how complicated relationships can be, and reminds us to try to stay open-minded and curious.
If You Run Out of Words by Felicita Sala
“What happens if you run out of words? Will you have any left for me?”
Reminds me of my dad. (And to get off my phone!)
How To Pee Your Pants: The Right Way by Rachel Michelle Wilson
“It can happen when you are sleeping. It can happen in class. It can even happen when you are sleeping in class.”
A fantastic debut by my talented friend Rachel! In the children’s publishing industry, you can tell when someone gets it. Rachel gets it. She is witty and warm, which makes her incredibly likable—and this book is just like her. It’s a heartfelt piece of auto-fiction disguised as a hilarious self-help book that encourages children (and adults) to share their stories, even the most embarrassing ones.
“I don’t know what I was expecting, but Pig Town was filled with pigs.”
A wildly funny Alice in Wonderland-inspired tale that includes a mysterious invitation, a stolen identity, a cake heist, and hundreds and hundreds of pigs!
The Last Stand written by Antwan Eady and illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
“The star-speckled sky, black as only a town without street lights could be, leads us home. Papa’s driveway is dusty and bumpy. But every bump, slowing us down as if to welcome us home, tells me a story too.”
I’ve been feeling horribly disenchanted lately, but whenever I cuddle up and read this tender story to my kids I feel touched and inspired.
“haw êkwa! Let’s go!”
A sensorial skateboarding experience that thrillingly captures the rhythms of the sport and the emotional journey of trying something new.
The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn by Shawn Harris
“We are all teeny-weeny. We are all giants. And we are all the right size.”
Honestly, I’m a little jealous of Shawn Harris. He’s unfairly talented—a true multi-hyphenate! This book is another example of his creative genius.
Listen to my discussion with Shawn about this book (and many other great books).
Pepper and Me by Beatrice Alemagna
“I knew other children had a lot of scabs in strange places, but mine was the worst one in the whole world.”
Who knew a book about a bloody scab could be so moving? Beatrice Alemagna, that’s who! She’s so cool.
Animal Albums from A to Z by Cece Bell
“Sometimes soup is salty, but I’ll make it sweet for you.”
If you ask Google’s AI if an LP is similar to a picture book, it will tell you it’s not. “An LP is a type of record, while a picture book is a book of photographs, and the two are not similar in content or format.” But I don’t agree with that. Obviously, an LP is not a picture book, but it can create a similar experience—and the author, cartoonist, and illustrator Cece Bell has done what no one has done before (I don’t think!): she’s created an LP collection picture book that’s also a gorgeous alphabet book, an incredible album (with original songs you can listen to online), a guide to musical history, and a love story to a lost art form.
There’s a Ghost in the Garden written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Katty Maurey
“There is a ghost, leaving tracks on the path where there was once a cool dark stream.”
A soft, sensual story about the moments and mysteries that shape us. Maclear is one of my favorite writers (her picture book Noodles on a Bicycle illustrated by Gracey Zhang should be on this list, too), and Maurey is a spectacular talent—I’d frame every illustration in this book.
Godfather Death written by Sally Nicholls and illustrated by Júlia Sardà
“And the fisherman cried out in sudden grief and horror, the cave, the candles, and the figure of Death all vanished…leaving him standing there on the windy clifftop. Alone.”
I love how Sardà and Nicholls gave new life to Death! In this Grimm’s fairy tale there is no happy ending, but reading this book makes me very happy.
While You’re Asleep by Emmy Kastner
You know who else is awake while you’re asleep? Me! I’m so tired.
Many of these I already love, and many are in the to-be-read pile that only lives in my brain, which is a horrendous place to keep a list! Thankfully I now have this post to come back to, so thanks :)
By the way my girls and I are also huge fans of Julie Morstad. ‘Today’ is our current favorite!
Love that Kafka quote! I have really gravitated toward axe books for myself lately, and now I realize that must not be an accident.
Can't wait to check out some of your favorites. Thanks for sharing!