The Best Children’s Books of the Year – The Books Our Family Enjoyed Most in 2023

We put this book on hold at the library, not realizing the beauty that was awaiting us when we took it home to read!

This book is a whimsical journey through the backyard and a child’s imagination, illustrated with colorful, laser-cut pages. Honestly, I didn't realize what "laser-cut" pages" meant and if you don't know either, let me explain.

Inside of this book are pages that are delicately cut to form unique, beautiful images that you just won't find in other books. We ALL thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book together!

Follow Tom to the edge of his garden, where the grass turns into a lush jungle and a walk turns into an expedition! Tom, a little boy who’s bored, follows a butterfly deeper than he’s ever been in his backyard and discovers uncharted territory. Here, the grass becomes a jungle, the cat turns into a leopard, and the only sounds come from leaves blowing in the wind. But all too soon, it’s time to go back. Tom realizes his house is just behind those shrubs . . . It’s so good to be bored!

The beautiful, colorful storybook illustrated with laser-cut silhouettes makes the garden come alive. An exciting backyard adventure, Garden Jungle will appeal to children of all ages.

The tale of Dorothy, and her dog Toto, who are carried away by a tornado to the Land of Oz, is one of the best-loved stories in children's literature. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a bestseller on publication in 1900, and its popularity was further enhanced with the celebrated MGM movie in 1939 that made Judy Garland a star.

This new edition follows these wonderful characters along the yellow brick road and, as Robert Ingpen says, he 'had the privilege of drawing Baum's 'Oz' characters and their adventures to be as near to 'real' as I have always wanted them to be.'

The journey from cyclone-stricken Kansas to Oz and back again is portrayed in fabulous colors and particularly emerald green. Young readers will love this copy of this timeless classic!

The perfect book for young adventure-seekers!

Young and impulsive, Robinson Crusoe defies the advice of his parents and runs away to sea. He is plagued by misfortune at every turn; his first ship sinks in a violent storm, his friend and mentor dies, then he is captured by pirates and made a slave in the port of Sallee.

Through all these hardships, Crusoe's determination and resourcefulness fills him with hope for a better life, and fate delivers him the opportunity for freedom, friendship and riches. But it is when he is shipwrecked on a deserted island that he faces his greatest test: not simply to survive but to thrive.

This classic is beautifully illustrated by Robert Ingpen as well. Young readers will love the colorful illustrations.

"Bah Humbug!" That's how Ebeneezer Scrooge feels about Christmas--until the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future decide to show the crotchety old miser the error of his ways. Together they travel through time, revisiting all the people who have played an important role in Scrooge's life. And as their journey concludes, Scrooge is reminded of what it means to have love in his heart, and what the true spirit of Christmas is all about. A timeless story the whole family will enjoy!

This abridged version of this holiday classic features beautiful illustrations from Robert Ingpen that my children just love!

We are loving this board book set from Barefoot Books!

Introduce budding scientists to fun STEM topics — eggs, feathers, and poop! These three interactive board books in the Slide-and-See series feature riddles about the different eggs, feathers, and poop of the animal kingdom, and images that transform as you turn the page to reveal the answer.

Poop! Book:

Introduce budding scientists to a fun STEM topic — poop! This interactive board book features riddles about the different poops of the animal kingdom and images that transform as you turn the page to reveal the answer. Includes fact-packed educational notes about poop and what we can learn from it.

Tweet! Book:

Introduce budding scientists to a fun STEM topic — birds and their feathers! This interactive board book features riddles about different birds and images that transform as you turn the page to reveal the answer. Includes fact-packed educational notes about birds, feathers, and what we can learn from them.

Crack! Book:

Introduce budding scientists to a fun STEM topic — eggs! This interactive board book features riddles about the different eggs of the animal kingdom and images that transform as you turn the page to reveal the answer. Includes fact-packed educational notes about eggs and what we can learn from them.

Each book includes fact-packed educational endnotes. You can buy these books individually or as a set.

This installment in the popular Big Book series is a fascinating introduction to some of the most magnificent and surprising flowering plants from around the world.

In The Big Book of Blooms, Yuval Zommer’s charming illustrations bring to life some of the most colorful, flamboyant, and unusual flowers from across the globe.

In the opening pages, readers will learn all about botany, including how to recognize different types of flowers. Subsequent pages illustrate the various habitats that are home to flora such as pitcher plants, the giant water lily, and the weirdly wonderful corpse flower.

Readers will discover which flowers are endangered and why some blooms are fragrant or colorful, not to mention grisly details about carnivorous and poisonous flowers.

This title pairs picture-book charm and concise, informative text to create a beautiful book for children to return to. Zommer’s quirky illustrations appeal to young readers, who will relish these fun and amazing facts about the world’s most exciting plants.

We've been studying birds this year in our homeschooling and have checked this book out from the library a few times. It's a great resource!

This colorful book in the Big Book series introduces young children to some of the most colorful, magnificent, silly, and surprising feathered creatures from around the world.

Following up the hugely successful The Big Book of Bugs, The Big Book of Beasts, and The Big Book of the Blue, The Big Book of Birds is a fact-filled tour of the world’s most wonderful winged creatures. Yuval Zommer’s distinctive illustrations show off some of the most colorful, flamboyant, impressive, and wacky birds of the sky. Picture-book charm pairs with informative nonfiction to make a beautiful, large-format title for parents to share with young children and for older children to read by themselves.

The book draws in children and parents alike with captivating information about and charming illustrations of hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, puffins, red-crowned cranes, and more. The book also invites young bird-watchers to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird-friendly. The text is chatty, funny, and full of remarkable facts.

Yuval Zommer’s illustrations and fresh approach are what make this series feel distinct. His glorious and quirky pictures appeal to young children, who will relish the flighty questions and pithy facts about the most exciting creatures of the sky.

Illustrated in color throughout the entire book.

The new installment in the popular Big Book series connects young readers from around the world by emphasizing that we all belong to the same planet Earth.

The Big Book of Belonging is a timely celebration of all the ways that humans are connected to life on planet Earth. With children at the heart of every beautifully illustrated spread, this book draws parallels between the way humans, plants, and animals live and behave. We all breathe the same air and take warmth from the same sun, we grow, we adapt to the seasons, and we live together in family groups.

Readers will be fascinated to learn that instead of using words to communicate, fava beans send chemical messages through their roots, Caribbean reef squid send warnings of danger and even declarations of love by changing color, and that adorable big-eyed primate called tarsiers make calls to one another over the noise of the rainforest that are too high-pitched for predators to hear.

By putting children at the heart of the book’s concept, author Yuval Zommer unites readers of the Big Book series from all corners of the world under one banner―of belonging to planet Earth. The book’s gentle message of caring for nature will inspire readers of all ages and encourage a new generation of environmentalists to flourish.

Illustrated in color throughout with beautiful illustrations!

My kids have loved this new National Geographic Kids Animal Encyclopedia book!

Updated and reviewed by experts in the field for the most accurate, up-to-date information, this comprehensive reference book features 2,500 species, 1,000 stunning photos, and more than a dozen engaging maps. Jam-packed with fun facts--such as the world's tallest animal, the longest-living animal on Earth, and even the smelliest--it also contains new, exclusive "From the Field" reports highlighting National Geographic explorers working around the world to study and protect every kind of animal, from giraffes to penguins and sharks to snails.

Kids will love diving into topics like animal homes and habitats, migration, life cycles and babies, conservation and more! This must-have encyclopedia for all animal lovers also includes an extensive listing of animal species with basic facts and figures, and a comprehensive glossary and index.

From J.K. Rowling comes this great new Christmas story! A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child's love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world’s greatest storytellers.

One boy and his toy are about to change everything...

Jack loves his childhood toy, Dur Pig. DP has always been there for him, through good and bad. Until one Christmas Eve something terrible happens -- DP is lost. But Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes, a night when all things can come to life... even toys. And Jack’s newest toy -- the Christmas Pig (DP’s replacement) -- has a daring plan: Together they’ll embark on a magical journey to seek something lost, and to save the best friend Jack has ever known...

This book is recommended for readers ages 7 and up, grade levels 3-6.

This book came out a few years ago but my children have read it SO many times, we had to get a new copy it was that worn out! They LOVE the stories about Pig the pug and Pig the Elf is a must-have for your Christmas book collections!

From the award-winning creator of Pig the Pug comes another laugh-out-loud book, filled with holiday cheer! Santa was coming! 'Twas bigger than big!No one loves Christmas more than Pig. And the world's greediest pug will stay up all night to get his presents! When Pig yips at Santa and finds himself joining in on the flying sleigh ride, things quickly get out of hand in a way that is pure Pig pandemonium.

A delightful compendium of all the most unusual and unexpected features in the animal kingdom, from puzzling toes to weird ears, and all the other body parts in between!

Discover why a firefly’s bum glows, take a look at a saiga antelope’s dangly nose, and marvel at a sun bear’s super-long tongue.

These creatures have strange features - but they all serve a very useful purpose! This charming and visually appealing book carries the underlying message that everybody and everything is strange and wonderful in its own way - differences should be celebrated!

If it was written by Mo Willems, you can guarantee my kids have enjoyed it! They love his books and there are lots of laughs and giggles when we read them together!

From Mo Willems, creator of the revolutionary, award-winning, best-selling Elephant & Piggie books, comes this breakout beginning-reader series. An ensemble cast of Squirrels, Acorns, and pop-in guests host a page-turning extravaganza. Each book features a funny, furry adventure AND bonus jokes, quirky quizzes, nutty facts, and so, so many Squirrels.

In Who is the Mystery Reader?, Zoom Squirrel tries out a new superpower with help from a mysterious Mystery Reader. But will the Squirrel pals ever find out who the real Mystery Reader is? Do you know more about reading than the Squirrels do? You will by the end of this book!

What do you see when you look up at the sky? It may seem like a big, empty space, but it's busier than you think.

From clouds and stars, to birds, planes and everything in between - there's a whole sky to explore.

Skygazing is a double-sided book full of incredible cross-curricular information, fun activities, and beautiful illustrated scenes to enjoy.

Discover why the sky is blue, early experiments in flight, and how helicopters stay aloft, before flipping the book to read all about the night sky. Find out how to read the stars, spot the night's flying creatures and see the colors of the aurora borealis.

Enjoy a colorful game of peek-a-boo with lots of friendly animals! These sturdy board book editions of Who's in the Garden?, Who's in the Forest? and Who's in the Farmyard? feature peek-a-boo holes for storytime play.

Who's in the Forest Book:

In this colorful peek-a-boo book, small children are invited to peek through the holes on every other page to answer the repeating refrain, “Who’s in the forest, dark and deep?” The playful, energetic, rhyming text introduces all sorts of creatures that make their home in the forest.

Who's in the Garden Book:

In this delightful peek-a-boo book, children are invited to look through the holes on every other page to answer the repeating refrain, “Who’s coming to see how my garden grows?” The energetic, rhyming text introduces all sorts of creatures that are busy in the garden.

Who's in the Farmyard Book:

Head down to the farm and spot frisky goats bleating in the garden, little lambs baaing in the fields, and many other animals and their babies being woken up by the rooster’s crow. This is the third book in a popular series, joining Who’s in the Garden? and Who’s in the Forest?

You can also purchase each of these books separately if you'd like.

We're huge fans of Yuval Zommer (award-winning author of many popular books like The Big Book of Bugs and The Big Book of Beasts) so I just had to include this beautiful new picture book in our list of the Best Children's books of the year!

Fox and Hare were born in spring, grew up in summer, and were best friends by autumn. When winter comes, they can't wait to jump, leap and, bounce in this thing called snow. But what exactly is snow? Join fox and hare on an Arctic journey as they ask all their friends to help them find out. This is a charming and classic-feeling Christmas picture book with a heartfelt message about seeing the wonder of the natural world. Families will love sharing the story and talking about kindness and community.

From renowned pop-up masters, Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart comes an awe-inspiring tribute to the world's most beloved extinct animals!

Open this book and a massive T. Rex springs out, flashing a startling jawful of jagged teeth. Turn the next spread and a ravishing raptor unfurls and appears to fly off the edge of the page. With each of six spreads featuring one spectacular, large pop-up as well as booklets of smaller pop-ups and text, Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs is a magnificent display of paper engineering and creativity — an astonishing book that will be read, admired, and treasured forever.

Hope doesn’t only want to listen to her father’s stories about his voyages at sea, she wants to be part of those stories.

And so, unbeknownst to her parents, she stows away on her father's 19th-century merchant vessel. But look... The wind has picked up and the sky is darkening...

Could there be such a thing as an adventure that is too exciting?

Join high-spirited Hope on a trip of a lifetime in this exquisitely illustrated picture book that also captures the love between a father and child.

Take to the skies with this fun, visual miscellany for younger children who love anything related to airplanes and flying!

Each double-page spread features a different group of fascinating aircraft to pore over, such as airplanes, rescue helicopters, hot-air balloons, gliders, jetpacks, space rockets, and more. Filled with hundreds of different flying machines from around the world, even the most avid young transportation fanatic will discover surprising new machines they haven't seen before! Readers can also learn how planes fly and pretend to be a pilot as they look at a cockpit from a pilot's eye view.

Perfect for introducing young plane enthusiasts to a huge variety of exciting aircraft from around the world! Includes large, cut-away images, busy scenes with lots to explore, 'flying fun facts' and a search-and-find feature.

Spreads include: airliners and cargo planes; the first flyers; amazing aircraft; jobs to do; military aircraft; helpful helicopters; up into space.

Scenes include: at the airshow; a balloon festival; at the airport; formation flying; a rescue helicopter; anything but planes!; at the gliding club; a rocket launch.

Cut-away pictures include: how a plane flies; inside an airliner; inside the cockpit; inside a rescue helicopter.

My 3-year-old son insists on checking this book out every time we go to the library (well, once they check it back in after we had it, ha ha). It's an older book (published in 2000) but clearly one that little ones love.

A vividly illustrated counting book places the traditional rhyme in an African setting depicting animals and their babies eating, swimming, and sleeping as young readers count from one to ten.

Amaze young explorers with three epic hardcover nonfiction books packed with fascinating facts! These comprehensive yet accessible explorations of water, outer space, and the animal kingdom will help young readers understand many aspects of the natural world.

The engaging format of each book includes gatefolds and booklets with additional facts and hands-on activity ideas. An unforgettable gift that will engage budding scientists for hours on end!

Solar System Book:

A glow-in-the-dark, interactive guide to the Solar System, carefully crafted to make complex STEM concepts like astronomy, physics, and chemistry understandable for children aged 8-12. Barefoot Books Solar System joins the celebrated Barefoot Books World Atlas as another standout nonfiction title on Barefoot’s list to explore the world and universe.

Water Book:

Immerse yourself in fascinating facts about water! This comprehensive yet accessible exploration of water will help young readers understand many aspects of one of our planet's most precious resources – and how they can protect it. A friendly water droplet character guides children through topics ranging from melting and freezing to the ways in which water literally shapes the Earth. Tales by storytellers from around the world are sprinkled through the book, highlighting the variety of ways in which global cultures value water. The engaging format includes gatefolds and booklets with hands-on activity ideas for learning about and protecting water.

Incredible Animals Book:

In this beautifully illustrated guide, discover fascinating and unusual information about animals from all around the world. A delightfully quirky system of organization introduces the reader to the superlatives of the animal kingdom, from "top predators" to "expert architects." A must-have encyclopedia for any animal enthusiast!

Books can also be purchased individually.

Peter wants only milk, Lucy won’t settle for anything but homemade lemonade, and Jack is stuck on applesauce. Each new addition to the household brings a new demand for a special meal. What’s a mother to do? “[A] highly comic rhyming romp that surprisingly (and nicely) twists into a birthday story.” —School Library Journal

This is a silly book we were just introduced to this year that my children have loved reading aloud with me!

My children and I discovered this series this year. It is SO good! We listened to it on audiobook. It's a big chapter book but definitely held all of our attentions! Get it in book form as a read-aloud for the family to enjoy together or purchase the audiobook for road trips. You will love this series!

What dangers are locked behind the cupboard doors? Henry isn’t brave, but when he hears a thumping and scratching on the other side of his bedroom wall, he can’t ignore it. He scrapes off the plaster and discovers mysterious doors—cupboards of all different shapes and sizes. Through one he sees a glowing room and a man strolling back and forth. Through another, he sees only darkness and feels the cold sense that something isn’t right. When his cousin Henrietta boldly travels into the worlds beyond the cupboards, it’s up to Henry to follow her. Now that he’s opened the doors, can he keep the evil inside from coming through?

From the 2019 winner of The Great British Baking Show comes a charming and mouthwatering cookbook for aspiring little chefs and culinary novices alike.

Gather your frying pan, mixing bowls, and rolling pin—it’s time to cook! David Atherton, 2019 winner of The Great British Baking Show, walks readers through delicious and delightful recipes such as banana bear pancakes, tasty tacos, and mega-chocolatey cake. From tomato soup (served in a teapot!) to brownies made with sweet potatoes, David Atherton offers a kid-friendly collection of recipes that feels at once timeless and modern.

Accompanied by warm illustrations from Rachel Stubbs that capture the joys of cooking together, Bake, Make, and Learn to Cook features sweet and savory recipes for any time of day, a list of needed equipment, a glossary of cooking terms, and some important tips.

Don your apron and grab your favorite little sous-chef—this will be a first cookbook to cherish.

This is a must-have book for science-loving kids!

Blast off into outer space with this ultimate, 128-page book about everything you ever wanted to know about the universe, jam-packed with fun facts, jokes, comics, and more!

Did you know that the surface of the sun is hot enough to make diamonds boil? Or that one year on Neptune is 165 Earth years? Or that space is thought to smell like... burnt steak?? Find out all this and more, in this comprehensive, hilarious outer space adventure from Mike Lowery!

Perfect for fans of Dog Man who love nonfiction, this is the definitive, go-to book about everything AWESOME you EVER wanted to know about all things outer space! Uncover a wealth of weird, wacky, and wild facts about our universe, from planets to supernovas to space travel and everything in-between, told in Mike Lowery's signature, acclaimed comic style with bright and energetic artwork, fresh framing devices, and hilarious jokes.

This is the go-to book for space enthusiasts that kids will put in their backpacks and obsess over, bridging the gap between encyclopedic nonfiction content and lighter picture book fare, filling the need with a one-stop-shop for the legions of 7-10-year-olds who want to know absolutely everything there is to know about space.

This book joins Everything Awesome About Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts and Everything Awesome About Sharks and Other Underwater Creatures in this groundbreaking nonfiction series, covering the topics that kids love with a fresh and one-of-a-kind graphic novel approach. Discover the must-have, out-of-this-world guide for space fanatics, a madcap field guide full of facts and humor, and learn everything you ever wanted to know about outer space!

Perceiving the need for a simpler version of a timeless classic, Helen Taylor faithfully adapted John Bunyan’s allegory of the Christian life, The Pilgrim’s Progress, for young readers—hoping to bring its treasury of wisdom nearer to children’s hearts and minds. That version has sold over 800,000 copies! It preserves the original plotlines of Bunyan’s classic while telling the story of Little Christian and Christiana in a way that kids can understand.

I am just LOVING the adorable illustrations of this book! What a treasure!

Young crafters and sticker lovers are going to be thrilled with this book!

The Kids’ Book of Sticker Love is packed with tons of creative ideas and crafty projects for kids to make with their hands, paper goodies to create and decorate, and stickers of all stripes: vinyl stickers, glow-in-the-dark stickers, glitter, and metallic stickers, photo corners, alphabet stickers, and more. Put it all together and you’ve got hours and hours of screen-free fun.

Organized in four sections, there’s stuff to Craft—like a set of origami finger puppets with animal eyes, ears, whisker and nose stickers, or a geometric necklace to make out of colorful dot stickers and paper cutouts. There’s a Write section—use colorful alphabet stickers to compose a note; record your favorite things in seasonal DIY notebooks. Next is a Play section—have fun with projects like sticker-based tangrams. And a Share section—decorate your bedroom ceiling with classic glow-in-the-dark star and constellation stickers, or cut and fold tiny patterned paper gift bags and seal them with a matching sticker.

No matter the activity, the emphasis is on the doing—and finding the pleasure and value that comes with the creative process.

My kids love to ask questions - how about yours? That's basically a given with kids, right? I'm glad they want to learn but they often ask the most random questions that I just can't answer, like "why can't horses burp". That's why I love books like this one that can answer all of those random questions for me!

Humorous and informative, Why Can’t Horses Burp? is full of fun facts and little-known tidbits about your favorite equine companions.

Find answers to everything you’ve ever wondered about horses in this latest addition to the Curious Questions About Your Favorite Pets series. Can all horses be racehorses? Why do horses wear shoes? And what’s the difference between a horse and a pony, anyway? A zoologist explains all of these and more.

Whether you are lucky enough to have a horse of your own or you dream of galloping away on a magnificent steed, Why Can’t Horses Burp? is the lively, fact-filled book for you. From horses’ desert ancestors to modern-day show ponies, it’s certain to satisfy all horse lovers’ curiosity.

An ingenious book for children that reveals what is inside bodies, machines, buildings, and more

This book gives children the power of X-ray vision to see what’s inside things. When the pages are held up to the light, they can see through to the page behind―from the skeleton inside a person to the engine inside a car to a bear inside a cave.

Sixteen pictures grouped in themed sections―the body, nature, machines, and buildings―show the hidden workings. There are background facts and simple questions to answer as well as a fill-in section where children draw on the reverse of pictures to put things inside things, including a present inside a box or food inside a refrigerator. Children will be drawn by the fresh, approachable style and the magic of seeing one thing transform into another.

My oldest boy LOVES any book that has to do with history and he really enjoyed this new book in the "If You Lived" series from Scholastic.

What do you know about the thanksgiving feast at Plimoth? What if you lived in a different time and place? What would you wear? What would you eat? How would your daily life be different?

Scholastic's If You Lived... series answers all of kids' most important questions about events in American history. With a question-and-answer format, kid-friendly artwork, and engaging information, this series is the perfect partner for the classroom and for history-loving readers.

What if you lived when the English colonists and the Wampanoag people shared a feast at Plimoth? What would you have worn? What would you have eaten? What was the true story of the feast that we now know as the first Thanksgiving and how did it become a national holiday?

Chris Newell answers all these questions and more in this comprehensive dive into the feast at Plimoth and the history leading up to it. Carefully crafted to explore both sides of this historical event, this book is a great choice for Thanksgiving units, and for teaching children about this popular holiday.

This is definitely an old book and you'll likely have to look for a used copy of it, but it's one of my top 10 favorite books from childhood, so I just had to include it on this list. My children and I have read it together many, many time!

It's all about Grady and his beloved bear. Grady's cousin comes for a visit and ruins the bear. But Grandpa, who can make anything good as new, decides he will help Grady to fix the bear. Is it really possible he can make the bear good as new?

My kids adore the Elephant and Piggie series and now you can get the entire collection as a boxed set!

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

Read all of Elephant & Piggie's funny adventures with the complete collection of all 25 titles. Create an instant Elephant & Piggie library with the sturdy metallic Elephant & Piggie bookends included with each set.

Mo Willems' number one New York Times best-selling Elephant & Piggie series has won two Theodor Seuss Geisel Awards and five Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors! Collect them all in this deluxe box set.

As a big Mary Poppins fan, I was so excited when I stumbled upon this book. Within it are exquisite, laser-cut pages and delicate illustrations. You really just have to see it in person to grasp how beautiful and unique these illustrations are!

Based on the novels by Pamela L. Travers, Mary Poppins Up, Up and Away is an enchanting journey over the rooftops of London, under the sea, and everywhere in between. A fresh approach to a children’s classic, it is sure to appeal to children of all ages.

This year we also discovered author and illustrator Lois Ehlert. My kids and I have all enjoyed her books, like this one, RRRalph! My children especially enjoyed pouring over the unique illustrations in her books.

Would you believe that Ralph the dog can talk? Yip, yip, yip--it's true!

With bestselling author Lois Ehlert's simple, funny, call-and-response text and bold, playful collage illustrations, this fresh, young book is sure to get little ones laughing (and talking to their dogs!)