New 2025 Picture Books!

There have been so many wonderful new books lately! This post will focus mostly on picture books from three successful publishers who generously shared new releases with me in hopes of my honest reviews. Without further ado, here are some of the titles that caught my eye so far this year, in order of availability.

Hazel the Handful –written by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Matt Myers, and published by Candlewick on April 1, 2025. This is a story about a tiny dog with a big ego. Energetic illustrations rendered in watercolor and ink show all the activities of Hazel’s busy day. But things change when the new baby arrives. Hazel feels left out and unwanted. Before, she’d become irritated if someone called her a “cutie patootie” but when that same endearment is given to the baby, Hazel says “I am the patootie!” Will there be room for both her and the baby?

What Color Is the Baby? A Celebration of Skin Tones –written by Harshini Vakineni, illustrated by Neha Rawat and published by Candlewick on April 1, 2025. Through the eyes of a wise child who loves her new sister unconditionally, this important book shows how ridiculous and judgmental many appearance standards can be and that the world is most beautiful when celebrating the full spectrum of skin tones. The digitally created illustrations are warm and inviting.

Me & Lavender –written by Melody C. Peugh, illustrated by Eve Farb, and published by Flashlight Press on May 6, 2025. This is such a cute book! The rhythmic text is catchy and fun to read aloud and the digital illustrations are big, bold, and brilliant. I’m sure many children will be able to relate to having adventures with a special stuffed pal. The twist in this is that Ella is supposed to keep tidy before Mommy’s friends arrive. Unfortunately, playing with Lavender is too much fun and things soon get out of hand. Will the two friends be able to clean up in time for Mommy’s tea party? An especially good choice for libraries hosting preschool story times!

That Cat Can’t Stay –written by Thad Krasnesky, illustrated by David Parkins, and although not actually brand new, it is new to me and will be released in paperback by Flashlight Press on June 17, 2025. Dad is adamant against bringing in one stray cat, never mind five. The more he protests, the more the cats snuggle up to him. Turns out Dad has a big heart and a surprise weakness of his own. The illustrations were rendered in pen & ink and watercolor and are especially well done in the fun expressions of this family. Close observers will notice there’s a matching border around the page each time a new cat arrives. Rhythmic text makes for a great read aloud!

In the Autumn Forest –written and illustrated by Daniela Kulot, translated by Elisabeth Lauffer, to be released by Charlesbridge on Aug. 5, 2025. What first captured my interest in this lovely picture book was the stunningly rendered digital illustrations. Three friends, Fox, Mouse, and Crow contemplate the coming of dreary autumn, until happy-go-lucky Squirrel comes along to set them straight on the qualities of the season. Be prepared to worry, then laugh with joy. Each character has a unique personality. Come to find out, this is part of a series which includes the companion book: In the Winter Woods, which is equally charming. Both are translated from the original German.

Who’s Making All That NOISE?! –written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Erica J. Chen, to be published on Aug. 12, 2025 by Charlesbridge. In this fun guessing game style book, each time the question is asked, kids can turn the page and learn about a new animal and why it makes a particular type of sound. From woodpeckers to quacking frogs, nicely done digital illustrations are bold and vibrant. Additional back matter rounds out this fascinating book. Other similar books by Darrin Lunde, a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute, are already out or soon to be released.

If this post wasn’t getting way too long, I’d include six more! Instead, I hope you’ll check out my Goodreads’ reviews from earlier this year for the batch of brilliant books shown in this second group, below. Just click on ‘reviews’ and start to type the title into the second search box (not at top of page) and up it will come! All of these were published in 2025 and are highly recommended.

While choosing which books to include, I came up with a question for you all. What attracts you most to a new picture book? Is it the cover, the interior illustrations, a particular kind of story, lyrical, rhyme, cumulative, etc.? Maybe it’s the subject matter, such as animals or music? Or even the setting or season that draws you in. Or sometimes, is it just because you know the author and perhaps have enjoyed their previous books? I’m getting more and more curious as I come up with possibilities. Please let us know in the comments and thanks for reading!

[As for me, I think it’s a combination of all of the above. Although the cover and interior art are definitely what first draw me in, it’s often the story that moves it onto my favorites list. And of course, if I know the author or have received a free copy from a publisher, then it might move ahead of other comparable choices.] 🙂