The neighborhood

This is Ribbonfield

A neighborhood on a river, with an old factory, a library, a corner store and blocks with names. Its long, narrow blocks all run down to the river, side by side like ribbons. Some blocks are busy. Some are waiting for someone to notice what's missing.

Take a walk

Places you'll visit in every book

Illustrated map of Ribbonfield: rowhouses on the Long Block, the library, the old Spool Factory, the Flats, the Riverbank and Keystone Bridge over the river
  1. 1
    The Long BlockThe crew's home street. Most adventures start and end on these front steps.
  2. 2
    The Community RoomThe meeting room at the library, where neighbors decide things together. Keya's favorite place.
  3. 3
    The Spool FactoryIt used to make thread and spools. Now the crew is turning it into something new, one book at a time. Everyone just calls it the Spool.
  4. 4
    The FlatsThe end of the neighborhood that's been waiting. The people here have big ideas.
  5. 5
    The RiverbankThe wild, overgrown edge of the river. Hazel thinks it could be the best place in Ribbonfield.
  6. 6
    Keystone BridgeThe old stone bridge that connects Ribbonfield to the rest of the city. It's the oldest thing in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood remembers

What gets built stays built

In Ribbonfield, nothing magically resets. If the crew plants a tree in one book, you'll find it in the next one, a little taller. Watch the neighborhood grow as you read.

An empty corner lot in Ribbonfield; a grandmother with a silver afro and a cane wishes there were somewhere to sit
Book 1: an empty lot A neighbor asks for somewhere to sit.
The same corner with a new bench; two kids with afro puffs and locs plant a little tree as the grandmother sits down
Book 2: a bench and a little tree The crew builds it. Hazel plants the tree.
Years later the tree has grown and shades the bench; the grandmother reads there with a neighbor and her toddler
Book 5: shade on a hot day The tree has grown. The bench is still there, and people use it.
How an idea gets built

Five steps in every Ribbonfield story

1

The spark

Someone names something they want that isn't there yet.

2

The look

The crew goes to the real place. They measure, watch and ask who uses it.

3

The snag

A real problem shows up: not enough room, not enough money, or the sun in the wrong spot.

4

The trade

They give up one thing to get another. That's how real building works.

5

The open

The new place opens, and someone uses it for the very first time.

Try it on your street

Who decided this?

Wren asks it in every book. Take a walk with your family and ask it too.

Read the neighborhood walk
  • Find a building you pass every day. Who uses it?
  • Spot a bench or bus stop. Which way does it face?
  • Find the oldest tree you can. Who planted it?
  • Look at an empty lot. What would you build there?

Keep exploring

Meet the crewEight kids, eight tools, and Wren.Say hi → Free activitiesColor Ribbonfield and design your own block.Get them → Ribbonfield booksOur first coloring and activity books are on the way.Get notified →