A Place for Us

Illustrated by James Ransome
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.
Born in North Carolina, James Ransome is a graduate of the Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration. While still a student at Pratt, James was one of twelve finalists out of two thousand selected to illustrate the annual Citibank calendar. After graduation, James continued to study painting at the Art Students League where his entry into the Society of Illustrators Annual Student Scholarship Competition received the Jellybean award. Currently a member of the Society of Illustrators, James has illustrated numerous books for children, including Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt and Freedom's Fruit. His illustrations also appear on book jackets, greeting cards, puzzles and shopping bags, as well as in magazines and calendars. One of James's paintings is in the Charlotte (North Carolina) Public Library's permanent children's book art collection. James currently lives in Poughkeepsie, New York, with his wife, Lesa, their two daughters, and their Dalmatian, Clinton. View titles by James Ransome
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

About

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.

Author

Born in North Carolina, James Ransome is a graduate of the Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration. While still a student at Pratt, James was one of twelve finalists out of two thousand selected to illustrate the annual Citibank calendar. After graduation, James continued to study painting at the Art Students League where his entry into the Society of Illustrators Annual Student Scholarship Competition received the Jellybean award. Currently a member of the Society of Illustrators, James has illustrated numerous books for children, including Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt and Freedom's Fruit. His illustrations also appear on book jackets, greeting cards, puzzles and shopping bags, as well as in magazines and calendars. One of James's paintings is in the Charlotte (North Carolina) Public Library's permanent children's book art collection. James currently lives in Poughkeepsie, New York, with his wife, Lesa, their two daughters, and their Dalmatian, Clinton. View titles by James Ransome

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more