In the City

July 1, 2020
An ode to friendship on wings of rhyme. Also feathers. Firmly clapping back at urbanites who regard pigeons as pests, Raschka offers avian flocks rendered with typically energetic brushwork in gemlike, often wildly fantastical hues, swirling lyrically around skyscrapers and apartment buildings, perching on ledges and stoplights, pecking beneath picnic tables, socializing in the park, or pairing off in flight to bill and coo. Though often parsed out to just a phrase or two per page, the accompanying verse likewise wings along, as a brown-skinned child, watching the birds "in their tumbling flocks / soaring past the courthouse clock," wonders "where...friends come from." This child then perches on the same park bench as a lighter-skinned child. Closer looks at the distinctive colors and shimmering highlights on the birds at her feet accompany further thoughts: "How do two friends find each other? / Why choose this one, not another?" But if, in the end, conclusions remain elusive ("I suppose it's in the air. / All my answers are up there"), these two new friends, at least, are as close as the nearest touch or shared glance. Along with casting bright, joyful light on some ubiquitous yet often unappreciated natural wonders, this heady outing irresistibly invites young readers into a ruminative frame of mind. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-21-inch double-page spreads viewed at 71% of actual size.) Just another masterwork from the multiple Caldecott medalist, shimmering with light, life, and deep thoughts. (Picture book. 6-8)

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September 1, 2020
Preschool-G Using brief, rhyming text and vivid ink-and-watercolor illustrations, Raschka offers an ode to city pigeons. "In the city / tall and good, / over every / neighborhood, / sometimes early, often late, / (doesn't matter what the date) / if you tilt your head up high / you will see the pigeons fly." He notes the birds' ubiquity; even during rainstorms, they perch on statues, scrabble for leftover food, and circle apartment towers. He also observes individual differences among the birds in terms of feather color, head and neck markings, and cooing sounds. However, just like the city's diverse human (and canine) residents, each is searching for a friend. Raschka's full-bleed, mostly sunny spreads depict a city full of mixed architecture (brownstones, skyscrapers, and houses), pigeons that seem universally welcomed, and, miraculously, no droppings. Multiethnic children observe these birds from the ground, noting their various calls, as everyone gathers to have snacks, play in the park, and find friends. A worthy choice for one-on-one sharing or story hour reads, especially for city dwellers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

September 14, 2020
Caldecott Medalist Rachshka studies an oft-overlooked group of city dwellers—pigeons—conveying through their sociable flocks a message about making friends. In his loose signature style, he pans across a sweep of brownstones and brick buildings, traffic lights and telephone wires as pigeons wheel through the air. “If you tilt your head up high,/ you will see the pigeons fly.” Pigeons vary in hue (“This one has a bluish head,/ His or hers is white instead”), and they congregate without regard to this difference. Similarly, two kids, a Black child in blue glasses and a white-skinned child with a blue hair tie, watch the birds, then find themselves picnicking on the same bench. There’s instant rapport, and soon they race off hand-in-hand: “How do two friends find each other?/ Why this one, not another?” There’s no telling what draws anyone into a friendship, Raschka hints, but this detailed cityscape shows that a friend is a wonderful thing to find. Ages 4–8.