PICTURE BOOKS

My Backyard Used To Be

by Lynn Baldwin (text) & illus. by Megan Elizabeth Baratta
Tilbury House. Sept. 2025. 32p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781668955239. K-Gr 3
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3–A thoughtful tale that invites the youngest readers to consider a world beyond the moment they are in. The story reveals all of the things that the narrator’s backyard used to be: a playground, a family’s first home in a new country, a farm. Long before any of that, it was part of the beginning of the world itself. The storytelling is straightforward and accessible, while warm, full-page illustrations capture a sense of wonder and the slow passage of time. In the gentlest way, Baldwin and Baratta show readers that they are neither the first nor the last to occupy a space, and that their lives are part of a much larger story.
VERDICT A meaningful addition to school and public libraries, as well as a lovely choice for readers to take home, where they can consider their own neighborhood’s history.
Reviewed by Jessica Clark , Oct 01, 2025

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