Our librarians recommend: best new illustrated books

April 8th 2025

We read and review thousands of picture books and non-fiction titles every year and many have wonderful illustrations – here’s some lists of our top five new titles that stand out for a variety of reasons.

Laura | Senior Librarian (Children's) Laura has worked for Peters as part of the librarians’ team for the last twenty years. She still loves reading and reviewing new books even after all this time, enjoying all kinds of adult and children’s fiction, and a good warts-and-all rock’n’roll autobiography. In addition to buying stock for a wide range of public library customers she co-ordinates both our Book of the Week and the curated book lists.  So she is always trying to think of exciting new themes for lists – though her all-time favourite, ‘plucky orphans save the world’, never seems to run out of steam! meeT OUR team

Intricate illustrations

These books all have intricate illustrations that young readers can spend hours poring over. Sometimes illustrations will show something different or contradictory that the text hasn’t yet revealed, or they may contain busy scenes full of detail and humour, with something new to notice each time you read!

Ten on the Bus by Clare Fennell

Trains, Boats and Planes by Michelle Robinson

Eye Spy by Ruth Brown

No Climbing by Ross Collins

Wanna See a Penguin? by Simon Philip and Ian Smith

Beautiful and striking

These titles each stand out for their beautiful and striking images.

A Voice in the Storm by Karl James Mountford

The Seal on the Beach by Mara Bergman

Patience by Rachel Williams

King Winter's Birthday by Jonathan Freedland and Emily Sutton

An Invitation to the Botanic Gardens by Charlotte Guillain and Helen Shoesmith

Quirky and offbeat

Some titles catch our interest due to the quirky and offbeat style of images used to add humour, create an atmosphere and support a truly original tale in the best way possible.

Beanie the Bansheenie by Eoin Colfer

Hot Dog by Doug Salati

Alan, King of the Universe by Tom McLaughlin

Worm's Lost and Found by Jule Wellerdiek

The Prickletrims Go Wild by Marie Dorleans

Eye-catching endpapers

The unsung and often unnoticed aspect of highly illustrated titles – where the illustrators and publishers have created eye-catching end papers, so it's worth peeking beyond the front cover to look at the inside pages…

see all recommended illustrated books

More book lists from our team

Did you know our librarians create bespoke themed book lists every month to tie in with current trends and topics?

Don't forget to regularly check our book lists page, where you'll find lists that will be of interest to your borrowers.

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