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cjeziorski's review
4.0
This was an interesting book. At first, it seems to be about a kid who lives in a big city. But there’s a bittersweet twist at the end.
cayleigh_sorella's review
4.0
Read for School
Lovely picture book with a sweet message perfect for elementary kids, especially as those cold, gloom, February days approach us.
Lovely picture book with a sweet message perfect for elementary kids, especially as those cold, gloom, February days approach us.
calistareads's review
5.0
This is practically a wordless book. I love the artwork; it's gritty and rough and towering and it brings up feelings of being Small in New York. It's a great bit of art. There is beauty in the harsh lines.
A girl is narrating the story for us telling us it's okay to feel small in the city, but we will make it. She gives tips on how best to survive the big city and how she does it. The girl is on the bus by herself and walking around the town by herself. Man, as a parent, I would think you have to have so much faith that your kid is going to be okay in such a big place. That would be tough knowing all that can happen.
Winter plays a big part in the story and the tone is sort of numb and quiet. There is the noise of the city in the background, but there is a stillness and quiet that the girl exudes.
I'm going to throw up a spoiler here.
Spoiler:
I have to talk about the ending. We see the girl putting up cat posters. I assumed she was narrating to us, but in the end we find out that she is narrating to her lost cat, hoping she will find her way home and all the safe places she showed the cat was to help her out in the world. It's a beautiful and touching ending. It's an amazing book and I didn't even know I was reading a mystery. This was such a wonderful surprise. Man, it's good.
A girl is narrating the story for us telling us it's okay to feel small in the city, but we will make it. She gives tips on how best to survive the big city and how she does it. The girl is on the bus by herself and walking around the town by herself. Man, as a parent, I would think you have to have so much faith that your kid is going to be okay in such a big place. That would be tough knowing all that can happen.
Winter plays a big part in the story and the tone is sort of numb and quiet. There is the noise of the city in the background, but there is a stillness and quiet that the girl exudes.
I'm going to throw up a spoiler here.
Spoiler:
I have to talk about the ending. We see the girl putting up cat posters. I assumed she was narrating to us, but in the end we find out that she is narrating to her lost cat, hoping she will find her way home and all the safe places she showed the cat was to help her out in the world. It's a beautiful and touching ending. It's an amazing book and I didn't even know I was reading a mystery. This was such a wonderful surprise. Man, it's good.
wordnerd153's review
4.0
The unexpected ending sold me on this quiet book. Good for talking about perspective.
middle_name_joy's review
4.0
Oh. That twist.
Small in the City pays equal attention to atmosphere, illustration, and story. It could be effortlessly transformed into a stop-motion short, with the street and neighborhood sounds swirling around the young narrator's plight. That's how the book reads already. A full experience. Beautiful.
Small in the City pays equal attention to atmosphere, illustration, and story. It could be effortlessly transformed into a stop-motion short, with the street and neighborhood sounds swirling around the young narrator's plight. That's how the book reads already. A full experience. Beautiful.
emmycd's review against another edition
1.0
I don't know why this has been adapted into an audiobook. It clearly doesn't work without the images, especially to young children.
I think this is one I would have to read to appreciate.
I think this is one I would have to read to appreciate.
ericahun's review
4.0
One of those books that will appeal to grown-ups more than kids. The art is fantastic and the twist in the very short narrative broke my heart. Augh!
thompson3's review
5.0
Ink, watercolor and gouache illustrations take over this beautiful work of art in this almost wordless picture book. The story about a child searching for a lost cat gently flows along with the illustrations, pulling the reader into the journey through the city. It is easy to get lost in the deep and detailed illustrations as the reader follows the child who seems so small against the ferocity of city, snow and loneliness. Yet, the story is more hopeful than sad and the reader will want to explore it more than once.