Woodson, Jacqueline. The World Belonged to Us. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022. 978-0-399-54549-8. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

In her latest picture book, Jacqueline Woodson has teamed up with Leo Espinosa to create an uplifting story of neighborhood children enjoying the carefree days of summer. The setting is Brooklyn “in the summer not so long ago,” although the illustrations seem to point to the late 1960s or early 1970s. It is the last day of school, and students run out jubilantly and get right to business by turning on the fire hydrant. And so it continues every day as the whole block becomes a playground for these youngsters of diverse backgrounds. Their days are filled with jump rope, basketball, building forts out of boxes, stick ball, tag, and waiting for the ice cream truck, only ending when their mothers call them in at dark. They cannot wait until tomorrow, which holds the promise of another day of freedom. Espinosa’s drawings are rendered digitally and with pencil. The images depict lots of chaotic action, and one almost can hear the shouts of delight from the children. 

THOUGHTS: This picture book is sure to bring smiles and is perfect for end of the school year story times. Pair this with MacLachlan’s Prairie Days to take a journey back to the happy-go-lucky days of summer past, when kids savored life with nary an electronic device in sight. Woodson’s message is “Go Play!”

Picture Book          Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member