Best New Picture Books of 2025

1. Our Tree

It’s easy to see why our readers voted Our Tree their #1 picture book of 2025. This is storytelling at its best, a gentle, heart-warming tale about kindness, sharing and community, brought to life by stunning, detailed illustrations. Our readers loved Little Red’s journey from wanting the tree all to himself, to discovering the joy of friendship and belonging, and younger readers enjoyed spotting the animals hidden in the pages and joining in with the playful “Look behind you!”. Thoughtful, joyful and full of heart, Our Tree is the one picture book every family should have on their shelf this year.

2. Ava and the Acorn

This gorgeous picture book has captured so many hearts. Warm, gentle and full of love, it reminds us that even when things change, the people and memories we cherish stay with us. Our reviewers said it was “phenomenal,” “uplifting,” and “perfect for autumn.” With its lyrical rhymes and stunning illustrations, we think it's a joy to read aloud, whether snuggled up at home or shared in the classroom. Parents liked that it sparked lovely conversations about family and nature, whilst teachers praised it as a beautiful story for assembly. A truly special book to treasure and return to year after year.

3. Friendship for Frogs

So many of us are looking for gentle stories about inclusion. Our top recommendation on the topic? Friendship for Frogs, a sweet and funny picture book, written by Zanna Davidson and illustrated throughout by Mark McKinley, about a frog called Bob who just wants to be part of the cool rocket frog crew. But because he doesn't look like them, he is not welcomed. Luckily a group of outcasts ask Bob to join their club, teaching the rocket frogs a big lesson on what it means to make new friends too. 

We also love that there's a page at the back that teaches little ones about the real rocket frogs, where they can be found and how they live.

4. Basil Dreams Big

Primary school teachers and parents alike have been absolutely raving about how wonderful Basil Dreams Big is. This sweet picture book, written completely in rhyme by the fabulous Lu Fraser (so perfect for learning phonics!), is a gentle story about a little bat who must find his confidence to fly. Thanks to a bit of self-believe and the power of friendship ... he does! Our readers thought this book sparked conversations with little ones about overcoming challenges, finding resilience and not giving up, plus many loved the beautiful illustrations throughout that encourage imagination before bedtime.

5. Every Botty Burps

What is a picture book haul without a toilet humour book? Toppsta readers really enjoyed Every Botty Burps written by debut author Becky Wilson with eye-catching illustrations by Alex Patrick. This rhyming laugh-out-loud funny picture book normalises farting, and shows little ones how all animals break wind when they need to, just like us! Children especially love when the noisy bits are read out loud and reenacted, so who are we not to get them laughing with hilarious sound effects? Happy tooting, everyone!

6. Where Did She Go?

If you're looking for a gentle book that will support you in explaining and navigating death with your children, we highly recommend Where Did She Go?, written by Cariad Lloyd and illustrated throughout by Tom Percival. Readers have rated this book because of how softly and sweetly it looks at the the loss of a loved one, in this case a little girl whose grandmother has passed away. The book approaches the topic with just the right level of sensitivity, explaining the words we so often use when we talk about grief, and suggesting how we can use the memories of our loved ones that aren't with us anymore to re-live happy moments with them.

7. Hank Meets Frank

Hank is back and funnier than ever! In this brilliantly cheeky follow-up to Hank Goes Honk, our favourite mischievous goose meets his sweet (or so he seems!) cousin, Frank. What could possibly go wrong? Our reviewers loved this laugh-out-loud story, calling it “absolutely brilliant to read aloud,” “full of silly pranks,” and “a firm favourite for years to come.” Children giggled their way through the chaos, loved spotting all the little details in the bright, expressive illustrations, and joining in with the honks and flaps! A perfect pick for storytime, full of humour, heart, and irresistible mayhem.

8. Pick a Story: A Wizard Astronaut Pyramid Adventure

Here at Toppsta we love an original story! So a book where our little ones get to choose exactly what happens is inevitably a big winner, like the top-reviewed Pick a Story: A Wizard Astronaut Pyramid Adventure written by Sarah Coyle and colourfully illustrated throughout by Adam Walker-Parker. As readers set out to find a stick, they get to meet with wizards, travel through space and even through time. Packed full of puzzles and questions, the book can be read in so many different ways, which means you truly get your money's worth out of it, and bedtime can last a little longer. 

9. A Million Chameleons

What most readers say they LOVE about this book is how much of an explosion of colours it is! If you're looking to keep the little ones visually engaged, A Million Chameleons is the book to turn to, celebrating the uniqueness of so many cheeky chameleons and the things they get up to when no one is watching, illustrated by Aysha Awwad. Written by Rachel Morrisroe in ryming text, this book is another great pick to build vocabulary, and reviewers really love the clever moments of wordplay. At the end of the book, little ones are asked to count all the chameleons they can find, and this always goes down a treat, too.

10. Henry the Artistic Dog

If your child is really into toilet humour, here is another brilliant story all about a very artistic dog and his poos. For Henry, his poos are a form of artistic expression, sculptures to be displayed in museums, not thrown away in the park bin! We all know someone's trash is another person's treasure, and after a bit of searching Henry will finally find the perfect audience for his poo! While the idea of the poos being sculptures might go over very young ones' heads, Henry the Artistic Dog is an excellent reading choice if you'd like your children to not just read about poo but also engage in storytelling and join our protagonist dog on a (slightly messy) journey.