Here is our selection of some of the best picture books published in 2025. We have tried to include books for all ages from 0-11+ and select books children (and adults!) will want to return to. We hope these books will encourage conversations based on the stories and the ideas, inspire story play or an interest in finding out more about the topics they introduce.
Ant Party
Ross Montgomery, illus. Sarah Warburton
Bloomsbury
Age 3-7
It was Andy’s birthday, and he decided to have a party. Because his home was small, he thought he would just invite his neighbours. Unfortunately, they decided to invite the farmer ants …who invited the worker ants and in no time at all Andy’s small party had turned into a massive one. This could have been a disaster but when danger strikes Andy finds that teamwork, something ants excel in, saves the day. A humorous picturebook from a highly skilled creative team.
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The Bed Book
Sylvia Plath, illus. Cindy Wume
Faber and Faber
Age 3- 7
The Bed Book is a picture book version of a well-known poem written by the acclaimed American poet Sylvia Plath for her own children in 1959.
This book is a playful exploration of what a bed could become with just a sprinkling of imagination. It suggests a bed is not simply a place for sleeping or resting, it might be all sorts of things, a jet propelled space machine to visit Mars, or a submarine to explore the ocean. Full of rhythmic language, this book would be great fun to read aloud and may well prompt children’s own inventiveness as they imagine what else a bed might become. The illustrations are lively, colourful and amusing, perfectly matching the humorous text which brings Plath’s popular poem to a new generation.
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The Coming of the Iron Man
Ted Hughes, illus. Mini Grey
Faber & Faber
Age 6-9
A beautifully illustrated abridged version of the opening chapters of Ted Hughes classic The Iron Man, introducing young readers to the discovery of the Iron man and the unlikely friendship with a young boy who helps to solve the problem the Iron Man presents. The illustrations are fabulous bringing to life the drama of the story. An enjoyable picture book and a good introduction to a popular classic. It may encourage young readers to seek out the full text in the original book where they will find wonderful similes describing the size of the Iron man and the sounds of the sea together with some of the amusing scenes such as the seagulls piecing together the parts of the Iron Man’s body.
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based on the original full version of The Iron Man and download our activity booklet
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Cosmo Park is a graphic novel with an intergalactic adventure and a wonderfully detailed story world. It is jam packed with a dizzying array of facts and data wrapped up in an imaginative and engaging narrative.
Written by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic scientist, this is a great introduction to our solar system, astronomical research and sophisticated scientific ideas. We find out about the life cycle of a star, explore the mystery of black holes and gain an insight into the search for life beyond our solar system. The engaging cover includes an intriguing warning (may contain meteor showers, greedy black holes and space time secrets!) which makes turning the pages of this graphic novel to find out more irresistible.
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Little Rhino Lost
Candy Gourlay, illus. Jamie Bouza
Otter- Barry
Age 3-5
Maggie’s aunt and uncle take her on a seaside holiday while her baby brother is in hospital. She has lots of seaside fun with them. One day she finds a seal pup on the beach. It seems to be stranded, and Maggie is very worried about it. She hopes it will be able to return to the sea, just as she secretly hopes her baby brother will get better and she can be with her mum again. What can she do? Fortunately, there is help at hand.
A beautifully written story with lovely illustrations and a very positive and hopeful conclusion.
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Oh Dear, Look What I Got!
Michael Rosen, illus. Helen Oxenbury
Walker Books
Age 0-5
A young boy sets off to the shops with a clear idea of what he wants to buy. However, during his increasingly chaotic shopping trip he comes away with a series of rather unexpected purchases.
This is a joyful picturebook from a masterly team which deploys rhyme, repetition, anticipation and humour to great effect. Adult readers may spot echoes of Dear Zoo, The Old Woman who Swallowed the Fly and Pat Hutchins’ Don’t Forget the Bacon. Young children will love joining in with the chorus and guessing what will happen next using both the rhyme and the picture clues. Destined to become a family favourite.
See our activity ideas for the timeless classic by the same creative team We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
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The Sea Maiden’s Odyssey
Berlie Doherty, Tamsin Rosewell
Uclan Publishing
Age 7-11
When a strange creature, half girl and half fish is brought to the marine sanctuary where Sasha works, she wants to find out more. The sea maiden agrees to tell Sasha about her world on condition Sasha helps her return to the sea. An amazing story unfolds, about another sea maiden called Merryn, her quest for independence and adventure and the dangers she faces when she encounters land and the human world.
This is a beautifully written and illustrated short novel steeped in folk lore. The book raises questions with wider relevance, in particular about the ethics of taking creatures from their natural habitat for research.
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The Ordinary Life of Jacominus Gainsborough
Rébecca Dautremer
Post Wave Children’s Books
Age 8+
In this wonderful picture book, we meet Jacominus Gainsborough and follow his journey through life as, over time, he tries to find his place in the world. Jacominus Gainsborough is not a perfect character, and his experiences are not unique. This is a book which celebrates the ‘ups and downs of ordinary lives, it is moving and steeped in quiet philosophy,
The artwork is simply stunning. Readers will spot echoes of Shaun Tan in the style of illustration, the depth of detail and variety of layout and design. Don’t miss the who’s who on end papers.
As the writer reminds us in her preface, this is a book to take your time with, linger over the illustrations where there is so much to discover, think and talk about the ideas within the text.
An absolute gem of a book.
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The Very Noisy House
Sally Nicholls, illus. Gosia Herba
Harper Collins
Age 0-5
It is an engaging, interactive book with a simple but clever premise as we are taken on a guided tour of a very noisy house and garden. There are lots of opportunities for uyoung children to join in and explore sounds in the world around them and to make sounds of their own.
Children will find out about echoes, experiment with whispering and tiptoeing, shouting and banging. They will discover a ‘mixed-up room,’ where owls bleat like sheep and wolves hoot like owls. There are scary pages too; watch out for lion waiting to roar at you and a ghost in the spooky cellar.
Another highly successful picturebook from the team who created The Nose, Toes and Tummy book and is likely to become a firm favourite with the very young
Fortunately for parents and carers, the book ends with the peaceful sounds of bedtime. Great fun.
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