Best Children’s Books of the Century (So Far)

Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ representation are two highlights of the advancements in kidlit this century, but there is still a long way to go. As far as I can tell, this was the first picture book with a Two-Spirit main character, and it's written by Two-Spirit authors. Peyton used to love dancing at pow wows, but has become uncomfortable wearing the traditional dress. Her family recognize this struggle and come together to prepare a gift to show Peyton that she's accepted and to teach her about what being Two-Spirit means. Nine years after 47,000 Beads was published, there are still very few Two-Spirit children's books, but this one is a gem.

This is such a sweet book by Suzanne Lang, the author of the popular Grumpy Monkey series. Just as the title states, it celebrates all kinds of families, including those with a mom and dad, single parent families, those with two moms or two dads, kids raised by grandparents or other extended family members, adoptive families, blended families, and more. It’s such an inclusive book and handled so thoughtfully, with a good sprinkling of humor too. As a single mom myself, I’ve noticed there’s not as much representation of different types of families in children’s books, so this story is a much needed addition to help all children feel seen.

Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela thinks her name is too long, so she asks her daddy what the names all mean. He tells her the story behind each of her namesakes, the book lovers, artists, travelers, and dreamers that are all a part of her story. The dreamy art's muted tones, done in colored pencils and graphite, is evocative of black and white photography, with some of the images drawn from real portraits of the author's family. As a kid who grew up in a culture where having four+ names is a frequent occurrence, this Caldecott Honor-winning book's message is both affirming and inspiring.

Roy and Silo were two real penguins at the Central Park Zoo who loved one another and who, together, raised an egg. That is the entire premise of this work of nonfiction, and that has been enough to garner two decades of controversy. Penguins, like people and numerous other species on Earth, are sometimes gay. Tango celebrates this, and in an era where books like this one and others that uplift the myriad ways of being are rampantly banned and censored, books like these matter not only for the messages they send. They're important because they're documents of history–and they're stories that inspire wonder and joy in readers of all ages.

Few kids’ books center nonbinary characters, especially books for early readers. But this hilarious and charming graphic novel stars the curmudgeonly, nonbinary Batcat, who struggles to define their identity as both a cat and a bat. What happens when your identity lies outside of easily defined categories? Graphic novels for early readers are hugely popular, but most focus on fairly simplistic plots paired with funny sentient objects. While those can be great, it’s refreshing to read a series that tackles more complex topics in such a relatable way. With four books, they’re easily my kid’s most-read books.

Alice McGinty and David Roberts created this hilarious picture book in 2022, and I have used it in many a storytime since. It's focused on two dads, their mixed-race kids, and a wily cat who does not want a bath and will stop it by any means necessary, such as scrambling the family's chore list. The rhyming text uses repetition and rhythm to great effect, and the cat's magnetic fridge word-jumbling will have readers laughing. The vivid art is full of charming details like the child in a dinosaur suit and the LGBTQ+ flag fridge magnets. By presenting a loving queer family without comment, their family structure is normalized for a young audience.

The desire to fit in begins so young, even well before the social and cultural pressure mounts in middle and high school. Harrison's award-winning debut picture book is about where and how the youngest among us not only understand the power–and pain–of words, but also, the youngest among us have a lot to teach us about standing in our own power. Sparse on words but heavy on art (and heart!), this is a book for both the big and small among us.

Bestowed a Coretta Scott King Book Award in 2026, this melodic children’s book debut from the author of Heavy feels like an instant classic. Under the blue summer skies of Forest, Mississippi, three Black boys—one nicknamed “New York” and two nicknamed “country”—stay with Grandmama and Mama Lara. Sixty feet of garden sits between their shotgun homes, and the children rush to meet in the morning to laugh, to sled, to hide from and search for one another among sunflowers, corn, and tomatoes. Accompanied by Franklin’s lush artwork, Laymon’s gorgeous meditation on beauty, love, “safeness,” and the U.S. South makes any and every bookshelf better.

I have a graduate degree in social policy, and this is the book that I recommend as the best intro to understanding organized labor to readers of all ages. There is absolutely no reason a book about cows that discover a typewriter should work, but everything about this book is perfect. There's the staccato, consonant heavy language that makes it a fun read aloud; Betsy Lewin’s loose, watercolor-style illustrations; and the way the animals come together, recognizing their collective power to make very reasonable demands of Farmer Brown. Click Clack Moo is a modern classic.

Sometimes the formula for a bestselling picture book is as simple as combining two things people love. Dragons? Check. Tacos? Double check! Who knew our perennially-popular fire-breathing friends enjoy a tasty tortilla treat as much as we humans do? The story is funny and wonderfully wacky with vivid illustrations of dragons going in on buckets of tacos—and what happens when they eat salsa that's too spicy (yikes!). This is perfect for reading aloud with kiddos who love dragons, tacos, silly stories, or all of the above.

It’s a credit to Minh Lê and Dan Santat that one can be completely immersed in Drawn Together and never notice how intentional every page of it is. From the almost wordless first third of the book to the mixing and merging of the artistic styles throughout, every page is carefully constructed to help readers fully experience the emotional depth in this story of a boy and a grandfather struggling to connect. The illustrations are stunning, even for Santat (which is saying something), and the way the book exposes the discomfort of vulnerability while displaying the utter joy of finding commonality with the people we love is deeply relatable.

When people migrate, it's not just what they are seeking in a new place that is a gift. Migrants bring with them incredible culture and experiences that add to the rich tapestry of their new home. Morales's gorgeous memoir explores the power of dreaming and the ways that having and carrying a dream can ferry you through any challenges, difficulties, or changes. The love and passion emanating from the words and illustrations will touch every young person who picks up this book-and it's a book that simultaneously celebrates family, hope, and empathy for our fellow humans.

This rhyming picture book (or board book!) features adorable illustrations of babies in everyday life: playing, sleeping, crawling, and eating. It's a perfect readaloud story, especially because babies love looking at other babies. What made this 2001 children's book stand out, though, is the diverse range of families depicted, including illustrations of two-mom and two-dad families. At the time it was published, this was rare, especially in a book that wasn't entirely focused on LGBTQ families. The illustration of two exhausted moms, falling asleep with a hand still reaching for the crib, is a personal favorite.

So many of this century's best picture books are celebrations of cultures, identities, and features long ignored, othered, or looked down upon in popular media. Eyes That Kiss in the Corners is one such example, a heartwarming celebration of a young Asian girl’s eyes—eyes that kiss in the corners and crinkle like crescent moons—and the women in her family who share them. The art is detailed and bursting with color and texture, a love letter to the features that set us apart and those that we share.

Grace Lin writes heartfelt children’s books that she illustrates beautifully, and she has won many awards, including the Children’s Literature Legacy Award in 2022. I think this sweet story is one of her best. After a girl named Pacy and her family read their fortune cookies at a Chinese restaurant, Pacy starts seeing the fortunes come true. In the end, she reflects on how she sees the world in different ways, and I love this emphasis on how special it can be to have unique perspectives. This story is a lovely celebration of Chinese culture and family and offers thought-provoking reflections on life and happiness.

In this award-winning picture, the simple refrain "Fry bread is..." shows readers the significance of fry bread in First Nations communities. Through inclusive and warm illustrations and rhythmic narration, we see how one small dish can encapsulate so much history. Fry bread is just as much a result of the limited rations the U.S. government gave Indigenous American communities after forcing them from their land as it is a modern-day First Nations cuisine staple. By the end of Fry Bread, I almost felt nostalgic for fry bread myself.

Released in 2026, the bestselling children’s book debut of widely beloved Oliver has had me celebrating all year. Every time I reread the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning poet’s poem, magnificently collaged by Sweet, I experience a rush of peace. So, I keep these earnest, delightful words about attention, devotion, and the natural world within reach: on a side table, at the top of a bookstack. Each page holds immense wonder, various beauties to linger on: the color palette swatches for “brass heat” and “pale-blue eggs,” a bright map of Cape Cod Bay marked with a magenta X, and copious notes about the titular bird and thistle.

Grumpy Monkey is such a funny book series, and also very heartfelt. It received a nomination for the California Young Readers Medal and has grown to become an extremely popular children’s book series. The story stars Jim Panzee and his fellow animal neighbors in the jungle, and the dialogue between all of the eccentric animals is hilarious. Lang does such a great job of normalizing big feelings, like Jim’s grumpiness, while also sharing tips on how to manage these feelings. The friendships in the story, like Jim and Norman the gorilla, are genuine and endearing. Norman always comes through to remind Jim that he loves him for who he is.

This beautiful children’s book by Seiji Yoshida won the ALA’s prestigious Mildred L. Batchelder Award in 2024 for most outstanding children's book translated into English and published in the U.S. The book includes diagrams and stories about 30 fantastical homes across time and worlds. Yoshida’s breathtaking illustrations involve cross sections of each home with intriguing details about the characters who live there, including a melancholy lighthouse keeper, the post office of the dragon tamer, and a girl in the submerged city. This book is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli or anyone looking to get lost in wondrous and inspiring new worlds.

Disability representation practically didn’t exist in picture books until this century, and they’ve come a long way from authors outside the community explaining disability to more nuanced portrayals of life as a disabled kid. I can still remember the chills I felt when I first read this picture book about the author’s childhood experiences with a speech impediment. It’s beautifully metaphoric and evocative, both in illustration and text. You can hear the water burbling from the artwork alone. It’s a powerful example of the potential in picture books to capture lived disability experiences, and it inspired me to write my own picture books.

The story in this picture book is simple: a bear’s hat has been stolen and he wants it back. Just when the bear is about to give up his search, he reconsiders a rabbit he saw wearing a red hat but insisting he would not steal a hat. The book ends with the bear wearing his hat again and saying, “I would not eat a rabbit.” The dark humor and sinister ending made this book instantly controversial and also a number one bestseller.  Using sparse language, a nostalgic font, and muted illustrations, this book works for both children and adults, but particularly delights young readers who feel in on the joke.

During her time as the 24th Poet Laureate of the U.S., Limón, author of Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry, penned “In Praise of Mystery.” Since October of 2024, the poem—engraved into the Europa Clipper—zooms through the cosmos to one of Jupiter’s moons for research. Joined by Sís’s ethereal art, this stunning work features surreal images of fruiting trees inside falling raindrops, a basket floating through the sky under the direction of not a hot air balloon’s envelope and burner but an open book, and silhouettes comprised of stars. In every line, marvel lives: “O second moon, we, too, are made / of water, of vast and beckoning seas.”

Jimmy's Rhythm & Blues is the first-ever illustrated biography of the iconic writer and activist. Lively and lush illustrations combine with perfectly metered prose to tell young readers about James Baldwin's life, starting with his childhood during the Great Depression and carrying into his legendary writing career. This is a phenomenal introduction to a literary giant.

This book is Aaron Becker’s debut, and it became a Caldecott Honor Book and received both the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award and the Sakura Medal. Becker has mastered the art of the wordless picture book. His illustrations are incredible works of art that draw readers into his fantastical worlds and tell a story through the pictures alone. Reminiscent of the classics Harold and the Purple Crayon and Where the Wild Things Are, this story follows a lonely girl who finds a magic red marker, draws a door to another world, and steps inside. Reading it will inspire your imagination and fill you with wonder.

While riding the subway with his abuela one day, Julián sees three beautiful women dressed as mermaids. At home, he dreams of dressing up just like them, so he fashions a mermaid tail from a curtain and a headdress from a potted plant. He feels fabulous in his costume, but what will abuela think of his look? This frequently banned, Stonewall Award-winning picture book's message of self-love and defiance of gender stereotypes is paired with gorgeous watercolor illustrations on brown paper, some soft and muted, some bright and vivid. It's a work of art.

This delightful children’s book won multiple awards, including the Caldecott Honor Award, the Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award, and the Zena Sutherland Award. It’s a perfect read for kiddos who dream of becoming a knight one day, or anyone who loves knights, castles, and dragons. The pictures are just as sweet as the story. Despite his small size, Owl’s nocturnal habits make him well-suited to join the Knight Night Watch. When Owl discovers why knights have been going missing, he concocts a cute and clever plan to save the day. This story emphasizes creative problem solving and the lesson that anyone can be a hero, no matter their size.

This 2021 picture book is an instant classic of the genre. The folksy art style combined with the Mosswood setting feels timeless. We follow Little Witch Hazel through four seasons as she cares for the inhabitants of the forest, including being a midwife for a rabbit mother and taking in an orphaned owlet. Each page is stunning—in fact, my room is covered in prints from this book. I also love the character design: Little Witch Hazel, fat and happy with her overalls rolled up to reveal hairy legs, drifting contentedly on a raft down the river, is a role model even at my big age, and I'm glad kids today have it to grow up with.

I'm always looking for more picture books about body positivity, and this one stands out. It's perfect for young kids, with very little text per page and eye-catching, colorful illustrations. The question "What is lovely?" is answered by so many features of different bodies. On one page, a pair of hairy legs in high heels is accompanied by the text "fancy," and someone using a prosthetic leg while playing soccer is "sporty." There are bodies of different shapes, shades, and sizes; disabled bodies and queer bodies. And the message throughout is that what makes us different should be celebrated, not shamed: "we are all lovely."

In Yamada’s moving story about our individuality, infinite potential, and significance, Barouch’s intricately detailed and whimsical illustrations evoke curiosity. Following a child adorned in a bird hat fashioned from leaves with a little pink pig for a companion, the art beckons readers to notice magic in the ordinary: the white spots on mushrooms, the frill of anemones. From page to page, objects evolve: a polka-dotted pennant string becomes the headsail of a walnut boat then, later, marks a race’s end. On the same page, pencil sketches of butterflies next to lifelike ones call to mind daydreams, intention, and effort’s bittersweetness.

Illustrated by Goade, the Caldecott Medal-winning artist of We Are Water Protectors, the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate’s enchanting book has earned numerous accolades, including being selected as an American Indian Library Association Honor Book. Harjo adapted this bestseller from the ever-influential poetry collection She Had Some Horses, published in 1983, and the lasting poem examines ancestry, honor, interconnectedness, and the universe. Beginning and ending with “Remember,” the calming cadence of the language and the artwork’s vivid colors—river blue, sunrise and sunset reds, and star-gleam white—remain with you in illuminating ways.

This beloved bestseller begins with a witch and her cat, vroom-vrooming through the sky on her broom. When the witch drops her hat, her bow, and her wand, some new animal friends help get her goodies back. All they want in return is a ride on the broom, but is there room? And will they come to her rescue when she needs them the most? This is such a fun one one to read aloud, with witty rhyming text and funny illustrations to keep little readers in stitches. It's sold over 4 million copies since it published in 2003, spreading a witchy message of friendship, teamwork, and kindness.

If the Newbery Honor book featured in the series finale of LeVar Burton's run on Reading Rainbow doesn't belong on this list, what does? Jacqueline Woodson's picture book following a Show Way quilt mapping a path to freedom, passed down from an enslaved child through the generations of daughters who follow, tells a heartbreaking but hopeful story of African Americans from enslavement to civil rights to Woodson and her own child. This is a deeply personal story that resonates far beyond the family on the page and never fails to make me tear up. Every child needs to hear this story.

Beekle is an imaginary friend waiting on a faraway island for a child to imagine him. But when no one imagines him, he decides to take matters into his own hand and journeys to a big city where he meets his new friend Alice on the playground. The story really plays with the idea of imaginary friends and the bravery and vulnerability  needed to make friends in the first place. Dan Santat is one of the most creative illustrators and storytellers of our time, and this Caldecott-winning book shows off his skills at their best. 

Since 1964, the prolific Jerry Pinkney has illustrated over 100 books. He is particularly well-known for the intricate and colorful illustration style he’s used in picture book retellings of fairytales, fables, and folklore.  In 2009, he became the first Black illustrator to win the Caldecott medal for this retelling of the well-known Aesop fable. The book is wordless except for animal sounds, marking the first time Pinkney used just pictures to tell the story. Pinkney also emphasized the African setting of the fable, which correctly places the lion main character in his natural habitat.

For many kids, this is the first chapter book they read. Released in 2014, The Princess in Black took the chapter book format by storm, with animated illustrations, energetic text, large print, and short chapters, making it a perfect example of the format. And it also smashes gender stereotypes by showing young readers princesses can be just as badass as ninjas and superheroes. The twelfth book in the series was published this year, and the series continues to be a favorite among young readers.

When children's literature greats Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson collaborate, you know you're going to get something magical. In The Undefeated, kids will find the complexity, the beauty, and the perseverance of Black America captured in verse simple enough for the ears, hearts, and minds of children and made all the more powerful by the spare, punchy lines. You get Nelson's rich and vibrant illustration driving Black American heroes into the consciousness of young readers. This book won a Caldecott Medal and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and was a Newbery Honor Book for good reason.

Carole Michele Weatherford is a picture book legend. For the past three decades, she has published more than 50 children's books that have shared with readers the lives of Black Americans. In the multiple award-winning and nominated Unspeakable, Weatherford gives voice to the hundreds of Black Americans who were either killed or left traumatized by the racist white mob that decided on the thriving and Black Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31st through June 1st, 1921.

In this hilarious and heartwarming story, a trio of aliens turn up at Mr. and Mrs. Li's farm in the middle of the night, looking for help to fix their...car (actually a spaceship). The aliens try to convince the Lis that they are from Europe and definitely human, and though the couple are aware that they're housing aliens, they take them to town for supplies and do everything they can to help them fix their spaceship. The whole town joins in to help with repairs as "kind humans do." Every aspect of this book is wonderful, as Fang's charming art and quick wit make for a ridiculous story with an important message championing kindness and acceptance.

Nelson's mark on children's literature is no question, and while any of his incredible books could make this list, We Are The Ship earns a spot for its portrayal of a crucial celebration of Black American sports history makers. This work of nonfiction tells the story of the Negro Baseball League, beginning in the 1920s and up through the moment when Jackie Robinson enters the major leagues in 1947. It is an age-appropriate story that celebrates the triumphs of Black athletes without shying away from how those athletes were treated by white America. The story here is powerful; the art, essential and unforgettable viewing.

This Caldecott Medal-winning picture book is a perfect conversation starter for young readers, whether it's about environmentalism, pipelines, activism, or Indigenous cultures. It follows an Ojibwe girl who takes a stand against the construction of an oil pipeline that threatens her people's water. The illustrations are stunning, and the refrain of "We stand / With our songs / And our drums / We are still here" is a representation of Indigenous culture and beliefs being passed down through generations. This is an essential book for school libraries.

Sandra Boynton has won many awards, including the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cartoonists Society. Her focus is board books, and they appeal to babies and older children alike. Her stories always have such good humor interwoven throughout, along with fun rhyme schemes that can also be sung along to. While I’ve read nearly all of Boynton’s works to my son, this one is our favorite, and it won the National Parenting Publications Gold Medal. It stars a penguin who aspires to be a hippo’s best friend. Davy Jones from the Monkees also sings this book as a song, and it is the most catchy and charming thing ever.