The children’s illustration book market is experiencing rapid growth. Board books in particular are benefiting from the surge in early childhood learning programs and literacy campaigns, with a 38% increase in sales from 2020 to 2024, according to Global Growth Insights. “Parents, educators, and publishers are increasingly investing in children’s illustration books due to their ability to enhance cognitive development and visual literacy.”

For babies and tots, board books are their first experience with books: holding them, handling them, opening them, and turning pages. Board books—and their very thick pages—enable very young children to develop “concepts of print” by allowing them to handle the books rather than just seeing them.

To enhance this tactile experience, publishers have introduced new interactive formats with lifting flaps, sound, puppets, and jumbo fold-out pages. “Printers are getting more sophisticated all the time in the formats they're able to do,” says Flowerpot Press Marketing Director David George Glover.

But the power of board books goes beyond the tactile experience they offer. These books are designed to stimulate infant eye development, with high-contrast colors and simple images, while content featuring everything from farm animals to the alphabet with pictures with labels, encourages the kind of back-and-forth child-centered interactions (“point and say”) that build neural pathways.

Perhaps most importantly, board books create warm bonding moments for parents and children to share—positive early experiences that encourage children to become life-long readers.

“You're always trying to come up with something wonderful and amazing,” says Katie Crow, senior editor at Flowerpot Press. “I want to make something that kids look back on and think, ‘I remember that one special book I loved.’ We all had one. I think about mine all the time.”

Flowerpot Press

For 20 years, Flowerpot Press has been “planting the seeds that help young minds grow” by publishing books for children from birth to fifth grade. Flowerpot publishes about 40–50 titles annually and about half of those are board books.

“Board books were where we began and where we’ve dedicated a lot of development time for the past 20 years,” explains Senior Editor Katie Crow. “Board books are that first avenue into readers. Board books teach kids how to read a book, how to hold a book, and how to interact with a book.”

The “High Contrast Baby Book” series for ages 0–2 is designed for a baby’s developing eyes and mind. Snug as a Bug by Stephanie Meyers, November 2025, ISBN 9781486731862, combines bold black-and-white photographs and simple rhymes for a perfect introduction to the reading experience. “These chunky, sturdy books will withstand a lot of love and last on the shelf for a long time,” says Crow. “They’re great for a baby’s first book at bedtime or during tummy-time. We want them to be the ones you come back to over and over again.”

The “I See You” series of interactive lift-the-flap books lets readers seek-and-find baby animals and other hidden surprises. Young readers from 0–4 years will find a nesting bird, a sly fox, and a laughing owl in Snuggle Bear by Lucy McKay, illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla, November 2025, ISBN 9781486731930. “It’s a seek-and-find with a lift that’s great for solo reading, too,” notes Crow. “Even if kids are not reading the actual words, they still remember ‘there’s an owl on that page and I gotta find it!’”

Happy Horse by Lucy McKay, illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla, November 2025, ISBN 9781486731923, reveals the antics of farm animals like a horse, a cow, a rooster, a lamb, and a chick. “Each picture shows the parent animal essentially playing peekaboo with their baby animal,” says David George Glover, marketing director. “With each flap that's revealed, there's an affirmation of love from the parent animal in which they say to their baby, ‘I see you, I love you.’”

After several years in development, Flowerpot Press just released the “Burst-Open” series for readers ages 3–7. This dynamic, innovative format seems like a standard board book until the reader discovers the surprise. “The page unfolds before the eye into something more than double its original size. You go from a normal-sized book to something that is almost a foot-and-a-half by a foot-and-a-half,” explains Glover. “It's as if the book is bursting out at you.”

The jumbo foldout page shows habitats from across the globe in Animals at Home Seek & Find by Judy Wilson, September 2025, ISBN 9781486729555. The books combine seek-and-find with a counting element in which readers will find animals in environments including the ocean, the Arctic, a jungle, a desert, a savanna, mountains, and an island. “Every page you open reveals an activity you'll spend several minutes going through,” says Glover. “These books would be fun in a read-aloud environment because they're like oversized lap board books.”

A-Z Alphabet Seek & Find by Judy Wilson, September 2025, ISBN 9781486729548, has foldout seek-and-find scenes like an airport, a beach, a castle, and a baseball stadium. Readers collect letters along the way, while they search for a kangaroo in a park or a pyramid in a grocery store. Creator Wilson delivers hours of fun while helping kids develop concentration skills, plus foundational literacy and numeracy. “There are lots of hidden things to discover,” says Crow. “I find something new every time—and I've spent hours looking at these books.”

Teacher Created Materials

Free Spirit Publishing, an imprint of Teacher Created Materials, publishes a wide range of board books including the blockbuster Hands Are Not for Hitting. “We use our educational expertise and child-development knowledge to make sure our board books are geared to infants and toddlers,” says Kyra Ostendorf, publisher, trade division. “Every board book has back matter to help adults engage with the child about the skill that that book is addressing. We remind adults to pause and enjoy the world through the eyes of a toddler.”

The “Outside Our Window” series follows two cousins as they explore the outdoors in their city neighborhood. Each title focuses on an aspect of nature, an aspect of our senses, and one relationship skill. These books are written by Mélina Mangal, a public-school librarian and author of the best-selling Jayden’s Impossible Garden. “Mélina’s mission is to help children of color, specifically Black children who live in cities, see themselves as part of nature,” says Ostendorf.

For readers ages 1–4, Wind Whirls by Mélina Mangal, illustrated by Stella Lim, November 2025, ISBN 9798885544573, shows cousins Kamali and Josiah on a winter walk through the city to their grandparents’ home. The sounds and sensations of the wind surround them and push them along. “The relationship skill in this book is togetherness,” explains Ostendorf. “Bundling up and being together helps children find their way, stand strong, and make their way through the weather.”

The six-title “Baby's First Moments” series has black-and-white illustrations to promote cognitive growth and emotional connection for babies 0–12 months old. The books feature infants’ early experiences like nature, family, home, feelings, play, and bedtime. For example, a baby laughs as pinwheels spin and crayons make squiggles in So Silly!: Baby’s High Contrast Board Book created by Emily Barton, January 2026, ISBN 9798330923342. Each page explores joyful moments and includes physical cues like peek-a-boo. “The high-contrast books help developing newborns see easily and not have a blurred experience,” notes Ostendorf.

Phoenix International Publications

Chicago-based Phoenix International Publications is one of the world’s leading licensed international publishers for young readers. The company’s PI Kids imprint produces content featuring characters licensed from Disney, Marvel, PAW Patrol, Sesame Street, and others. Phoenix’s Sunbird Books imprint, founded in 2020, publishes all-original content including picture books, graphic novels, chapter books, and board books.

“We wanted to do books outside of the licensed products, so that’s where we went for Sunbird,” says Senior Marketing Coordinator Casey Griffin. “We publish 30–40 board books a year by diverse voices, new authors, new illustrators, and creators from around the world.”

Hello, Pumpkin! by Susan Rich Brooke, illustrated by Heather Burns, August 2025, ISBN 9798384600923, follows a mouse searching the pumpkin patch for the perfect-sized pumpkin. Children can squeeze the squishy pumpkin appended to the book’s front cover while enjoying the rhyming story. This chunky little book for ages 18 months–3 years will be fun for kids during the fall, especially around Halloween. “The book has super-expressive characters and lovely autumnal colors,” says Griffin. “Susan Rich Brooke works in-house for us, and she really wanted to do something with a seasonal element.”

Not-So-Bad Guys Snow Monster! created by Michael Buxton, September 2025, ISBN 9798384600589, tells the story of Simon the Yeti, who protects his snowy home from disruptive humans in a humorous spin on the Abominable Snowman for ages 2–5. “Some pages are more text-heavy than others, but you can read the story based on the images,” explains Griffin. “And all of our Sunbird books have free downloadable content from our website, such as coloring sheets and word searches.”

Buxton’s Not-So-Bad Guys Vampire!, August 2025, ISBN 9798384600565, features Count Derek, a vampire looking to make friends in the town near his new castle. When the villagers express their fears, Derek must find a way to change their minds about vampires. “Spoiler alert: he throws a party, and everybody is friends at the end of the book,” says Griffin.

The Sunbird Books team recently attended Chicago’s Printers Row Lit Fest. “So many kids and parents picked up Not-So-Bad Guys Vampire. We sold about 30 copies on the first day,” says Griffin.

Cottage Door Press

Cottage Door Press started out in 2014 with a simple mission: To inspire kids with a love of reading from day one. With innovations like the Luna StoryTime Projector—the portable projector that brings stories to life—and the best-selling "Peek-a-Flap" series, Cottage Door has enjoyed success with multi-sensory formats and enchanting stories.

“The journey to becoming a lifelong reader begins with books for babies and toddlers that spark curiosity and imagination,” says Stephanie Levasseur, key account sales manager. “Our collection is thoughtfully crafted to be durable and developmentally appropriate.”

Like Water, Little Otter: My Love for You Goes On and On, written and illustrated by Sydney Hanson, October 2025, ISBN 9798890192707, portrays the loving bond between mother and baby in this beautiful keepsake book for children ages 1–4. Creator Sydney Hanson shows key moments of a mother nurturing and guiding her child from the baby’s birth to growing up. “It's a heartfelt book that explores the themes of emotional security, connection, empathy, and trust,” says Levasseur. “I feel like every mother will adore sharing this [book] with their child and strengthening their bond through the joy of reading together.”

Winnie-the-Pooh: In Which Pooh Gets Stuck by A.A. Milne, illustrated by Daniela Massironi, December 2025, ISBN 9798890192745, is a great introduction to the Hundred-Acre Wood of Christopher Robin and his famous friends. In this beloved story for ages 2–6, Pooh gets stuck and needs help from Rabbit and friends. “This refreshed edition features artwork and storyline inspired by the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories plus SEL themes like empathy, compassion, problem-solving, and supportive friendships,” explains Levasseur. “It’s part of our "Once Upon a Cottage" series of classics that includes Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs.”

ABCs of Unicorns: A Sparkly and Silly Alphabet by Ruby Byrd, illustrated by Nora Racz, December 2025, ISBN 9798890194046, features a unicorn named Sadie who samples stardust as she sails through space. “This quirky book for ages 2–5 explores the alphabet in a whimsical way with 26 sweet, silly unicorns from Abby and Bento to Yadi and Zara,” says Levasseur. “It’s packed with zany words and rhymes that will spark some giggles and may even have the parents reaching for the dictionary.”

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