The Most Beautiful Picture Books of 2024

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The Most Beautiful Picture Books Of 2024

Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano

Dec 21, 2024

Out of all of the incredible children's books that have come across our desk in 2024, the ones below got us absolutely hooked, thanks to the lush, detailed illustrations that had us swimming in their pages. In our roundup of The Most Beautiful Picture Books Of 2024, we encourage you to look beyond the cover and dive into the pages that follow to see where the real magic lies.

Great to give as last-minute gifts—we encourage you to scoop them up from your local bookstore, shop our Amazon storefront, purchase your favorites from the Bookshop links below, or add them all to your library queue for free entertainment all winter break long!

Top Picks

Brown Girl, Brown Girl

Leslé Honoré + Cozbi A. Cabrera

Based on a poem by Leslé Honoré, this beautiful and affirming tale is brought to life via vivid paintings by MOTHER favorite Cozbi A. Cabrera.

The empowering illustrations show the beauty of Black girlhood—from modern scenes and those celebrating a rich history and legacy.

Bao's Doll

Bo Lu

This debut book by Bay Area mother of two Bo Lu absolutely knocked our socks off.

First off, there's the captivating story of little Bao, who so desperately wants a specific blonde, blue-eyed doll that she steals it—unlocking a powerful conversation and dialogue with her Taiwanese mother, who ultimately makes her a doll in her likeness.

The story, based on Bo's own life experience, is drenched in color to showcase the emotions and drama that erupts on each page.

Terrible Horses

Raymond Antrobus + Ken Wilson-Max

This tale of sibling rivalry by beloved poet and deaf activist Raymond Antrobus, and illustrated by artist Ken Wilson-Max, is absolutely gorgeous from the get-go.

Wilson-Max's bold-but-playful drawings depict the longing for solitude (of the older sibling) and attention (of the younger sibling)—the latter who retreats to his room to draw wild, terrible horses that burst from his imagination and onto the page.

Patterns, Patterns Everywhere

Kellie Menendez

Another impressive 2024 debut, author-illustrator Kellie Menendez takes on all things patterns in the vivid Patterns, Patterns Everywhere.

From patterns in nature and art to patterns in math, science, human behavior, and more—this book will keep you and your kids coming back thanks to its multi-layered images, messages, and hidden objects.