A young girl, who is visually impaired, finds much to celebrate as she
explores the city she loves.
A young girl and her father spend a day in the city, her city, traveling
to the places they go together: the playground, the community garden,
the market, an outdoor concert. As they do, the girl describes what she
senses in delightfully precise, poetic detail. Her city, she says,
"rushes and stops, and waits and goes." It "pitters and patters, and
drips and drains." It "echoes" and "trills," and is both "smelly" and
"sweet." Her city also speaks, as it "dings and dongs, and rattles and
roars." And sometimes, maybe even some of the best times, it just
listens.
Darren Lebeuf uses his keen observational skills as an award-winning
photographer to poetically capture sensory experiences in this charming
ode to city life. The rhythmic, lyrical text makes for an appealing
read-aloud. Ashley Barron's vividly hued cut-paper collage illustrations
add compelling visual interest to the text's descriptions. Though the
main character is visually impaired, she travels around the city and
enthusiastically enjoys its many offerings, and actively contributes to
the lyrical bustle of city life by putting on a violin performance in
the park. The author's use of limited but evocative language can help
children develop an aesthetic awareness and can serve as a perfect
jumping-off point for children to use their senses to specifically
describe, and appreciate, their own surroundings. The story and
illustrations were reviewed by a blind sensitivity reader.
