Let's Build a Playground

Could you really build a playground in your neighborhood? KaBOOM! Find out how — and how much fun it can be.

What’s your dream playground? Grab a piece of paper and let your imagination go wild! That was the first step when two hundred kids and grown-ups in an Indianapolis community got together to build the playground in this book — one of over two thousand that KaBOOM! has helped create. A slide isn’t just a slide, it could be a chute to a time machine. A swing might be Pegasus flying across the galaxy. . . . Weeks of planning precede the construction of a playground that a community feels is truly theirs, a vibrant space to foster both creativity and physical activity. Sprinkled with kid-friendly factual notes, Michael J. Rosen’s lively free verse, together with colorful photographs, capture the enthusiastic teamwork leading up to the final build of a playground in one day — a playground that will welcome kids of all ages well into the future.

KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that believes that kids everywhere need a safe, nearby place to exercise their bodies and imaginations. Their mission is no less than to save play for America’s children through the creation of great playspaces with the participation and leadership of communities. Ultimately, they envision a place to play within walking distance of every child.
Michael J. Rosen has written and edited some ninety books for children and adults, including The Hound Dog’s Haiku, illustrated by Mary Azarian; The Cuckoo’s Haiku, illustrated by Stan Fellows; and the pop-up book Chanukah Lights, illustrated and paper-engineered by Robert Sabuda. He lives on one hundred forested acres in central Ohio.