I am back after a 5 month COVID-19 break. This is the stack I was going to post right before our quarantine began. It has taken on quite a different meaning to me now that we haven’t been able to be out and about in our beloved city. Below are 5 of our favorite books about living in a city. Comment if you have other titles we should check out!
Sydney Smith’s Small in the City is the story of a young kid whose cat is lost in the city. The kid imagines how the small cat may be feeling and offers is advice and assurance that it will be ok. The illustrations show beautiful images of the city- the subway and elevated trains, the parks, and the busy bustling people. Even so, the mood is quiet and calm.
Mousetropolis by R. Gregory Christie shows the positives and negatives to both city and country living. City mouse finds that his home is too noisy one night and goes to visit his cousin in the country. Shortly thereafter Country mouse returns the favor and visits City mouse. While they have a few things in common, each agrees that his home is the perfect place for him. My family loves the creative ways each setting is shown, and I can’t help but laugh whenever I see the busy city mice.
Oge Mora’s Saturday has gotten quite a bit of (well deserved) attention recently. In it, Ava and her mother spend Saturdays together doing really fun things like getting their hair done and going to story time, and this Saturday they even have tickets to a show! They are thrilled to have this special time together, but at each stop on this Saturday, something goes wrong. Ava’s mother stays calm and they keep going until she realizes that she left the tickets for the show at home. She tells Ava how sad she is, and Ava reassures her mom that the day is still special because they are together. In the end they find a great solution to not being able to see the show.
In Rachel Isadora’s Say Hello, Carmelita and her mother go visit her Abuela Rosa across their city, saying hello to all of the people they walk past in the many languages those people speak. The images so beautifully represent the various people, and their kind works to Carmelita and her mother show a kindness between the neighbors in their big city.
Joanne Liu’s My City is a wordless book showing a young kid bringing a letter to a mailbox in the city. The images show many scenes in the city and the many people (and animals!) who live there. We love to re-read this one and see what new detail we’ll find on each page.
In Daniel’s Good Day by Micha Archer, Daniel goes to see his grandma across the city. On the way, he asks his neighborhood friends what makes them have a good day. Each gives a different response. When he goes back home, he checks on the people who he saw in the morning, and reports back to his family at home. In the end, Daniel has a great day himself!