Outside, Inside

This powerful ode to community delivers a timeless message of humility, perseverance, and hope.

Slowly, deliberately, Pham (Love Is Powerful) explores what changed about the world when Covid-19 hit. A street full of adults, children, dog walkers, and grandparents empties in the turn of a page: "Everybody who was OUTSIDE.../ ...went INSIDE." A black cat with a judicious eye roams the story's pages, gathering its disparate events into one narrative thread. "Well, almost everyone." Patients lie in hospital beds, tended to by health workers swathed in PPE. Others wait at home: "Some of us worked a little, some of us worked a lot... and some of us couldn't work at all." In one spread, friends and neighbors stand in groups, some shown in faded blue instead of full color; they're the ones who didn't make it, or who might not have. "So why did we all go inside?" Pham asks. "Mostly," she explains, "because everyone knew it was the right thing to do." The word virus is not mentioned: it's not a story that presents the science behind the pandemic. Instead, the Caldecott Honoree offers a record of a period of difficulty, a testimony both to loss experienced and moments of unexpected good. A moving author's note is included. Ages 3-6. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. (Jan.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Reflecting shared experiences and hopes, here's a welcome picture book for our times.

"This optimistic book will help even very young children make sense of Covid-19." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

Selected praise for LeUyen Pham's work:

"This authentic, important book will mean a great deal to many kids." —School Library Journal, starred review, on the New York Times Bestseller Best Friends

"The stylized, comical creatures belie the depth of the message that comes through for even the youngest of readers: We are all in this together, and our differences strengthen our unity." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on Caldecott Honor winner Bear Came Along

"Wistful, affecting, and utterly charming." —Booklist, starred review, on the New York Times Bestseller Real Friends

"Seamlessly blends together a good story, lyrical language, and deft, supporting artwork." —Booklist, starred review on Fallingwater

"This sweet book can be enjoyed by children in a group setting or when shared one-on-one with someone special. " —School Library Journal on There's No Such Thing as Little

"Captured in warm and bright illustrations . . . this story about doing the right thing and the power of friendship is a strong choice for story hours and classroom read-alouds. " —Booklist on A Piece of Cake

"Erdos's unconventional brilliance shines through on every page." —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on The Boy Who Loved Math

"[Pham's illustrations] radiate a warmth as arresting as Ezra Jack Keats'." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on A Stick is an Excellent Thing

"[LeUyen Pham is] a master at conveying a full range of facial expressions and delightful comic details in her lively sketches." —School Library Journal on All The Things I Love About You

"With warmth and good humor, the ups and downs of sisterly love are perfectly conveyed." —School Library Journal on Big Sister, Little Sister