Picture Books

The winners of the 2025 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards are I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely, illus. by Matt James; Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay; and Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming.

These Juneteenth offerings include various formats, ranging from cookbooks to early readers to audiobooks, so all your young readers can find their preferred way to learn more about this holiday.

Just in time for Father's Day, we've rounded up a few of the latest board books that highlight the special bond between fathers and their children. Share these titles with your young readers before mid-June or all year long.

The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed and illustrated by Hatem Aly is the winner of the Irma S. Black Award. Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale by Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Jason Chin earned the Cook Prize.

Celebrate mothers not just for one day but all year long with these selections.

Cascarones are empty eggshells that are decorated, filled with confetti, and sealed. A Latinx Easter tradition involves breaking them over loved ones’ heads. Join in the fun with these two picture books.

Understanding the racist roots of nursery rhymes can help librarians and early childhood educators decide what is appropriate to share with children—and what should be left behind.

Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu festival celebrating spring. Young readers will enjoy these colorful picture books about the holiday.

The 2025 Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award went to Breanna J. McDaniel for Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller. X. Fang won the Illustrator Award for We Are Definitely Human.