Small in the City by Sydney Smith

Abstract

Reviewed by: Small in the City by Sydney Smith Deborah Stevenson, Editor Smith, Sydney Small in the City; written and illus. by Sydney Smith. Porter/Holiday House, 2019 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-8234-4261-4 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-8234-4395-6 $11.99 Reviewed from galleys R* 4-7 yrs A child moves through a dense urban neighborhood, talking about what it’s like to be “small in the city” and giving advice to a nameless listener. The text talks about the often overwhelming sounds and confusion as the kid gives tips for negotiating the chaos; eventually, it becomes clear in text and art that the child is addressing a [End Page 40] beloved cat and putting up “lost” posters for the kitty around the snowy town, all while maintaining confidence in the cat’s ability: “But I know you. You will be all right.” The atmosphere will draw listeners in immediately, and they’ll be intrigued by the gradual reveal of the cat as subject (and they’ll definitely want to rewind a few pages and take in the story with this new understanding). The approach to the city is consciously viable for kids as well as cats (even if a few specifics are solely feline), and many youngsters will appreciate the recognition of how sensorily overwhelming a cityscape can be and the tips for finding smaller pools of quiet and respite. The moody art, mostly line and watercolor with some gouache for thicker textures in the snow, employs the subdued hues of gloomy winter, with scenes of city geometry of streets and lights sometimes captured within square-bordered vignettes and sometimes opening up to full spreads. The scarf-muffled protagonist is a sturdy yet poignant figure amid the gray, and the illustrations make it clear that there’s a loving parent waiting to welcome the child home. This could be an interesting pairing with Tuttle’s Hidden City: Poems of Urban Wildlife (BCCB 5/18), or it could serve to start a discussion about the challenges and sweet spots in kids’ own neighborhoods. Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois