Predictions! New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books 2025

Perhaps my favorite “best of” book list is the New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books. Every year I try to predict the winners, which is tough because any book published in English in the United States is eligible.

These are the 10 books I think will end up on the list. And, to paraphrase The Dude: These are just, like, my opinions, man.

Firefly by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Luke Adam Hawker

This pen and ink stunner is from Magic Cat, a small U.K. publisher. The poetic text is the perfect vehicle for Hawker’s detailed artwork.

---

Look Up by Azul López, translated by Shook 

Acrylic paintings bring this Mexican myth to life, reminding readers bogged down with the here and now to look up to the sky.

---

Sundust by Zeke Peña

Two kids embark on a trip into the desert that turns surreal and, eventually, interstellar in one of the most visually fresh picture books of the year.

---

Late Today by Jungyoon Huh, illustrated by Myungae Lee, translated byAerin Park

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers often has books on the NYT Best Illustrated list, since they publish a lot of great books in translation. This is the first Korean book Eerdmans has put out and it’s beautiful, telling the story of a stray cat causing a traffic jam.

---

Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Catia Chien

This is the book I most expect to see on this list. I would say Chien outdid herself on Fireworks, but she seems to outdo herself on pretty much every book.

---

The Other Side of the Rocks by Nahid Kazemi

Inspired by the poems of Rumi, this book has a meditative quality that is well-matched by the soft, layered artwork.

---

Island Storm by Brian Floca, illustrated by Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith is probably your favorite illustrator’s favorite illustrator. With good reason – Smith’s loose painterly style combines childlike simplicity with a masterful use of light and composition. Here he brings Brian Floca’s story of a gathering storm to life with “How did he do that?!” skill.

---

On All Fours by Gaëtan Dorémus, translated by Emilie Robert Wong

Dorémus previously appeared on the NYT Best Illustrated list with his 2012 book Bear Despair. Here he takes his layered pencil style to new heights, creating pictures that practically shimmer.

---

Cat Nap by Brian Lies

A cat-and-mouse game through a museum, as the characters interact with famous artworks from history. There’s some really inventive stuff here and I think the committee will take notice.

---

The History of We by Nikkolas Smith

How much the word “Illustrated” play into the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books list? Because what we have in The History of We is more of a series of incredible paintings than illustrations. It’s one of the most visually stunning books of 2025.

Filed under: Articles