New children’s books have flooded the shelves once again this year. 2024 has been another incredible year for publishing and they’re not done yet. As of now, I have read over 100 new books published this year – by no means close to all of them, but a lot! Of those, these are the ones I think most deserve a spot in your read aloud line up or on your bookshelf.
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New Favorite Read Aloud Picks
These are the picture books new in 2024 that I think most lend themselves to being read aloud.
The Book That Almost Rhymed
by Omar Abed
illustrated by Hatem Aly
published by Dial Penguin
He is writing the perfect rhyming book. She has lots of ideas about how to make it better. Every big sibling will relate to being interrupted by their younger sibling. Every child will delight in the page turns that hilariously interrupt the pleasant rhyme scheme. This is imaginative, hilarious and great for reading aloud.
Bookie and Cookie
by Blanca Gomez
published by Penguin
BOOKIE AND COOKIE are best friends. Adorable best friends. Bookie lives on the left side of the page and loves books. Cookie lives on the right side of the page and loves cookies. The two friends have their first fight and have to figure out how to reconcile, compromise and try new things. I love everything about this. The gentle discussion about friends arguing is well done. The pacing is perfect. The rhyming names and illustrations are adorable. The use of visual page is clever. A sweet picture book that is sure to read aloud again and again.
Turtle-Turtle and the Wide, Wide River
by Jane and Will Hillenbrand
From the dedication I gather that this was written during the pandemic. It is a lovely metaphor for surviving any storm or hard thing that life throws at you. Surviving often requires some self discovery and some help from others. In this case it is a storm that hits the little island in the middle of the river where Turtle-Turtle lives. Turtle-Turtle is new and hasn’t yet learned to recognize the signs or how to survive. Fortunately, he is able to swim and has the helped of the kind animals living nearby. The text is full of fun repetition, onomatopoeia and so much heart. A fantastic new read aloud for anyone.
Mr. Fox’s Game of “No!”
by David LaRochelle
illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Can you beat Mr. Fox at his own game? He is going to try to cleverly trap you into saying YES! but don’t be fooled. This interactive picture book addresses the reader in a silly game that feels very much in the vein of books like DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS. Read aloud audiences or kids snuggled on the couch will definitely shout and giggle their way through this book.
How to Talk Like a Chicken
by Charlie Grandy
illustrated by Alex G. Griffiths
Get your chicken sounds ready because this picture book is going to require all of them. Addressing the reader and inviting participation, I definitely recommend reading this book aloud. It turns out talking like a chicken is quite tricky and mistakes can have unexpected, even outlandish consequences. A giggle worthy read aloud that kids are sure to want to read again and again.
Other Favorite Picture Books to Add to Your Shelves
These are picture books I adored. They could be read aloud, certainly to a kid on your lap, but do not lend themselves as well to a group read aloud at a storytime or with a classroom of kids.
Look
by Gabi Snyder
pictures by Samantha Cotterill
The teacher in me gets SO excited when I see a picture book integrating a learning concept. LOOK invites the reader to look for patterns on the pages and in the world around them. The bright, layered illustrations and snappy, engaging text make it feel seamless and fun. This is a fantastic book to read along with a math lesson on patterns. It also works well as a book to read before you go on a walk or hike with kids. It gives them something to look more closely at as you wander and explore. Five stars.
Finding Grateful
by Diane White
illustrated by Faith Pray
This darling story follows a little girl on her day with her mom as she tries to understand grateful. I love how this book celebrates the simple joys and beautiful details in our every day world. My favorite line is “Mama says: be where your feet are / that means pay attention.” I think anyone, no matter where they are, can feel inspired to find grateful around them after reading this story.
At the End of the Day
By Lisa H. Detlefsen
Illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao
Published by RandomHouse
I loved this slice of life picture book about the ups and downs of a family at the end of the day. All parents can relate to the hectic nature of evenings in a house. The words and illustrations of AT THE END OF THE DAY perfectly capture the busy, emotional, and yet ultimately warm moments at the end of a normal day. As a military family, I also loved how this element was woven into the story as well. A relatable and big hearted family story.
The Last Zookeeper
by Aaron Becker
Caldecott honor-winning creator Aaron Becker is back with his gorgeous watercolors to sweep us away on another wordless adventure. Flooding has overtaken the world where a robot, named NOA, has been working. He takes it upon himself to save the animals at the nearby abandoned zoo. It a noah’s ark-esque tale with a futuristic twist that remarks on the dramatic weather of our current world and the need for everyone to lend a hand in caring for the natural world. It is as stunning and adventurous as we’ve come to expect from this incredible storyteller.
Roar for Reading
by Beth Ferry
illustrated by Andrew Joyner
ROAR FOR READING offers a child friendly discussion of book banning. Julius the lion is upset when some of his favorite books get removed from the bookshelf at the library. He feels a roar coming out and he just can’t stop it. Soon everyone is roaring about books being banned. The book ends with respectful ways kids can ROAR themselves. A timely, well told story about an important issue.
The Magical Science of Feelings
by Jen Daily, LICSW
illustrated by Gwen Millward
published by Storey
Jen Daily has done an impressive job of taking the complex science of emotions and making it accessible. The book is informative, but in a playful way. Gwen Millward’s cute illustrated characters that help explain and personify the emotions go a long way to the topic feel more light and fun. I was surprised to find the book full of relatable metaphors and easy activity ideas to explore the different feelings in childlike ways. The text speaks to the reader in a way that seems comforting and like we are all tackling these emotions together.
Wat Kept Playing: The Inspiring Story of Wataru Misaka and His Rise to the NBA
by Emily Inouye Huey
illustrated by Kaye Kang
published by Shadow Mountain
As a Japanese American during WW2 and standing only five foot seven, there were a lot of reasons why Wat might not have become a basketball player. His inspiring story is relayed with great storytelling in this nonfiction picture book. Hopefully his story will inspire kids to “keep playing” no matter what obstacles are in their way.
Favorite Middle Grade
The Princess Protection Program
by Alex London
This is a fantastically fun new middle grade. It is a fractured fairy tale where Sleeping Beauty escapes her fairy tale and lands at a school for princesses that weren’t happy with their stories. It is funny, fast paced and clever. I love the underlying message about having power over your own life as much as all of the playful bits layered on top.
The Sherlock Society
by James Ponti
published by Simon
We are huge James Ponti fans. CITY SPIES is a fantastic fast paced series. The FRAMED series is full of fun mysteries with great characters. THE SHERLOCK SOCIETY is the first book in his newest series. It is summer break and four friends find themselves with long days and nothing to do. They decide to try to solve mysteries and hopefully make some money. A small, summer amusement turns into a full investigation involving Al Capone, the Everglades, and a conspiracy even the feds haven’t been able to solve. Alex and Zoe Sherlock, their ex-journalist grandfather, their friends Lina and Yadi pool their intelligence to solve the mystery. This combines friendship, mystery, and fast paced adventure with interesting characters and a history rich setting to create a fantastic book. I hope this is just the beginning for the Sherlock Society.
Invisible Isabel
by Sally J. Pla
Pictures by Tania de Regil
Absolutely loved this darling main character and her story. Isabel is neurodivergent, but undiagnosed and doesn’t understand why trying to fit in is so hard. Her experiences are described with such sensitivity and heart. I think most of us will relate to her social situations and struggles and hopefully gain some understanding and sympathy for the extra challenges being neurodivergent creates. A well told story with great characters, plotting and heart.
Let’s talk books! What have you loved the most this year? What do you think I missed or should not have included? Tell me about it in the comments!
