As iconic as Central Park is, it’s only one example of what a park can be. An impressively varied catalogue of real parks around the world invites the reader to think expansively about the characteristics, locations, and purposes of these spaces—which can be big, yes, but can also be small, dedicated patches of land in the middle of an urban street. “Parks are tidy” (like France’s Versailles Gardens, with their symmetrical design and neat, potted plants) and “parks are messy” (like Denmark’s Emdrup Junk Playground, an “adventure playground” full of objects repurposed for play). Parks can be found in sunny and snowy places. They can “fly” on an abandoned elevated railway, “float” on water, “twinkle” with stars, or “dazzle” with rows and rows of flowers. There are dog parks and national parks. Some parks protect wildlife, and others honor the dead. And, of course, “[p]arks play” (a topiary park) “and play” (a collection of sculptures meant for climbing) “and play some more” (a park filled with tires to explore). Vibrant acrylic paintings invite readers to linger on each page of an account that celebrates the great diversity of these public spaces, from the traditional to the wildly innovative. The back matter identifies each park shown throughout.

Explore parks around the world—and how they welcome us—in this gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book, a companion to Marc Majewski’s acclaimed Bridges

Parks can be big or small, quiet or loud, sunny or snowy. Parks protect the natural world, but they’re also public spaces where anyone can explore, gather, and play. Whether they’re wildlife reserves or your local dog park, wide open spaces or places of quiet in the city, deep in a canyon or just around the corner, parks can be a refuge.

With poetic text and sweeping illustrations, Marc Majewski delivers a unique, accessible look at parks all around the world: from Central Park to the Serengeti to the Great Barrier Reef and everything in between.

Both informational and awe-inspiring, this gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book shows how parks of all kinds bring people, animals, and nature together.

Get inspired to visit as many of the included parks as possible:

• Central Park, New York, United States
• Place Dauphine, Paris, France
• Hampstead Heath, London, England
• Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Versailles Park, Versailles, France
• Emdrup Junk Playground, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Monument Valley, Arizona, United States
• Northeast Greenland National Park, Greenland
• The High Line, New York, United States
• Keibul Lamjao National Park, India
• Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary, Chile
• Keukenhof Gardens, The Netherlands
• Parque Francisco Alvarado, Costa Rica
• Isamu Noguchi’s Piedmont Park Playscape, Georgia, United States
• Nishi-Rokugō Park, Tokyo, Japan
• Ohlone Dog Park, California, United States
• Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia
• Aoyama Cemetery, Japan
• Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
• Las Pozas, Mexico