Children’s Book Trends: Are We Following Them?

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Maureen Crisp charts children’s publishing trends from the USA, the UK and Australia to see which have made their way here and what is in store for 2025.

I made the mistake of looking at a big chain bookstore to see what books they were promoting for gifts. If you were a visitor to New Zealand, you could be forgiven for thinking that all our books for children come from overseas. However, we do have a great children’s publishing community, and, even though we are at the bottom of the world, we still reflect the global trends in international children’s publishing. Cynics would add yes, we also have all their supply chain problems, sparse print runs, and low advances. Our biggest challenge is how we can rise above the deluge of overseas titles to really promote our own fantastic books. 

Money for marketing books is in short supply especially if you publish children’s books. Here in New Zealand the absence of book reviews from our state broadcasters have prompted a public call from The New Zealand Society of Authors to fix this. Meanwhile, money for literature arts grants gets reduced and everybody wonders why the kids aren’t reading. A commitment to marketing our great children’s books might help. Slight digression as I pause to contemplate the dream that a big bookseller would only promote New Zealand books for Christmas. 

Most books published today have been in production for more than a year, some have been waiting for two years or more for their time in the sunshine of the New Books display in your local bookshop. To get a hallowed spot on a publishers list takes a combination of the right story being submitted at the right time and luck. The books coming out in 2024 were all acquired by publishing houses during the hard months of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you consult any trend roundup from this time the dominant theme is resilience. This is what a children’s writer needs especially as they look at bestseller lists, which often don’t reflect the award winners list or have yet another celebrity penned children’s story.

But the bestsellers have their place, they often give their publishers money in the bank to publish the potential award winners. So a big cheer and a pat on the back for all the New Zealand books that continue to fight off the overseas hordes on our bestseller lists.

A quick look at the International children’s book bestsellers in 2024

The bestsellers in the United Kingdom consist of: a book by Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney; a book by David Walliams; a picture book with an animal main character (non-fiction); a picture book with an animal main character (fiction); a couple of TV tie ins; a classic board book (re-released); a classic fiction book; and a colouring book.

In the United States of America, the best sellers are; a book by Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney; a Dog Man book by Dav Pilkey; a colouring in picture book (non- fiction); a picture book with an animal main character (fiction); a couple of movie tie ins; a classic board book (re-released); a classic fiction book (re-released); and a paper doll Taylor Swift activity book.

In Australia, so long as you have the word Bluey in the title it’s a guaranteed bestseller. Although Mem Fox got to number two with Where is The Green Sheep by September this year. 

As ever, our bestseller lists were filled with the usual overseas suspects, but Hairy Maclary was there in books and jigsaws. Books featuring a kiwi, a yellow digger or written by Donovan Bixley were popular. Colouring books, a smattering of holiday themed books and the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adult shortlist briefly made an impact.

Trends

New Zealand is a trading nation, and we keep abreast of the trends in publishing. At the beginning of the year international trend predictions for children’s books included more graphic novels, fantasy, and animal books in fiction and non-fiction for all ages. Longer novels were predicted to feature more realistic diverse characters from marginalised communities. Stories set against a backdrop of displacement due to war or economic uncertainty were going to increase as ‘emotional resilience’ became the publishing catchphrase. The young adult book lists would continue their flirtation with romantasy and dark academia reflecting popular streaming series on the major television networks. 

The international publishing world continues to hold out for a ‘chosen one’ hero or at least something that would recreate the heady days of the 90’s. Since the turn of the century, every publisher has been looking for the next Harry Potter holy grail, a book series that becomes a phenomenon. Back in 1997, no one knew that a first in series book with a modest print run of 500 copies would outsell the tech marvels of the year— the Tamagotchi, flip phones, and PlayStation controllers, be the saviour of struggling publishing houses and inspire a generation of rabid readers. Percy Jackson came close with a third of the sales, and Rick Riorden has taken this success to inspire a new publishing imprint, Rick Riorden presents, that fueled the fabulous Graci Kim to well-deserved heights.

New Zealand publishers embraced animal books this year or rather bird books. They flirted with fantasy and dived into emotional storytelling with gritty characters and intricate plots. Romantasy got a look in with more promised next year. Below is a sample of some of the great New Zealand Books that reflect the major trends published this year.

Picture books featuring birds, animals, and diverse characters:

Chapter books featuring diverse characters:

Junior fiction fantasy and realistic diverse characters:

Stories set against a war backdrop:

Realistic and emotional young adult:

Romantasy:

Graphic novels:

Bestsellers:

Looking ahead to 2025

The coming year looks all kinds of difficult for the publishing industry in the United States of America. Not only is the incoming president suing publishers who published books portraying his credentials in a negative light, but there has been a rise in book banning throughout the states. The Project 2025 manifesto outlining a brave new world for America has shaken the publishing industry. Conservative leaning states are beginning to enact legislation reflecting some of its recommendations. Idaho libraries are refusing to allow children in the library, or allowing them only if their caregiver adult signs a waiver of prosecution at every visit. Other states are reported to be thinking along similar lines. 

Children’s publishers, libraries and schools are grappling with the rise of challenged books. The tide of conservatism has not only focused on books for children that address gender differences but also books that are considered classics. With many states looking to defund public library budgets, school libraries are under pressure to conform to a more conservative book buying agenda. 

In the United Kingdom, the children’s publishing world is grappling with a huge decline in children reading. There is much public hand-wringing. I wonder if they have connected the dots that if you take away school and public libraries you get less readers. In the last eight years, the UK has closed nearly two hundred libraries. 

The decline in literacy standards is also a concern in New Zealand. Now more than ever we need to be promoting reading and all its many benefits to people, like, less stress, increased vocabulary, and great mental health. Many studies show that children will read more if they see characters in books that look like them. If children come from a different family dynamic or culture, they should be able to find a book that reflects their life. New Zealand publishers are producing great books for our diverse cultures. However, we need to keep vigilant that overseas trends of book banning and school library closures don’t get a foothold here. 

‘Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.’  Malala Yousafzai

Predicting trends for 2025

With American publishing uncertainty about their new president, a more conservative publishing agenda may be on the cards from all the big publishing houses. Look for innovative children’s stories from the smaller independent publishing houses. 

Political uncertainty, war, climate change and poverty are hot topics internationally, and realistic characters rising to these challenges will continue to be popular along with escapism fantasy. Look for dystopian books to start appearing. Publishing will be looking for the new Katniss to inspire everyone. Romantasy and dark thrillers will continue to be popular for the teen audience. 

Animal books and fantasy will continue to fill picture book lists. The combination of animal, fantasy and chosen one means reviving the Redwall series as graphic novels could tick a lot of trend boxes for junior fiction. New Zealander David Elliot illustrated a third of this popular series from the nineties. 

We all want graphic novels but, with the heavy cost of production, New Zealand publishers don’t have the money to commission them. Expect to see a lot of imported manga novels to fill this gap especially as there are new Netflix series, such as Sakamoto Days, along with new anime featuring K-Pop style Demon Hunters coming in 2025.

Roald Dahl might get a small revival as a new animated film featuring the Twits is due for release next year. Although his books could be challenged as they promote all sorts of mayhem and efforts to bring them in line with current attitudes faced derision last year.

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is heading to Netflix so expect a revival of all those books from the 90’s aimed at boys. (I wonder if any of those tie-in books have been banned?)

Literacy and hand-wringing over whether the kids are reading will continue. Everyone has a solution. It might take a radical move from politicians to solve the problem, like funding school libraries and literary grants or having a culture card like they do in Europe where school leavers get a €300 card for a year to spend on books and theatre. Marketing our great New Zealand books both here and overseas will continue to be the dominant focus of publishing houses and writers. Somehow, they have to keep the lights on.

What we do know is that bestseller lists in 2025 will be filled with books by Jeff Kinney, Dav Pilkey and David Walliams. Hairy Maclary will be on the New Zealand best seller list along with a book by Donovan Bixley, and the little yellow digger will save the day.

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