A Place for US
Hardcover – Picture Book, August 5, 2025
Penguin Young Readers Group · Hardcover · August 5, 2025
A poignant wordless picture book about a homeless boy and his mom, by Children's Literature Legacy Award winner James Ransome When a little boy's mom picks him up from school, his day seems a lot like any other kid's.
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- Who it’s for
- A wordless picture book lets ordinary routines reveal the weight of housing insecurity.
- Themes
- Family love, Homelessness, Daily life without a home
- Genres
- Homelessness & Poverty, US: African American Stories, Family Stories
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A poignant wordless picture book about a homeless boy and his mom, by Children's Literature Legacy Award winner James Ransome When a little boy's mom picks him up from school, his day seems a lot like any other kid's. He and his mom go out for some fast food and then head to the library. But when they stay there till closing time, and then go to the park, we learn more.
Continue reading
Through the lens of Ransome’s evocative illustrations we see that they ate out because they don't have a kitchen to cook in. They went to the library because they don't have a quiet space to do homework. And at night, they settle in to sleep on a bench in a city park because they don't have a home. The next morning, they are awakened by the rising sun, Mom’s bag is full of clean clothes, and there’s a fountain for washing up--and finally they are ready for the walk to school. His classmates may or may not know about his living situation, but what shines throughout the story is the deep love he and his mom have for each other.
Quietly Revealing
A wordless picture book lets ordinary routines reveal the weight of housing insecurity.
Come here for
- Visual storytelling that trusts small details to carry a difficult subject
- A tender bond between a boy and his mother
Expect
- Evocative illustrations, with no written words
- A clear-eyed look at homelessness held alongside deep love
Where it sits
| Homelessness & Poverty | 98% |
|---|---|
| Family Stories | 60% |
| US: African American Stories | 42% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Family Stories
- Big Feelings
- Homelessness & Poverty
- Authors
- James Ransome
- Publisher
- Penguin Young Readers Group
- Published
- August 5, 2025
- Format
- Hardcover
- Theme
- Family love · Homelessness · Daily life without a home
- Reading lane
- Family Stories