IF YOU WERE A CITY

Take a tour of the cities of the world without leaving your home.

Kyo, the author’s first name, means “capital city,” and she begins and ends this story with the question: “If you were a city, / how would you be?” Each spread contains a short rhyming verse and bold illustrations of cities and diverse people as readers are taken around the world to help answer that question. Perhaps the city would be “bookish, proud, / but slightly leaning” (paired with an image of a light-skinned person standing against the Leaning Tower of Pisa) or maybe it would be “shiny, glassy, / sleek, and tall.” It could even be a new city, “a dream city,” in the imagination of architects or one that leaves “room for nest / and lair” for animals. Both words and visuals work to create positive energy, the one exception being people leaving a “broken city.” The other characters look cheerful, shown in both quiet activities like stargazing as well as “biking, / scooting, / walking,” and enjoying a nighttime wheelchair basketball game. The detailed illustrations vary—some spreads contain multiple panels with bright white borders, while others feature a single scene that bleeds to the page’s edge. The image of a brown-skinned child creating a literal safe harbor with their arms is particularly effective. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A joyful and thoughtful exploration of the world and its communities, threaded with hope for the future.