You don’t need a year-end list to know the best children’s book is always the one your child wants to read.
But for those wondering where to begin, lists of the “Best Children’s Books of 2025” include titles ranging from the commercial (hello, Amazon!) to the artfully quirky (bonjour, The New York Times/New York Public Library).
We looked at the year’s best-of lists – from NPR, the New York Public Library, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Good Housekeeping, Bookpage, and The New York Times/New York Public Library best illustrated book list – to find the titles most frequently mentioned.
These are 24 titles that have been singled out again and again. (See the most frequently chosen “best of 2025” books for adults here.)
Every Monday Mabel, by Jashar Awan. 6 mentions.
Every Monday, Mabel waits for the highlight of her week: the garbage truck. This much-heralded picture book captures the eye-twinkling joy of a child’s simple obsession.
Fireworks, by Matthew Burgess and Cátia Chien. 6 mentions.
One of the most frequently mentioned children’s book on “best of” lists, Fireworks also won the 2025 gold medal from the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. It follows two brothers through a hot summer day before enjoying the city pastime of watching fireworks on the roof.
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli, by Karina Yan Glaser. 6 mentions.
The most frequently named middle-grade novel on the list is a bestseller from Karina Yan Glaser, author of the Vanderbeekers series, that combines dual stories of two young people, the titular Han Yu in ancient China and Luli in Depression-era Chinatown.
Don’t Trust Fish, by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat. 5 mentions.
What starts as an innocent nature guide goes hilariously off the rails as we learn that the fish giving side-eye may also be plotting our doom.
For a Girl Becoming, by Joy Harjo and Adriana M. Garcia. 5 mentions.
U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s picture book with illustrator Adriana Garcia celebrates a baby girl’s arrival and implores her to remember her source as she journeys through life.
A Place for Us, by James E. Ransome. 5 mentions
This wordless picture book follows a homeless child after his day at school to his night with his mother sleeping on a park bench.
Pocket Bear, by Katherine Applegate. 5 mentions.
From Newbery winner Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan) comes Pocket, a middle-grade novel about a bear designed to fit in a soldier’s pocket during World War I, now living at the Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured.
The Summer of the Bone Horses, by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve and Steph Littlebird. 5 mentions.
This illustrated chapter book for young readers features a Lakota child who spends the summer with grandparents on the Rosebud Reservation, immersing himself in his heritage.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest, by Aubrey Hartman. 5 mentions.
Clare is an undead fox who guides souls to their final resting place, until a badger soul named Gingersnipes is unable to leave and the two set out on a journey for help.
All the Blues in the Sky, by Renée Watson. 4 mentions.
In prose and verse, bestselling author Renée Watson shares the story of 13-year-old Sage, who must cope with the death of her best friend.
Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship, by Shifa Saltagi Safadi and Aaliya Jaleel. 4 mentions.
In this new chapter book series from National Book Award-winning author Shifa Saltagi Safadi, a Syrian third-grader is learning to fit in at her new American school.
Anything, by Rebecca Stead and Gracey Zhang. 4 mentions.
In this picture book written by Newbery Medalist Rebecca Stead, a girl adapts to a new home with the help of an understanding father, who facilitates her wishes for “anything.”
Broken, by X. Fang. 4 mentions.
Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama’s favorite cup – spelling certain doom. But when her cat gets blamed, the guilt becomes too much to bear.
Cabin Head and Tree Head, by Scott Campbell. 4 mentions.
This graphic novel for emerging readers – billed as Frog and Toad meets Bill and Ted – features six adventures of two pals with unusual chapeaus.
The Cartoonists Club, by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. 4 mentions.
Bestselling cartoonists Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud come together for a graphic novel that imitates their real-life partnership – with a team of kids working together to form The Cartoonists Club.
Cat Nap, by Brian Lies. 4 mentions.
In this artfully inventive picture book, a cat chases a mouse through a poster on the wall and art forms throughout history.
Everybelly, by Thao Lam. 4 mentions
A child who is belly-high to the world explores poolside via midsections, from Mama’s where she used to live to her own, which she’d like to fill with jelly beans, donuts, gimbap, and more.
The Ink Witch, by Steph Cherrywell. 4 mentions.
Becca Slugg discovers she’s the descendant of a powerful witch coven and sets out to uncover her own abilities in this cozy fantasy.
Nightsong, by Sally Soweol Han. 4 mentions.
After a long day in the noisy city, Lewis’ bus ride is stopped by a loud POP! that leaves him waiting beside the road. The happy accident allows him to explore the quiet sounds of nature at night.
Oasis, by Guojing. 4 mentions.
JieJie and her little brother, DiDi, create an unbreakable bond with an AI-powered robot they find in an abandoned junkyard in a tech-obsessed future.
Safe Crossing, by Kari Percival. 4 mentions.
In this nonfiction picture book, an Amphibian Migration Team acts as a crossing guard for migrating amphibians.
Scarlet Morning, by ND Stevenson. 4 mentions.
This bestselling illustrated novel follows two orphans who leave home to sail with a crew of pirates.
The Unlikely Aventuras of Ramón and El Cucuy, by Donna Barbra Higuera and Juliana Perdomo. 4 mentions.
A young monster befriends the child he was assigned to scare in this illustrated chapter book from Newbery Medal-winning author Donna Barbra Higuera.
Xolo, by Donna Barba Higuera and Mariana Ruiz Johnson. 4 mentions.
Higuera’s newest middle-grade novel reimagines the Aztec myth of the origin of man – and man’s best friend.
