Overview

A lyrical picture book from the award-winning author of Heavy, about three Black boys who form a deep connection during a transformative summer trip down South to visit family. CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR HONOR BOOK . A lyrical picture book from the award-winning author of Heavy, about three Black boys who form a deep connection during a transformative summer trip down South to visit family. On the ground of that garden, covered in vegetables and dirt, coated in laughter, I want to say that the Mississippi and New York in our Black boy bodies were indistinguishable. Three Black boys spend one special summer exploring the Mississippi woods and woulds and coulds of sharing the kind of freeing friendship that is love. Watched over and given space to discover by Grandmama and Mama Lara, New York, Country, and little C find camaraderie in their contrasts and all the unspoken things between them while playing games of marco polo in the thick garden and sledding on cardboard by the underpass. With text brimming with love by award-winning author Kiese Laymon and deeply evocative illustrations by Alexis Franklin, City Summer, Country Summer illuminates the tenuous and tender bonds of friendship Black boys forge with one another.

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9780593405567

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Reviews

Praise for City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon; illustrated by Alexis Franklin: ★ “A heartfelt, elegantly wrought, and triumphant tribute to Black boy kinship. On the sunny porches of their grandmothers’ neighboring houses and in the cool shadows of the surrounding woods, hesitation becomes tenderness, anxiety becomes laughter, and difference becomes safeness. Franklin’s digital paintings set realistic depictions of Black boys within the hazy fantasy of summer, emphasizing evocative facial expressions and using spreads filled with natural, liminal spaces to insulate their growing bond.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon; illustrated by Alexis Franklin: Book Riot Best Books of the Year So Far! (2025) The Bitter Southerner Bravest, Boldest, and Most Brilliant Books Of This Year (2025) An Evanston Public Library’s 101 Best Books of 2025 A BookPage Best Book of 2025 A Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2025 ★ “A heartfelt, elegantly wrought, and triumphant tribute to Black boy kinship. On the sunny porches of their grandmothers’ neighboring houses and in the cool shadows of the surrounding woods, hesitation becomes tenderness, anxiety becomes laughter, and difference becomes safeness. Franklin’s digital paintings set realistic depictions of Black boys within the hazy fantasy of summer, emphasizing evocative facial expressions and using spreads filled with natural, liminal spaces to insulate their growing bond.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ “An exquisite, beautiful picture book that tells a complex story about Black boys from different backgrounds sharing a summer together...Laymon perfectly captures the myriad feelings…[Franklin’s illustrations] have a cinematic quality that enlivens the action and deepens the emotions at play.” —BookPage, starred review ★ “Author and illustrator, one working with a spare palette of barely expressed emotions, and one creating nakedly realistic, beautiful scenes of boyhood, deliver a story of bonding that is so very much greater than the sum of its parts.” —School Library Journal, starred review ""Laymon’s text is lyrical and specific…Franklin’s digital illustrations…clearly centers each emotion the boys experience…deeply moving…reveling as it does in the tender bonds of Black boy friendship."" —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books “Lovely…and poignant” —Michel Martin, NPR’s Morning Edition “The perfect summer picture book.” —Betsy Bird, School Library Journal Fuse 8 Blog

Praise for City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon; illustrated by Alexis Franklin: A 2026 Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator Honor Book A 2026 Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) Children & Youth Literary Award (Debut Honor Category) A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Book Riot, The Bitter Southerner, Evanston Public Library, BookPage, Kirkus, Children’s Book Review ★ “A heartfelt, elegantly wrought, and triumphant tribute to Black boy kinship. On the sunny porches of their grandmothers’ neighboring houses and in the cool shadows of the surrounding woods, hesitation becomes tenderness, anxiety becomes laughter, and difference becomes safeness. Franklin’s digital paintings set realistic depictions of Black boys within the hazy fantasy of summer, emphasizing evocative facial expressions and using spreads filled with natural, liminal spaces to insulate their growing bond.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ “An exquisite, beautiful picture book that tells a complex story about Black boys from different backgrounds sharing a summer together...Laymon perfectly captures the myriad feelings…[Franklin’s illustrations] have a cinematic quality that enlivens the action and deepens the emotions at play.” —BookPage, starred review ★ “Author and illustrator, one working with a spare palette of barely expressed emotions, and one creating nakedly realistic, beautiful scenes of boyhood, deliver a story of bonding that is so very much greater than the sum of its parts.” —School Library Journal, starred review ""Laymon’s text is lyrical and specific…Franklin’s digital illustrations…clearly centers each emotion the boys experience…deeply moving…reveling as it does in the tender bonds of Black boy friendship."" —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books “Lovely…and poignant” —Michel Martin, NPR’s Morning Edition “The perfect summer picture book.” —Betsy Bird, School Library Journal Fuse 8 Blog

Author Information

Kiese Laymon is a Black Southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the author of the genre-bending novel Long Division and the essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Laymon's bestselling memoir, Heavy- An American Memoir, won the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the 2018 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. He was also the recipient of the 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard and a MacArthur Genius grant. He currently teaches English and creative writing at Rice University. Based in Dallas, Texas, Alexis Franklin discovered digital art in high school and embarked on a self-taught path, mastering drawing tablets and software. Her online creations quickly gained traction, attracting diverse clients who resonated deeply with her work. Alexis has lent her talents to TIME Magazine, Apple, Sports Illustrated, O Magazine, and acclaimed New York Times bestselling authors. Drawing inspiration from classical oil paintings, she infuses her artistry with their essence, resulting in the distinctive style she is known for today.

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