The Picture Book Buzz - Review of A Place For Us

Maria Marshall
Aug 5
3 min read

I hope you don't miss this marvelous wordless picture book! This powerful book shines a light on the issue of homelessness and asks the reader to focus on the fact that each day about "half a million people go unhoused" in the U.S. This is sure to be a highly acclaimed, award-winning picture book!

Book cover - a mother and son sit together on a bench, her arm around his shoulder with the outline of the city and setting sun in the background.

A Place For Us

Author/Illustrator: James E. Ransome

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (August 5, 2025)

Ages: 3-7

Fiction

Themes:

Family, homelessness, poverty, and compassion.

Synopsis:

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. 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.

What I LOVED about this book:

Using compelling, dynamic images, James E. Ransome invites us into a loving family relationship of a child and his mother. This powerful book begins with a young boy watching fall leaves falling outside his classroom window and his mother heading through the city to her son's school. After saying goodbye to his classmates, he runs into his mother's waiting arms. Ransome's stunning watercolor-and-pencil illustrations gorgeously capture their affection for each other.

Internal spread - as pigeons settle on the sidewalk (on the left), a boy runs down the sidewalk to his mom. Both have their arms open wide. In the background, other kids walk off with the parents.

Together the twosome set off to a food court for dinner. Then as the sun sets, hand-in-hand they traverse their bustling, busy city, heading to the public library. A quiet place where the boy can do his homework and the mom can read a novel (Finding Langston by Lisa Cline Ransome). To this point it feels like an ordinary day of many children. I love that there is a flier advertising an illustrator's visit on the book stacks behind them, what a fun little treasure in the illustration.

Internal spread - settled at a wooden table, among the library stacks, a boy pauses from doing math homework to look at his mom. She is reading a novel and has a history book in front of her.

Unfortunately, libraries don't stay open 24 hours a day. At closing time, they head off toward a park. At this point, we realize they are not heading 'home, but to an unoccupied park bench. The bright, vibrant tones of the City and the library shift into deeper, dark tones of night softened with spots of streetlights. While the book doesn't sugar-coat the family's experiences and struggles of being homeless, it masterfully portrays the loving relationship between the two through their actions - hugs and holding hands - and wonderfully expressive faces. The illustrations also provide glimpses into moments of lighthearted happiness of childhood (such as racing up the stairs at the food court and 'zooming' along the sidewalk arms outstretched in flight) and contain little treasures for observant readers.

Internal spread - on the left, mom puts her arm around the boy as they settle on a park bench, with the darkening lights of the city and park behind them. On the right, three spot illustrations of the boy peeking over the bench back, mom sitting on the bench, and boy playing in the falling leaves with his arms stretched wide.

I won't spoil the ending. But it is also gorgeously illustrated and powerful. This book is equally tender and heartbreaking. Asking the reader to consider some tough questions and perhaps some personal assumptions. Poignantly, the author's note asks, “In a country of vast resources, what is our responsibility to those without access to the basic necessities?. . . to begin by seeing those who face this issue each day, to pay attention, and to do the work of finding the much-needed solutions.” It is an important book accessible for readers of all ages. And a call to action for our country to do better by its citizens and children.

Resources:

reach out to local shelters and help make care bags for families, help at a food kitchen, or help with food or clothing drives.

before you open the book, ask the child to look at the cover and explain what they think the title means?

pair this with A Place to Stay: A Shelter Story by Erin Gunti, illustrated by Esteli Meza, Home by Tonya K.
Lippert, Shelter by Céline Claire, illustrated by Qin Leng, and Maddi's Fridge by Lois Brandt, illustrated by Vin Vogel.