Emile and the Field (NYT Best Children's Books of 2022)

In this lyrical picture book from an award-winning poet, a young boy cherishes a neighborhood field throughout the changing seasons. With stunning illustrations and a charming text, this beautiful story celebrates a child's relationship with nature.

There was a boy
named Emile
who fell
in love with a field.

It was wide
and blue--
and if you could have
seen it
so would've you.

Emile loves the field close to his home--in spring, summer, and fall, when it gives him bees and flowers, blossoms and leaves. But not as much in winter, when he has to share his beautiful, changeable field with other children...and their sleds. This relatable and lyrical ode to one boy's love for his neighborhood field celebrates how spending time in nature allows children to dream, to imagine...and even to share.

Kevin Young is the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He is also the poetry editor of the New Yorker and an award-winning poet who has been a National Book Award finalist, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Emile and the Field is his first book for children. Follow him on Twitter at @deardarkness.

Chioma Ebinama is a Nigerian American fine artist whose work has exhibited internationally. Her journey as an artist began with children's books; as a kid she learned to draw by copying popular picture book and cartoon characters found in her local library. Emile and the Field is the first picture book that she has illustrated. It's particularly meaningful to her since she's always been enchanted by stories of outdoor adventures but never saw characters that looked like her truly enjoying the outdoors. After traveling all over the world, Chioma currently lives in Athens, Greece, where she enjoys soaking up the sunlight with her little dog, Luna. Follow her on Instagram at @chiomaaaaaa.