Contrary to perhaps more prevalent opinion, homelessness is not something that only happens to adults. It also happens to children, their families, and to people from all walks of life. Rising housing costs, accidents and illness, or job losses can affect anyone at any time. As the adage goes, "you are closer experiencing homelessness than being a billionaire." 

An estimated 1.4 million school age (grades PreK-12) were identified as unhoused during the 2022-2023 school year. This includes children and families who meet the federal education definition of homelessness, or those "in shelters and motels, unsheltered, and staying temporarily with others." Homelessness, then, is more common that one may think, especially among children. There are several sensitive and age-appropriate picture book portrayals of children experiencing homelessness available in our collection, which we are honored to highlight in this blog post. 

Published just this year,  A Place for Us is a wordless book rich with opportunities for conversation and reflection. A mother picks up her son from school and off they go: walking through the city, getting something to eat, and finally stopping at the public library. After the library the mother and son duo head to the park, where he will sleep while his mother keeps a fierce vigil. 

This book is suffused with love. It almost leaps off its watercolor pages. The mother in the story does everything right by her child; making sure he gets to school, eats, and does his homework at the library. Homelessness does not preclude her from indefatigably pursuing her son's wellbeing. 

In Nashville, Safe Haven provides services to families experiencing homelessness. Sometimes shelters are segregated by sex, meaning that families like the one in this book cannot stay together if they want to access housing. Homelessness can also significantly interrupt a child's education. Children experiencing homelessness have a federally protected right to an education. Students enrolled in Metro Nashville Public Schools can access its HERO Program, dedicated to supporting homeless students.

Published in 2024 and winner of the 2025 Charlotte Zolotow Award, I Know How to Draw an Owl is a tender, age-appropriate look at homelessness. Belle wows her teacher with her drawing of an owl during a lesson. How did she get it to look almost alive? Belle's secret is that she sees an owl almost every night as she and her mother sleep in their old blue car parked in the woods. The short text, including onomatopoeic owl noises, is ideal for even the youngest children in PreK, and the illustrations, several of them on two-page spreads, provide lots of visual interest. 

Wooded places are often places where people live, forming communities against harsh odds. Open Table Nashville works with folks living in Nashville's parks and streets, providing solidarity and needed material assistance  with food, clothing, and necessary supplies. 

Public libraries are a lifeline for so many people, including those experiencing homelessness. Everyone deserves a safe place to be, and access to information, books, and stories, including homeless persons. One does not have to do or be anything in particular to use the library—full stop. All that is required is that you come to the library (and sometimes not even that, what with all our online resources!). 

In Dear Librarian, a young girl experiencing housing insecurity finds a place for her at the local library, made all the more special by a librarian who makes her feel "safe and happy." Available online and in printed copies at local libraries, the Where to Turn in Nashville guide lists resources for housing, medical care, and more. Metro Nashville's Office of Homeless Services regularly visits several NPL branches to provide information about local services, including Metro Nashville's Coordinated Entry housing pipeline.

For the books highlighted in this blog post, and for more books available in our collection, see the catalog widget below. If you are looking for other resources about homelessness appropriate for young children, Sesame Street Workshop offers an online storybook, videos, and information in Spanish. This series of articles from Zero to Three is an excellent resource for Early Childhood educators. 

Picture books not only entertain and delight; they also tell the truth and help see ourselves and others more clearly. They help us talk through things, and to see things in a new perspective. We hope the picture books in this blog post help all of us be kinder, more empathetic, and less judgmental.