CITY SUMMER, COUNTRY SUMMER

Newcomer Samuel Eubanks brings an unstudied earnestness to his narration of this story of Black boys and bygone Mississippi summers. This is the first children's book by MacArthur Fellow Kiese Laymon. The unnamed protagonist spends summers with his grandmother; right next door is a boy who is visiting the country from New York. Eubanks sounds just a few years older than these two boys, who are both fascinated by, and a little afraid of, each other until a walk in the woods and a game of Marco Polo in the garden show that they speak a common language. Alexis Franklin's lush paintings will keep listeners engaged as Eubanks navigates the story. Eubanks's delivery embraces these boys, both different and alike, and beckons listeners to join them. V.S. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2025]