A searchable database of books recommended by the CCBC.
(More information on CCBC book recommendations)
You and Me and Home Sweet Home
An African American girl chronicles two transformations over the course of this lyrical story that begins with the girl and her mother on the verge of homelessness. The first transformation is physical: Volunteers—including the girl and her mom—converge on “a little plot of grass” and begin digging, pouring, sawing, hammering, building. The lead builders are all women, and over the course of a week, they construct a home. The second transformation is much more profound as the girl’s and her mother’s uncertainty about their future is replaced by excitement in a story that concludes with the dedication of their new “home sweet home.” George Ella Lyon’s participation in a Women’s Build project in Kentucky inspired this picture book warmly illustrated by Stephanie Anderson. Lyon includes just enough in her narrative to make clear that there was a lot happening prior to the project’s start—such as sponsorship by the church the girl and her mother attend—to make the new home possible. ©2009 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Stephanie Anderson
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
African Americans
Building/Construction
Economic Hardship and Poverty
Girls and Women
Homelessness
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publishers:
Atheneum, Richard Jackson Book
Publish Year: 2009
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9780689875892
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Lyon