UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Among all children’s books published nationwide last year, 13 have been selected by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book for inclusion in  "A Baker’s Dozen: The Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy," for 2024. 

The 21st annual booklist was compiled by a panel of children’s literature experts who chose from among the many children’s books published in the previous calendar year. 

Titles for 2024 include: 

• “10 Dogs” by Emily Gravett, published by Boxer Books.  

• “ABC and You and Me” by Corinna Luyken, published by Rocky Pond/Penguin Random.

• “Bear with Me” illustrated by Kerascoët, Sebastien Cosset and Marie Pommepuy, published by Random House Studio/Penguin Random. 

• “The Concrete Garden” by Bob Graham, published by Candlewick/Penguin Random.

• “How to Count to ONE (And Don't Even THINK About Bigger Numbers!)” by Caspar Salmon and illustrated by Matt Hunt, published by Nosy Crow. 

• “I Am a Dragon! A Squabble and a Quibble” by Sabina Hahn, published by HarperCollins.

• “If I Was a Horse” by Sophie Blackall, published by Little Brown.

• “The Kitten Story” by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Brittany Cicchese, published by Minerva/Astra.

• “Mr. S” by Monica Arnaldo, published by Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins.

• “Night in the City” by Julie Downing, published by Neal Porter/Holiday House.

• “Ruffles and the Cozy, Cozy Bed” by David Melling, published by Candlewick/Penguin Random.

• “Simon and the Better Bone” by Corey R. Tabor, published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins.

• “You Go First” by Ariel Bernstein and illustrated by Marc Rosenthal, published by Paula Wiseman/Simon.

Selection criteria, annotations, tips for using the books and more are available at the A Baker’s Dozen website. 

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, encourages Pennsylvania’s citizens and residents to study, honor, celebrate and promote books, reading, libraries and literacy. In addition to A Baker’s Dozen, it also administers the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize and the interactive Literary & Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania. 

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website or contact Ellysa Stern Cahoy, education librarian, Pennsylvania Center for the Book, at esc10@psu.edu or 814-865-9696.