Small in the city

the first picture book that the award-winning sydney smith has both written and illustrated is a story about feeling small in the city — and finding your way home.

on a snowy day in a big city, a little boy hops off a streetcar and walks through downtown, between office buildings, through parks and down busy streets. along the way, he provides helpful tips about which alleys make good shortcuts, which trees to climb and where to find a friendly face. all the while, the boy searches for what he has lost …

the first book that award-winning illustrator sydney smith has written tells a story of what it means to get lost in the city, travel the wrong path and get caught in bad weather — and to ultimately find your way back home. his beautiful watercolour illustrations alternate between full spreads and small panels, evoking the sometimes overwhelming cacophony of urban sights and sounds, as well as the quiet moments that make all of us feel less small in the city.

correlates to the common core state standards in english language arts:

ccss.ela-literacy.rl.1.4
identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

ccss.ela-literacy.rl.3.7
explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)