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PICTURE BOOKS
Ransome, James E.

A Place for Us

32 pp. | Penguin/Paulsen | August, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9780593324882 $18.99
(1) K-3 An opening note introduces this story of a mother and son experiencing homelessness. The otherwise wordless story opens with the mother walking through the city carrying a green backpack. She waits patiently for her son to leave school, and they have dinner at a fast-food restaurant and then read and study at the library until it closes. Next the two make their way to a park, where he will sleep for the night while she keeps watch. In the morning, the mother helps him dress with clothes and toiletries she keeps in the green bag, then brings him back to school. Through poignant images created using watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite pencil, readers observe the love between mother and son. For example, in an early spread, they greet each other with open arms. Other images indicate the dangers of their situation, such as those that show the mother looking over her shoulder as her son sleeps. The book gives faces to the many children and families who are unhoused, and the author's note calls on readers to "begin by seeing those who face this issue each day, to pay attention." Teachers, librarians, and families can use this book with varying age levels to discuss Ransome's question: "In a country with vast resources, what is our responsibility to those without access to basic necessities?"
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

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