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City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon

City Summer, Country Summer

Hardcover – Picture Book, April 1, 2025

Kiese Laymon

Penguin Young Readers Group · Hardcover · April 1, 2025

CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR HONOR BOOK • A lyrical picture book from the award-winning author of Heavy, about three Black boys who form a deep connection during a transformative summer trip down South to visit family.

Family StoriesUS: African American StoriesBoys & Menaward
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Who it’s for
Three Black boys find friendship, freedom, and room to be themselves in a summer together.
Themes
Friendship among Black boys, Family visits, Camaraderie across differences
Genres
US: African American Stories, Boys & Men, Family Stories

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About this book

CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR HONOR BOOK • A lyrical picture book from the award-winning author of Heavy, about three Black boys who form a deep connection during a transformative summer trip down South to visit family. On the ground of that garden, covered in vegetables and dirt, coated in laughter, I want to say that the Mississippi and New York in our Black boy bodies were indistinguishable.

Continue reading

Three Black boys spend one special summer exploring the Mississippi woods and woulds and coulds of sharing the kind of freeing friendship that is love. Watched over and given space to discover by Grandmama and Mama Lara, New York, Country, and little C find camaraderie in their contrasts and all the unspoken things between them while playing games of marco polo in the thick garden and sledding on cardboard by the underpass. With text brimming with love by award-winning author Kiese Laymon and deeply evocative illustrations by Alexis Franklin, City Summer, Country Summer illuminates the tenuous and tender bonds of friendship Black boys forge with one another.

Tender Contrasts

Three Black boys find friendship, freedom, and room to be themselves in a summer together.

Come here for

  • Garden laughter, woods, and cardboard sledding
  • A tender portrait of friendship across differences

Expect

  • Lyrical language and evocative illustrations
  • A layered reading experience centered on camaraderie

Where it sits

US: African American Stories75%
Boys & Men46%
Family Stories32%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Boys & Men
  • US: African American Stories
  • Country Life
Authors
Kiese Laymon
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
April 1, 2025
Format
Hardcover
Theme
Friendship among Black boys · Family visits · Camaraderie across differences
Reading lane
Boys & Men