A Place for Us by James Ransome
This wordless picture book opens with a mother walking to school to pick up her child at the end of the day. The two eat dinner at a cafeteria, then walk to the library, where they remain until it closes. Afterward, the mom finds an empty bench at a park, and her lap becomes the child’s pillow for the night. In the morning, the child brushes his teeth at a water fountain and returns to school. Ransome’s book is a powerful story and the warm illustrations show the loving, nurturing bond between mother and son, as well as the community areas that become their home in lieu of a real one. In his author’s note, Ransome says he hopes this picture book sparks readers to ask: “In a country of vast resources, what is our responsibility to those without access to the basic necessities?” After reading this, my daughter had an easy answer: we give them a home.