What Can a Citizen Do?

In manifesto-style language, Eggers (The Lifters) exhorts readers to get together and get involved ("Do something for another. Don't you dare doubt that you can!"), while elaborate cut-paper illustrations by Harris (Her Right Foot) follow a group of children who slowly transform a little island with a single tree into a lively tree house society. When a posted "No trumpets" sign excludes a trumpet player, the founders amend the sign to "OK trumpets," showing that building community, literally and figuratively, demands a willingness to compromise. Eggers's narration is sometimes literal, sometimes oblique ("Yes! A citizen can be a bear," he writes, as the kids welcome a huge bear to their group), but it's never less than stirring. The dimensionality and complexity of Harris's illustrations, meanwhile, beautifully embody the messy realities and exciting potential of the civic enterprise. The cast of characters is forthrightly diverse, including a girl wearing a hijab and a child of indeterminate gender wearing a baseball cap, big boots, and a tutu. As Eggers writes, "Who can a citizen be?/ A citizen is just like you." Ages 5-8. Author's and illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 3--The creators of Her Right Foot offer a kid-accessible picture book primer on civics. Taking a broadly stroked allegorical approach, the duo employs rhyming verses and dynamic artwork to describe how a group of children come together to build their own community. A youngster wearing a head scarf and another sporting a blue baseball cap and flouncy gold skirt leave behind a distant cityscape and travel to a small island with a single tree (or is it really a backyard?). Much of the story line is presented through the detailed cut-paper illustrations. For example, when one child posts a "No trumpets" sign, three newcomers successfully plead their trumpet-supporting viewpoint ("A citizen can join a cause. A citizen can write a letter. A citizen can help change laws"). Everyone is welcome and the kids work together to build something wonderful (a fantastical tree house complete with domes, spires, and roller-coaster). Ultimately, a new-in-town boy who has been watching (and sketching) the action all along is invited to make his contribution (eye-dazzling strings of lights). Throughout, the visuals sparkle with wit and whimsy, celebrating imagination while also creating a foundation for the empowering text: "So forget yourself a second. Grab a shovel or a pen. Do something for another. Don't you dare doubt that you can!" VERDICT Blending an appreciation for a child's perspective with a powerful message, this must-have book distills the fundamentals of citizenship into easy-to-digest concepts and emphasizes the importance of caring for others, accepting differences, and taking action to initiate positive change.--Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs