Place for Us

James Ransome, recipient of the 2023 Children's Literature Legacy Award, is the illustrator of many award-winning picture books, including Sonny Rollins Plays the Bridge (by Gary Golio), The Creation (by James Weldon Johnson), which won a Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, and Let My People Go (by Patricia McKissack), winner of an NAACP Image Award. His other books include This Is the Rope (by Jacqueline Woodson), Young Pele (by Lesa Cline-Ransome), and Sky Boys (by Deborah Hopkinson). He lives in upstate New York with his wife, author Lesa Cline-Ransome, and their family.

* “A wordless tale that speaks loudly of American inequality. . . . Ransome’s gorgeous, richly hued watercolors convey the love between mother and child, balancing the difficulties they face with moments of true joy. In an author’s note, he asks, ‘In a country of vast resources, what is our responsibility to those without access to the basic necessities?’ Readers of this empathetic tale will come away resolved to work toward a world in which all people’s needs are met. Thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and moving.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review* “In spectacularly composed signature-style spreads, Ransome crafts a wordless story that centers an unhoused child and caretaker. . . . Richly detailed, carefully lighted images guide readers through this duo’s evening and morning in visuals that brim, throughout scenes of the two in crowds and alone, with abiding love and care.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review* “Ransome’s skillfully rendered watercolor-and-pencil illustrations eloquently convey this scenario. Each page offers nuanced details that effortlessly propel the action. The love between the mother and child is evident; their circumstances of homelessness all too prevalent. Intended for younger audiences, this simple but powerful offering has multiple applications for all age groups.” —Booklist, starred review* “Lively watercolor scenes. . . . The characters represented are Black, highlighting the economic disparity many marginalized communities grapple with in most major cities. There is diversity represented in the background characters who go about their busy lives with no notion of what inner struggles the mother and son face. Ransome casts a spotlight on libraries as a place of refuge. . . . This is a tough, deeply moving story that sadly is all too common. Recommended for lower elementary grades where fearless books on difficult topics, here masterfully captured in wordless form, are collected and lauded as required viewing.” —School Library Journal, starred review* “Through poignant images created using watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite pencil, readers observe the love between mother and son. . . . Other images indicate the dangers of their situation: in several illustrations, we see 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?’” —The Horn Book, starred review“Strikes a delicate balance between the celebratory presentation of a loving relationship between mother and son and the more somber commentary on how unhoused children can easily remain unnoticed. The lack of text keeps the focus solely on the boy and his mom, and their love for each other is crystal clear, as the two lean toward each other in almost every scene, him in a gentle adoration and her in a soft protectiveness. The watercolor-and-pencil art stretches across full spreads, immersing the reader in the dynamic energy of the city during the day before vibrant, warm tones shift to cooler, darker hues as the sun sets, bringing an unsettling anxiety that is reflected in the mother’s face. Still, the book is careful not to other the child and shows their story more as one of familial support than one of tragedy. . . . A realistic but compassionate look at homelessness.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books