“Though the photos are bursting with energy, the series also highlights the underlying dramas that unfold on every playground—the fights, the teasing, the minuscule yet monumental humiliations and glories.” —Wired, April 29, 2015

“Each time you open this book, it seems to change depending on your mood. These frozen moments, landscapes dotted with tiny figures, are like a Litmus test for one’s outlook on any given day.” —Vice, April 2015

“The images are scenic and delightful, illustrating both the common activity of recreation and the differences in the places children have available to them.” —PDN, April 7, 2015

James Mollison’s photo projects are defined by smart, original concepts applied to serious social and environmental themes. For his latest book, Playground, Mollison photographs children at play in their school playgrounds, inspired by memories of his own childhood and interested in how we all learn to negotiate relationships and our place in the world through play. For each picture, Mollison sets up his camera during school break time, making multiple frames and then composing each final photograph from several scenes, in which he finds revealing “play” narratives. With photographs from rich and poor schools, in countries including Argentina, Bhutan, Bolivia, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Nepal, Norway, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., Mollison also provides access for readers of all ages to issues of global diversity and inequality.