All through this year, I’ve been slowly but surely compiling my list of the best picture books of 2025 that belong on your anti-bias bookshelf. From tales of sibling bonds (and challenges) to history that goes all the way back to the beginning of time, there’s something for everyone on this list!
With book challenges and the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on the rise, it’s more important than ever that we support BIPOC, Queer, Disabled, and social justice writers. When you purchase books like these or request that your library carry them, you send publishers the message that anti-bias books are essential reading for the children we cherish.
Disclosure: For your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I was provided with a copy of When I Hear Spirituals by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Best fiction picture books of 2025
The Couch in the Yard by Kate Hoefler. Illustrated by Dena Seiferling.
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This unique picture book is inspired by Hoefler’s long drives with her children through Appalachian Ohio. She observed how her children would label landscapes that included junk cars and old buses as part of the “peaceful world.”
Following a pattern similar to The House That Jack Built, The Couch in the Yard follows a family on a stirring nighttime adventure of tuning up a car that barely runs so that they can go stargazing. Trees, hills, rabbits, old couches, night trains, and abandoned cars are all part of the magic and beauty of the night. The luminous illustrations and wonder-filled text make this a perfect bedtime read, while subtly correcting stereotypes about where beauty is found. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. White author.)
Related post: How to talk to children about poverty from a social justice perspective
I Got You: A Brother’s Promise by Derrick Barnes. Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice.
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This tender story of an older brother who always looks out for his younger sibling is a welcome pushback to stereotypes of what it means to be a boy and a brother.
Big brother Anthony is gentle with Rasheed from the start, burping him as a baby and showing him how to properly knock down a wall of blocks as a toddler. It’s Anthony, not Mom or Dad, who teaches Rasheed to ride a bike. And even when Anthony gets old enough that he wants some time alone with his friends, he still finds ways to include Rasheed with the “big boys.” (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Black author.)
For a Girl Becoming by Joy Harjo. Illustrated by Adriana Garcia.
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There are many lovely picture books that uplift and affirm children as they are born and grow through their early years, but the stunning illustrations and Harjo’s poetic text make For a Girl Becoming a stand-out choice.
Many of Harjo’s images and metaphors are from nature: “Pollen blew throughout that desert house to bless/And horses were running the land, hundreds of them/To accompany you here, to bless.” But there are other seemingly mundane details that are just as delightful. For the child about to be born, family brings from her mother’s house “poetry, music, medicine makers” but also “a yard filled with junk cars and the gift of knowing how to make them run.”
A page spread of the baby growing into a young girl is sure to make you smile in delight. There are many reminders about the hard and wonderful parts of growing up. When the girl breaks her treasured horse model and repairs it with her mother’s help, Harjo advises that “when your heart is put back together, remember the source of all putting back together.”
This book might be my favorite among the best picture books of 2025, and it will quickly become a treasured bedtime read for many. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Mvskoke Creek author.)
Related post: Indigenous children’s books set in the present day
Maybe Just Ask Me! by Katie Mazeika.
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Inspired by the author’s childhood experience starting a new school after having cancer, Maybe Just Ask Me! encourages kids to voice their questions about disability.
On the first day of school, young Mazie wears her prettiest eye patch and most colorful headscarf. She’s ready to make new friends, but her classmates would rather make up fantastical stories to each other about why she looks the way she does. While their stories aren’t cruel, the fact that they’re whispered behind her back makes Mazie feel invisible.
The story and artwork center Mazie as brave and capable, without turning her into an “inspiring” story for her non-disabled peers. A kid-friendly afterword shares the author’s experience and gives children tips for supporting people with disabilities. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Disabled author.)
Related post: 6 ableist tropes to watch out for in children’s books
Little Big Man by Varian Johnson. Illustrated by Reggie Brown.
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I love Johnson’s chapter books for older kids, so I was curious about his first picture book. (Brown’s adorable cover illustration also caught my eye right away.)
Young Elijah can’t wait to fly his new kite during his special weekend time with Daddy. But with a new baby sister, Daddy informs him that there’s too much work to do. It’s already hard enough to be quiet in the house so he won’t wake the baby, but Daddy gently helps Elijah practice.
Despite the practice, there are many hilarious mishaps, reminding Elijah that “being big isn’t very much fun.” Still, Elijah discovers that the hard work of being big can make you feel proud as well, especially when you use that work to bring joy to someone you love. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Black author.)
Related post: Children’s books about adjusting to a new sibling
Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden by Jenan A. Matari. Illustrated by Aya Ghanameh.
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With simple rhyming text and stunning illustrations, Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden explores what it means to have two homes, even if you’ve never visited one of them. A young girl longs to visit her family’s Palestinian homeland, but the sweet abundance of her Jiddo’s garden helps keep their culture alive.
As Jiddo grows janarek plums and Mama makes stuffed warak enab with the grape leaves from their garden, Jiddo also teaches his granddaughter about the place where he learned to garden. His sadness at being forced from his home is evident in his whispered words and the detailed, vibrant illustrations of the garden he left behind. Still, the story emphasizes the family’s steadfast hope and promise found in their garden and cultural traditions. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7. Palestinian American author.)
Related post: Children’s books about Palestine
A Vaisakhi to Remember by Simran Jeet Singh. Illustrated by Japneet Kaur.
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When a girl’s family moves from a village in India to a city on the other side of the world, she misses so much, especially the Sikh celebration of Vaisakhi. Her memories of the harvest festival are accompanied by intricate watercolor illustrations that are densely packed together.
Vaisakhi was always the best day of the year, but when her parents surprise her with a salwar kameez on the holiday in her new city, she wonders what the point is in trying to celebrate. Yet at the gurdwara (the Sikh place of worship), the music makes her smile and the taste of paronthas is delicious (even if they aren’t as good as her Nani’s.)
The book captures both the sweetness of celebration with a new community and the sadness that comes from being far from home. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. South Asian American Sikh author.)
Best non-fiction picture books of 2025
The History of We by Nikkolas Smith.
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I’m certainly not the only book reviewer to have this stunning read on my best picture books of 2025 list!
As a homeschooling parent, I’ve looked at a lot of children’s books about ancient history. Many of them are boring. A good number include racial stereotypes or eliminate African peoples from their accounts. I would have absolutely loved to have A History of We when my son and I were still reading picture books.
With expressive watercolors full of dignity, joy, and brilliance, Smith shows just what it means for all of human civilization to have begun in Africa. Core ideas about early humans, such as how they learned to make and re-make tools, are presented with compelling text. As a group of hands weaves together a hunting net, the text explains that “nature presented us with many gifts. But when obstacles arose, we became inventors to ensure our survival.”
Page spreads of Africans exploring through sea voyages and beyond are welcome counter-narratives to the ideas children are usually taught in school that Europeans were the ones “discovering” Africans. Instead, Smith’s stunning book reminds us, “from the Mother Land into every corner of Mother Earth, one group became many.” (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Black author.)
Related post: African history resources for kids
I am the Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby and Malcolm Newsome. Illustrated by Nadia Fisher.
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This lyrical and sweeping history of the movement for Black liberation is an uplifting introduction to abolition and civil rights for young readers. Short lines of meaningful text demonstrate how the “spirit of justice” lived in people while they were still free in West Africa, and as they endured and resisted enslavement, segregation, and police brutality in America.
Some books about race and racism for young children can be tepid in how they describe the ideas that motivated people to work for change. In contrast, Tisby and Newsome describe how in the face of slavery, the spirit of justice “erupted like a volcano. Igniting faith in the souls of those who risked everything to deliver freedom to all.” Joyful, transcendent illustrations illuminate the work of the spirit of justice through people from many different time periods.
Tisby is a Christian writer and is drawing on Christian imagery in the text, though the only explicit reference to the Holy Spirit is in the end notes. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Black authors.)
How Sweet the Sound by Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Charly Palmer.
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With his signature joyful, rhythmic style, award-winning poet Kwame Alexander introduces children to the many types of Black music that are the “soundtrack of America.”
From the west African drumbeats and Congo Square ring shouts to the “litanies that lifted the insufferable weight off our world,” Alexander’s words and Palmer’s expressive oil paintings point to endurance, creativity, and joy. The “deep blue-black moans” of the blues and “kaleidoscope of ragtime rhythms” give way to electric guitar, soul songs, and hip hop “grand masters mixing and spinning.”
Extensive musical notes are included after the story about each song and type of music that is mentioned. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9. Black author.)
Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark by Allen R. Wells. Illustrated by DeAndra Hodge.
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Growing up in the 1930s, Yvonne Clark ignored gender stereotypes about how she should dress or what she should be interested in. Often clad in overalls, she built enormous bridges on her bedroom floor and fixed any broken appliance in their home. Even when sexist policies denied her the opportunity to take certain engineering classes, she stayed confident in her ability to learn on her own. As an adult, Clark’s problem-solving skills at the Frankford Arsenal Gage Lab propelled her into a career at NASA, where she solved a key issue with the engines of the Saturn V rocket.
The text and expressive cartoon illustrations not only convey Clark’s tenacious spirit; they also give young readers an idea of how many repeated attempts and various solutions are required in the engineering process. (Recommended for ages 4 – 9. Black author.)
The Peanut Man by Carmen Agra Deedy. Illustrated by Raúl Colón.
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In 1960s Havana, Coqui loves playing silly games with Emilio el manisero (the peanut man). But one night, instead of making faces at Emilio from her window, Coqui’s is listening to her mother’s news that they have to leave for the United States. Her father is a man with opinions that the authorities consider dangerous.
The peanut man comforts her by telling her that the States will have both liberty and baseball. Though Coqui is devastated to leave her home, baseball becomes an anchor for her in their Atlanta home. She becomes a huge Hank Aaron fan and is delighted when her father gets her Braves’ tickets for her birthday. Little does Coqui know that something even better than seeing Aaron play awaits her at the ballpark. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9. Cuban American author.)
Related post: Engaging picture books starring Latine characters
When I Hear Spirituals by Cheryl Willis Hudson. Illustrated by London Ladd.
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This powerful book explores the many emotions, memories, and historical connections that Black Christian spirituals evoke in a young girl. Sometimes the words and music stir wonder, while other times “a big lump gets stuck in my chest.” Tenderness and reverence alternate with an “uh-huh” feeling that moves her to sway and stomp with the music. As the girl connects with her ancestors who sang spirituals, she feels their strength and refusal to submit to injustice.
Ladd’s illustrations are a vibrant mix of collage and watercolor, and they are as varied as the emotional experience of the text and musical lyrics. This emotionally and historically expansive book is a must-read. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8. Black author.)
So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story by Anne Wynter. Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey.
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There are so many good picture books about Juneteenth available. Wynter’s story stands out for the emotional chord it strikes with simple, yet profound, questions it asks the youngest readers to consider about early Juneteenth celebrations.
“How would you dress after so many years of mending your clothes with rags?” the story asks, accompanied by a page spread contrasting a family dressed in old beige clothes with fine, colorful dresses and suits. In a similar fashion, the words of pain-filled spirituals are contrasted with joyful freedom songs. Wynter and Pumphrey make it clear what it means to “celebrate so many years of a life fully yours, fully free.” (Recommended for ages 3 – 6. Black author.)
Revolutions Are Made of Love: The Story of James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs by Sun Yung Shin and Mélina Mangal. Illustrated by Leslie Barlow.
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How were Grace Lee and James Boggs, two people who came from such different backgrounds, drawn together in working for liberation, and eventually into a marriage?
Through in-depth, free verse poems accompanied by detailed, emotionally evocative illustrations, this picture book for older readers explores the lives of two unsung activists and thinkers who made a major impact in their city of Detroit and beyond. For many years, each worked in their own way for workers’ rights and racial justice, matching their powerful intellectual work with on-the-ground strategic action.
In both their thinking and their lives, the activist pair made clear that “revolutions are made out of love for people and for place.” This book is a beautiful and stirring introduction to two social justice leaders whose story more of us should know. (Recommended for ages 8+. Korean American author and Black author.)
One Day In June by Tourmaline. Illustrated by Charlot Kristensen.
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Bursting with the bright colors that Marsha P. Johnson loved to wear, this effusive picture book celebrates the activist’s impact on the movement for Black Trans Lives.
As children and their grownups prepare to take part in a huge 2020 march, they learn that the way people today “are exactly ourselves, no more, no less” is because of Marsha. Marsha’s generosity (even as she had few material goods), her humor, and her warmth shine through the pages. This story is not only a whole-hearted celebration of history; it is also an invitation to act today. (Recommended for ages 5 – 9. Black transgender author.)
Related post: Children’s books about LGBTQ history
Prince Among Slaves by N.H. Senzai. Illustrated by Anna Rich.
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This detailed picture book biography of Prince Abdulrahman Sori tells the true story of enslavement in the United States and his long-fought campaign to return to west Africa. The author describes the leadership roles he had already begun in the kingdom of Fouta Djallon as a young adult when he was captured in a raid by a rival tribe.
With a focus on Abdulrahman’s devout Muslim faith, the author describes how the young prince endured humiliating treatment at the hands of his enslaver. Because he had so much knowledge about cotton, which grew in his kingdom, his enslaver allowed Abdulrahman to practice his faith. While he repeatedly told people he’d been a prince in west Africa, white people assumed he was making up tales.
Decades later, when Abdulrahman read and wrote in Arabic in front of a man who owned a printing press, the man realized the prince had been telling the truth. The two men began seeking help from elected officials in the hope that Abdulrahman might still be able to return home. What follows is an amazing and complex story of seeking freedom for himself and his family. (Recommended for ages 7 – 11. Indian and Pakistani American, Muslim author.)
Related post: How should we talk with children about slavery
