A Stick Is an Excellent Thing

The trappings of childhood change from generation to generation, but there are some timeless activities that every kid enjoys, regardless of the year they were born, their gender, or their socioeconomic or cultural background. Marilyn Singer and LeUyen Pham celebrate these universal types of play, from organized games like jumping rope, hide-and-seek, and hopscotch to imaginative play like making mud soup or turning a stick into a scepter for a king. Short, lyrical poems and bold, eye-catching illustrations capture the energy of a group of children in one neighborhood as they amuse themselves outdoors over the course of a summer day.