MY DAY IN THE PARK

In this French import, translated by McCalmont, an observant child experiences the wonders of an outdoor city park.

Narrated by the child in the first person, the book begins with a stylized map of an impressive park complete with greenhouse, garden, petting zoo, and bandstand as well as the more typical pond, playground, picnic area, lawn, and small wooded area. On each verso page, clearly labeled pictures catalog items—critters, flowers, trees, fruit, vegetables, garden tools, and more—or activities found in different areas of the park, while the facing page shows the boy enjoying a discovery or favorite moment in the featured location. Orzel’s park is extremely stimulating—the narrator sees people playing bocce and table tennis, riding horses, and walking on a tightrope…not exactly everyday occurrences in most real-life parks. The upside-down picture of the playground is confusing until one reads the text: “My headstand gets better the more I practice.” Another map at the end offers choices for getting home from the park: bus, skateboard, moped, etc. A final double-page spread displays 40 items with the caption, “Do you remember where in the park we saw these things?” The protagonist has straight brown hair and coral-pink skin; their ethnicity and gender are unspecified, although the publisher’s copy refers to them as Sam. Background characters have a mix of skin tones and body builds. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming and expansive view of a common childhood excursion.