My city

Bold colors, thick paint strokes, and a slice-of-life story beautifully coalesce in this whimsical, contemplative, and visual exploration of the everyday. The nearly wordless tale (theres not even a title page) begins: Max can bring a letter to the mailbox all by himself today. An adventure ensues, all in pictures, as Max explores his urban neighborhood. From the vibrant hues swirling in laundromat machines to a precariously balanced pile of old furniture and broken instruments waiting for the garbage truck, Max soaks it all in and finds wonder in the world around him. He observes and connects with diverse groups of people, too, stopping to examine his (and others) reflections in a puddle, getting mixed up in a road race, and passing time at a bus stop. Varying perspectives, rounded shapes (such as a close-up of the boys smiling face), and sharp angles invite closer examination. When Maxs errand is complete, two sentences end the story: There is the mailbox! Max can tell his mother now all about his adventure in the city. In this final moment, the mailbox is revealed to beright outside Maxs home. A surprising smile ( la Joan Mir) hides in the evening skyadding another element of poetic and visual depth to this deceptively simple story. elisa gall July/Aug p.111(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A young boy tasked with mailing a letter has a big adventure on his way to the mailbox in this German import.Liu (My Museum, 2017) returns with another colorful, nearly wordless picture book about Max, a baseball-cap-clad boy with an infectious smile, perpetually open arms, and a keen eye for detail. On this early fall day, he's off to mail a letter "all by himself" in a city lovingly depicted in full-bleed paintings composed with thick, textured brush strokes and abstracted, simplified shapes. He walks past the laundromat, pausing to watch colorful blobs swirl in the machines, then stops at a crosswalk with a group of pedestrians of diverse ages and skin tones. Almost everyone is looking at their devices, but Max and the woman next to him both gaze down at a small puddle and, with an unexpected perspective shift, readers turn the page to see their two smiling faces reflected in the puddle, which now occupies the entire spread and seems to contain a whole city in itself. The book continues to follow this formula: Pages depicting Max walking past generic city sights (an art museum, a garbage truck, a crowded intersection) are interspersed with perspective shifts that position readers either next to him or directly interacting with him as he moves observantly through the city. Charming details abound, from a subplot involving a lost dog to the white endpapers covered in blue crayonlike scribbles that seem to map Max's rambling path. Max and his mother share the same ruddy complexions.Liu transforms a mundane walk to the mailbox into an exceptionally delightful visual treat. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.