Recently, a marketing professional in children’s publishing said to me, “This truly is the golden age of board books!” I found myself in agreement. Creators are experimenting with the format in new, inventive ways. I’ve been impressed with the many board books that are beautifully designed with lovely art and that take the developmental needs and interests of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers into account.

Whether it’s literary ageism at play, or whether the audience’s developmental requirement for simplicity belies the excellence of the best offerings, board books often don’t get as much attention as titles intended for older kids. This dynamic makes it challenging to find the best in board books. But thankfully, some institutions and publications are stepping up. See School Library Journal’s expanded board book coverage, the annual best board book lists from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and from Bank Street College of Education’s Center for Children’s Literature, and the latter institution’s Margaret Wise Brown Board Book Award.

And I am delighted to compile The Horn Book Magazine’s biannual board book roundups. Below are some 2024 titles worth celebrating.

Play with Me [Playdate]
by Kat Chen; illus. by Lorraine Nam (Rise/Penguin Workshop)

A tot named Ellison, pulling a wagon with provisions and supplies, addresses listeners as if they are playdate companions: “What’s your name?…Did something make you laugh today? Will you tell me about it?” The dialogue continues, in Mr. Rogers–esque fashion, through Chen’s friendly prompts to select a favorite cookie from among three choices and to look for images in the clouds in Nam’s cheerfully inviting mixed-media illustrations. While this is an optimistically idyllic depiction of a playdate, it may prove useful to toddlers learning the nuances of social interaction. See also Play Outside with Me and the forthcoming Play Games with Me.

Bugs [Spring Street Touch and Feel]
illus. by Lo Cole (Boxer)

As the cover promises, youngsters can touch reproductions of creepy-crawlies that many of us would be nervous to pet. Each bug is embedded with a swatch of tactile material and appears on a solid background as a graphically bold image. A true test of any touch-and-feel board book is its diversity of textures, and this title succeeds with a smooth ladybug, a soft butterfly, a fluffy bumblebee, and a prickly grasshopper. The text’s prompts use rich, descriptive vocabulary, important for language-learning youngsters. Other titles in the animal-focused series, including Farm, Ocean, Pets, and Wild, employ similar attractive imagery.

Big and Little: A Book of Animal Opposites
by Harriet Evans; illus. by Linda Tordoff (Tiger Tales)

In this clever lift-the-flap concept book, young viewers can explore animal opposites in a variety of environs. A “slow” sloth is visible hanging from a vine. When the sloth-shaped flap is lowered, we see the opposite—a “fast” leopard running beneath the vine. Commonly known critters are depicted (“clean” cat and “dirty” pig) along with the less frequently seen (“rough” pangolin and “smooth” otter). Some flaps can also change the setting when adjusted—the “hot” sub-Saharan African hippo flap transforms into “cold” Arctic polar bear when opened left. Tordoff’s illustrations, which use textured swaths of muted colors, are simultaneously sophisticated and recognizable for those still acquiring language.

Hello, Face! [Hello, Body!]
by Aya Khalil (Barefoot)

Baby and toddler photos abound in this celebration of little faces. The pictures from Shutterstock and iStock are diverse and inclusive and notably feature a cover baby with a nasogastric feeding tube, two female-presenting caregivers cuddling their tot, and an infant with a cleft palate. The text follows an engaging formula, greeting each facial feature in a few lines of text: “Swish, swoosh. Did you feel that breeze?  Achoo! Achoo! Hello, sneezing nose.” Companion titles honor other body parts: Hello, Feet!, Hello, Tummy!, and Hello, Hands!; Spanish/English­ bilingual editions are also available. For another joyful photo-illustrated title, cuddle up with Global Baby Grandparents (Charlesbridge) by Maya Ajmera.

Chirp! Chirp! I’m a Chick! [Little Hands Big Fun]
by Jo Lodge; illus. by the author (Boxer)

A bluebird takes its first flutter; a baby blackbird gulps a worm; the titular chick pecks open an egg in this interactive offering. These actions are animated by dials that move the birds between two poses. The straightforward text provides vocalizations and sound effects for each bird along with a one-sentence bird fact. The sturdy mechanism activates with ease, encouraging independent manipulation by toddlers. For other interactive titles featuring nature facts, lift the flaps of Who Laid These Eggs? by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Loris Lora; and A Seed Will Grow (both Abrams Appleseed) by Sabrina Moyle, illustrated by Eunice Moyle.

Frogs [Little Kids First Board Book]
by Ruth A. Musgrave (National Geographic)

This title filled with eye-catching photos features frogs from around the world. Viewers encounter a Pacific chorus frog jumping into a pond, a green treefrog catching an insect with its tongue, and a tadpole in transition with stubby legs and an out-of-proportion tail. The direct narrative is accompanied by clear and unobtrusive captions. The last spread encourages youngsters to engage with the frogs through gestures and movements: “Clap for the jumping frog. Blink at the frog with red eyes.” For another winning wildlife exploration on board book pages, try You Are a Racoon! (Dial, adapted from the 2023 picture book) by Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Jay Fleck.

Songs of the Birds: A Guide to North American Bird Calls and Songs
by Isabel Otter; illus. by Clover Robin (Tiger Tales)

On each spread of this board book likely to appeal to preschoolers as well as babies and toddlers, North American birds imagined in graceful paper-cut collages are paired with embedded sound chips that play bird calls or songs at the touch of a button. Birds are grouped together by their habitats (woods, river, mountains, town), while relevant facts caption each one, and Otter’s brief text unifies each scene. With twenty-four bird calls or songs, including the northern cardinal’s iconic song, the mourning dove’s melodious coo, and the bald eagle’s surprising chirp, this title packs a wealth of information, appealing to birders of all ages. For another soundscape, this one more baby-centered, turn on Baby Talk (Tiger Tales) by Rosamund Lloyd, illustrated by Summer Macon to hear babies giggle, say “goo-goo,” blow raspberries, and sneeze. Caregivers will appreciate the off switch on the backs of both offerings.

Our Friend Earth [Full Circle Books]
by Lea Redmond; illus. by Regina Shklovsky (Collective Book Studio)

This board book is semicircle-shaped when closed and nestles in a cloud-shaped holder/stand. When the book is opened, each double-page spread forms a circle and shows a view of North and South America, along with the western edges of Africa and Europe, from outer space. As pages are turned, the light of the sun changes over the planet, denoting different times of day. A few lines of gentle, ­soothing verse in large, white type accompanies each image. The final map uses a simple graphic to indicate which way Earth spins and how the sun casts light. It’s both a calming bedtime book and a tool to explain the reason for day and night. For another poetic exploration of cycles, seek out When Moon Blooms (Rise/Penguin Workshop) by Aida Salazar, illustrated by Caribay M. Benavides, which is inspired by Mexican Indigenous beliefs.

We Share This Earth [Community Books]
by Dan Saks; illus. by Brooke Smart (Rise/Penguin Workshop)

Saks, creator of the kids’ music education podcast Noodle Loaf, presents a rhyming board book text to inspire listeners: “[Earth is] shared by everyone you known / and those you’ll never meet: / by elders in a mountain hut / and kids who rule the street.” These lines are paired with Smart’s richly colored, folk art–influenced­ gouache and watercolor scenes, with locations identified and populated by a diverse, international cast. A child picks up litter on Tobago’s Pigeon Point Beach; kids play jump rope in Bogotá, ­Colombia; and a headscarf-wearing caregiver cuddles a baby in Cappadocia, Turkey, all driving home the theme of connection and interdependence. For another trip around the world, explore My First Book of Travel (Doubleday) by Robyn Wall, illustrated by Lydia Nichols.

Can I Sit in the Middle?
by Susanne Strasser; illus. by the author; trans. from German by Melody Shaw (Gecko)

A child sporting a blond bob sits on a couch and invites an improbable procession of animals to enjoy a book together, including a hamster, a stork, and even a fish in a bowl. Humorous delays and interruptions abound as the group tries to get comfortable and include everyone. When the rhinoceros upends the couch while searching for the bunny slippers underneath, everyone tumbles off. The quick-thinking group builds a cozy fort out of the sideways couch, loose cushions, and a blanket so as to finally enjoy the story. Strasser’s droll text and cartoons make for a humorous, self-referential read-aloud. For other playful charmers in translation, pick up Who’s the Boss? (Twirl) by Émile Jadoul and Let’s Play (Chronicle) by Hervé Tullet (adapted from the 2016 picture book), both translated from French; and Come, Little One (Clavis) by Guido Van Genechten, translated from Dutch.

Hello Hello Colors
by Brendan Wenzel; illus. by the author (Chronicle)

In this colorful display, Wenzel highlights animals that make frequent board book appearances (ducks, frogs) and others making what may be their debuts (tenrecs, ‘akiapōlā‘au, red handfish). Each double-page spread features animals of the same color palette. The chunky and playful imagery uses oversize googly eyes to make even the creepiest of critters look friendly. An inventive text with occasional rhymes accompanies the art. “Hello GREEN, ready to grow” is paired with animals including a green spotted puffer and a green basilisk. “Hello PINK, a vibrant show” captions an axolotl and an oblong-winged katydid. The extensive-for-a-board-book back matter names every creature, and asterisks indicate their endangered status. Companion title Hello Hello Shapes uses common and rarer animals to make geometric shapes; Hello Hello Opposites is forthcoming.

Just like You
by Anne Wynter; illus. by Letícia Moreno (Little Bee)

A toddler is determined to be “just like’’ various family members during family picnic preparations. When the tyke picks tomatoes like Sister, squeezes lemons like Mommy, and fills a basket like Grandma, mishaps ensue. Wynter’s pleasing rhyming text pairs well with Moreno’s cheerful imagery. Comic book–style sound-effect words provide punchy commentary, accenting the art. When each family member upends something at the picnic, the tot is reassured that everyone makes mistakes. For another rhyming title about daily toddler life, check out Bed! Bed! Bed! (Little Bee) by Douglas Florian, illustrated by Christiane Engel.

From the September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

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