Small Places, Close to Home

The rights of children—and of all living things—begin in small places, close to home.

This is a poetic and moving adaptation of U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights in honor of its seventy-fifth anniversary.

In backyards and city parks, in school and at home—wherever and however we move through this world, we have certain inalienable rights—and it’s up to each one of us to ensure those rights for others, too.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted by Eleanor Roosevelt and signed on December 10, 1948, marked the first time that countries agreed on a comprehensive statement of inalienable human rights. This gorgeous adaptation for children reminds us that universal rights begin in small places, close to home.

We all deserve to live free,

to feel safe,

to belong,

to learn,

to dream.

"Starting with a loving image of a biracial family, this intimate book connects the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the life of the individual child. The author and illustrator have worked together to make young readers aware of the declaration and to ensure that they understand their important role--as inhabitants of their own "small places, close to home," in Roosevelt's words--as members of local communities, countries, and the world vital to the realization of the Declaration's purpose. Quietly powerful." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Taking its title from Eleanor Roosevelt's 1958 remarks delivered at the United Nations about the 1948 Universal Declaration of Humans Rights she had helped champion, this book informs young children of their own rights and responsibilities as humans. Gardiner's gouache and pencil illustrations have a soft color palette, with pops of yellow and tomato red and demonstrate human rights playing out across a variety of communities. This elegantly and accessibly presented book empowers the youngest humans and their accompanying grownups to recognize their rights and safeguard them by extending them equally to others." -- The Horn Book

"Inspired by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this lyrical text tells children that they too are included in the human family. Debut illustrator Gardiner uses a muted palette with a flat gouache look and a variety of interesting perspectives well-suited to the material. The wide variety of skin and hair colors, styles of dress, foods, and houses feel truly international. A strong purchase for classroom use that will work well as a read-aloud or the basis for an elementary civics lesson." -- School Library Journal

Deborah Hopkinson is the author of numerous books for children, including A Packet of Seeds; Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings, a Jane Addams Award Honor Book; A Band of Angels, an ALA Notable Book; Fannie in the Kitchen, a Publishers Weekly Best Book; and Bluebird Summer, a Golden Kite Honor Award recipient from the Society of Children''s Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives with her husband and two children in Walla Walla, Washington. Kate Gardiner is a New England based illustrator. She is a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck Indians and a graduate of Maine College of Art & Design. Kate has illustrated several books including her debut picture book, Small Places, Close to Home by Deborah Hopkinson, and Sometimes we Fall by Randall de Sève. She can be found online at kategardinerillustration.com.

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