A Place for Us: A Story in Pictures, written and illustrated by James Ransome, and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin.
A Place for Us: A Story in Pictures is an amazing, wordless picturebook that invites readers to spend a one day journey with an unhoused mother and son. This story shows the boundless love of a family who find home in their hearts and in the shared spaces.
The book opens with a powerful note from Ransome sharing the reality for more than half a million people who go unhoused in the United States each day. This sobering note helps to situate the reader within the truth that to achieve true equality for every American, we must grapple with uncomfortable questions around why some people have an abundance of resources while others do not have access to the most basic necessities. Ransome’s watercolor and pencil illustrations are as equally masterful as his author’s note. He blends both color and detail to create inescapable feelings. The connection of both light and dark colors help the reader to understand the duality of the family’s reality. The smiles on the faces of both the mother and son paired with the detail in each setting helps each reader to envision what it would be like to walk alongside this family for the day. The bold lines and connected shapes help the reader to see how each place is truly part of the love this mother and son have for each and for the moments they are able to share.
With its powerful illustrations, A Place for Us creates a space for itself as one of James Ransome’s greatest works yet Ransome invites us all to interrogate how our neighbors are known, seen, and valued, and how we can all work together to ensure communities benefit from resource equity.
Authors: James Ransome
Illustrator: James Ransome
Award: 2026 Honor Picture Book Category