by Sydney Smith (Author)
It can be a little scary to be small in a big city, but this child has some good advice for a very special friend in need.
It can be a little scary to be small in a big city, but it helps to know you're not alone.
When you're small in the city, people don't see you, and loud sounds can scare you, and knowing what to do is sometimes hard. But this little kid knows what it's like, and knows the neighborhood. And a little friendly advice can go a long way.
Alleys can be good shortcuts, but some are too dark.
Or, there are lots of good hiding places in the city, like under a mulberry bush or up a walnut tree.
And, if the city gets to be too much, you're always welcome home, where it's safe and quiet.
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In his solo debut, Smith (Town Is by the Sea) follows a bundled-up child walking in winter amid tall buildings, traffic, and telephone poles. "I know what it's like to be small in the city," the narration begins. As it continues, readers slowly realize that the child is addressing someone in particular. Snow starts to swirl, and the child begins to offer advice: watch out for big dogs; a dryer vent might be a good place for a nap ("you could curl up below it"). The winter wind whips, and snow swirls faster. The child bends over a knapsack for a pink sheet of paper; "LOST," it reads, over a picture of a cat. (A look back reveals the posters affixed all over town.) "If you want," the child says, in words readers now understand are directed at the lost feline, "you could just come back." Smith's understated portrait of longing for the return of a beloved family member takes readers on a quiet but powerful emotional journey, one whose intensity Smith tracks visually as the winter storm becomes a blizzard and the driving wind makes it nearly impossible to see--until, just as suddenly, it lifts. The story's spotlight is not on the loss of the pet, or on its return, but on the state of suspension in between--a mixture of grief, resignation, and patient waiting--and the independent child narrator's loving regard for the animal as an autonomous being. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.PreS-Gr 1--Wordless panels show someone's silhouette looking out of a foggy window. The page turns and perspective shifts to show a child riding the bus dressed for winter. The child disembarks and the next few pages are presented like snapshots, with snippets of city life--buildings, lights, crowds, and sidewalks--painted with dark ink lines that underscore the narrator's message about how overwhelming urban life can be. The child recommends avoiding a dark alley and a yard full of dogs, and points out some good hiding and climbing spots. Casual readers may be alarmed when the child recommends taking a nap beneath a snowy dryer vent, but there are clues about who the child is actually addressing. As the snow intensifies, the child trudges along putting up lost cat posters, seeming smaller and lonelier as the book progresses. The story culminates in a desolate scene where the child, alone in a gray blizzard, plaintively calls, "If you want, you could just come back," followed by images of footsteps in the snow, a city skyline, and a woman waiting in the snow. They embrace, and readers know that the child is safe and loved. "But I know you." The child comforts, "You will be all right." The final page shows a line of fresh cat prints in the snow, reassuring readers that all is well. VERDICT The use of line, reflection, and perspective masterfully evoke a bustling gray city, making this thoughtful book an artful choice for large collections.--Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.