Zero Local: Next Stop: Kindness

Where words so often fail, the wordless breathes life into people's smallest actions and deepest impacts, as the Murrows' spreads uplift the mundane. It's a positive love letter to community (even among commuter-train regulars), diversity, and paying it forward...Timely and timeless, as kindness always is.

The second collaborative wordless picture book from the Murrows (The Whale, 2016), this evokes city life through beautiful pencil drawings...The amount of detail in each illustration is astounding--one spread features the artist's arm and hand drawing a picture, and careful crosshatching gives it an impressive photorealistic effect...children will continue talking about the artwork long after the book is closed.

K-Gr 2--In this wordless picture book, a young girl riding a train is inspired by an artist's impromptu drawing to show some appreciation to the driver. She and the other passengers soon come to anticipate the artist's daily creations, but when they suddenly stop showing up on the train, it's up to the girl to fill the train and the world with beauty. The message of creating art to reduce hatred and stress in the world is simple but effective and may lead to discussions about what's happening in each scene, as some pages are more open to interpretation. The artwork is the star of the piece. As in the Murrows' The Whale, the photorealistic pencil drawings are expertly detailed and textured, while the gray palette creates a subdued tone, initially fitting to the theme. The illustrator later adds hints of bright yellow to characters who are literally touched by art--which will help younger readers unlock the meaning behind the story. VERDICT A touching addition.--Peter Blenski, Hartland Public Library, WI

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Taut pencil drawings by married collaborators Ethan and Vita Murrow (The Whale) show how art can forge community in public spaces. Meticulously drafted spreads capture the action on an urban train: daily commuters representing a range of ethnicities are already seated when a figure in a skirt and a loud hat steps aboard, a yellow bird perched on one shoulder. "Monday," reads a date tag in the corner--"Major delays." The passenger starts drawing, and the girl in the next seat, a child of color in a yellow shirt, is entranced. When the train stops, the artist hands the drawing to the driver, who beams, their vest turning yellow, too. Tuesday and Wednesday ("On time"), similar scenarios unfold, but on Thursday ("Delays"), the artist's seat is empty, and the girl wilts, then has an idea. On Friday ("Major delays"), she cuts and folds paper creations to dispel tension in the car, and her work produces smiles--and the spread of yellow across the city. Detailed portraits of passengers by the Murrows value each one as an individual. The initial artist, cued as gender fluid, is portrayed as a hero whose powers depend on creativity and loving-kindness. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.