OUTSIDE IN
Written by Deborah Underwood / Illustrated by Cindy Derby
2021 Caldecott Honor book
★★★★★ FIVE STARRED REVIEWS! ★★★★★
From the New York Times best-selling author behind The Quiet Book comes a mindful contemplation on the many ways nature affects our everyday lives, perfect for fans of Joyce Sidman and Julie Fogliano.
Outside is waiting, the most patient playmate of all. The most generous friend. The most miraculous inventor. This thought-provoking picture book poetically underscores our powerful and enduring connection with nature, not so easily obscured by lives spent indoors.
Rhythmic, powerful language shows us how our world is made and the many ways Outside comes in to help and heal us, and reminds us that we are all part of a much greater universe. Emotive illustrations evoke the beauty, simplicity, and wonder that await us all . . . outside.
A New York Times BEST BOOK of 2020
An NPR BEST BOOK of 2020
A Bank Street College BEST BOOK of 2020
A Publisher’s Weekly BEST BOOK of 2020
A Chicago Public Library BEST BOOK of 2020
An NYPL BEST BOOK of 2020
An Evanston Public Library BEST BOOK of 2020
A California Book Award Finalist
A Golden Kite Honor Book for Picture Book Illustration
Featured in Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibition
Check out my process of the creation of the art in Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
“[M]uch subtler and smarter than all those put-down-your-screen stories kids get hit with, and the atmospheric watercolors on these pages mesmerize. Now, more than ever, we need books to remind us that Outside 'beckons with smells, sunbaked, fresh, and mysterious.” —NPR, Best Books of 2020
“Underwood’s quietly profound text and Derby’s lush art provide a homage to nature, and a comforting reminder that Outside will be there for us when we’re ready.” —New York Times, Best Books of 2020
★ “Lushness without sweetness—wild, darkly romantic, and exquisite.” —Kirkus, STARRED review
★ “This gorgeous celebration of nature is a stirring invitation to play." —School Library Journal, STARRED review
★ “A moving reminder that nature’s beckoning need not go unrequited.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
★ "[A] gentle, unpreachy text that conveys the way modern life can be cut off from or blind to nature....Perfect for an outside storytime, this will also provoke discussion among kids about their own outside/inside differentiations." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED review
★ "[A] lyrical and sensory exploration of the artificial separation between indoors and outdoors....Outside In is a beguiling, thought-provoking book that thinks outside the box." —BookPage, STARRED review
“Right now, in the Spring, when the world seems scary, this may be the comforting book about what’s beyond our back doors that we all need right now.” —Betsy Bird, School Library Journal
“Lovely, expressionistic art and poetic prose invite readers to contemplate nature’s mystique and its role in everyday life.... Through an evocative mix of aqueous washes and richer, more saturated tones, the color-washed, loose-brushed illustrations capture a sense of nature’s intrigue, delights, and influence." —Booklist
“Derby’s illustrations feel alive…mysterious and wonderfully out of control.” —The New York Times
