Our Great Big Backyard

Jane and her friends have their whole summer planned: computer games, YouTube videos, and movies galore! So when Jane’s parents announce that her family is spending the summer on a road trip to national parks across the country, she’s upset and disappointed.

Jane is determined to stay connected to her friends and her phone, but somewhere between the Everglades and Big Bend National park, Jane begins paying attention to the stars and the wonders of the parks and spends less time looking at her screen. And the more she discovers, the more she begins to love what the outdoors have to offer. She can’t wait to get back home and share her adventure with all her friends!

Former first lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna Bush Hager have created an exuberant picture book, with illustrations by Jacqueline Rogers, that shows that being outside is as exciting as playing any game online. And, it includes illustrated map endpapers and two pages of resources to help map out your own adventure, with a list of the national parks in every state!

In OUR GREAT BIG BACKYARD, Jane and her family visit the Everglades, Big Bend National Park, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. And in the spirit of the book and in honor of the centennial of our national parks, HarperCollins will plant more than one thousand trees to coincide with the publication of Our Great Big Backyard.