Between You and Me

Rob Sanders is a writer who teaches and a teacher who writes. Every day he waltzes to Lockhart Elementary Magnet School in Brandon, Florida, to teach kids about books and words and reading and writing. Then he boogie-woogies back home to write books for children. On weekends and holidays you might find him boot-scooting with his dog, Baxter; hokey-pokeying at the beach with his great-nieces and -nephews; or cha-chaing with other children’s writers. Nothing makes his heart dance more than hearing boys and girls say, “Read it again!” Visit Rob’s website at robsanderswrites.com.Raissa Figueroa is an illustrator and graphic designer based in San Diego, California. Her art graces picture books such as Princess Unlimited, by Jacob Sager Weinstein, and Oona, by Kelly DiPucchio. rizzyfig.com Twitter and Instagram: @rizzyfig

This successful marriage of word and image respects the internal feelings of the very young.The beginning of a beautiful friendship, lovingly depicted.  — Kirkus ReviewsIn a stirring picture book centering friendship, Sanders highlights the reassuring sentiments and moments that can exist between contrasting ideas.  — Publishers Weekly"A young child sees a new neighbor their age moving into a house across the street and takes steps to make...an enduring, empathetic companionship...A growth mindset is highlighted throughout. An uplifting picture book about all the seemingly small in-between moments that contribute to a momentous relationship."  — BooklistOver the course of the day, [the two friends] climb trees, talk through cups on a string, and frolic through a world created by their shared imaginations...both mundane and fantastic realms have a near-tangible texture that keep the characters rooted in their environment, whether they are exploring their backyard or outer space...Both an engaging group read-aloud and a book to prompt deeper discussion between a child and their grown-up. — School Library JournalSanders’s lyrical text celebrates the in-between of opposing ideas: “Between yesterday and tomorrow…Today”...a friendship evolves through shared moments, big and small, “ordinary and magical.” Figueroa’s fanciful digital art expands on Sanders’s imaginative text...Between Sanders’s words and Figueroa’s images—a reminder that there are wonders to observe in the gaps between one moment and the next. — Horn Book Magazine