IN THE CITY

Three siblings take turns describing their family’s trip to the city, with 14 panoramic pictures. Text runs down the left side of each two-page spread, in a two-and-a-half-inch column that looks as though it was printed by hand. First, Frankie describes going over the bridge, which looms above the city, in a big shuttle bus; Henry talks about all the underground networks, including the subway that they ride in; Penny is amazed by all the bustle and commerce of the city square. The family goes on to an enormous department store, the zoo, the esplanade, the aquarium, etc., before boarding the shuttle for home again. The stars of Harvey’s book are his intricate illustrations, in dip pen and watercolor. There’s a whiff of Where’s Waldo? in their complexity, with myriad implied story lines and literally hundreds of people in some pictures. He even manages to sprinkle some pictures into the columns of text. Endlessly entertaining for all ages, as well as subtly educational. (Picture book. 5-9)