Subway

by Anastasia Suen, Karen Katz (Illustrator)

Overview

a rush of air

a car is there

hop, hop, hop

on the subway!

Come along for the ride as a little girl and her mother hop on the subway.  From spinning turnstiles and musicians performing on the platforms to people hopping off and on and lights flashing past in the tunnels, the sights and sounds of the subway have an energy all their own.  Anastasia Suen's sprightly text and Karen Katz's brightly colored patterns and lively perspectives combine for a pitch perfect celebration of an underground train ride, where the hustle and bustle is only part of the fun.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780670011094
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/27/2008
Pages:	24
Sales rank:	593,450
Product dimensions:	8.06(w) x 6.75(h) x 0.52(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Anastasia Suen, author of more than 60 books for children and Picture Writing (Writer's Digest Books, 2003), co-taught children’s literature at University of North Texas. She currently teaches the Story Structure Workshop at Southern Methodist University and children's writing workshops online. Suen talks about books and writes with children and adults at schools, libraries, bookstores, book festivals and conferences. A credentialed elementary school teacher, she is on the Reading Advisory Board for the Rosen Publishing Group and has worked as a poetry consultant for Sadlier-Oxford. A former director of Seminars in Children's Literature and advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Suen is a co-founder of the Writers Roundtable Conference. She is on the Children's Book Council Children's Book Authors and Illustrators List and the "Great Children's Poets" List.

Editorial Reviews

"We go down/ to go uptown/ down, down, down/ in the subway"-opens the text as a mother and young daughter embark on an exuberant underground excursion. In 14 simple quatrains, Suen (Window Music) turns city life into one big happy hub-bub; every third line consists of a key monosyllabic word repeated three times and printed in contrasting colored type, driving home the percussive sensations of navigating underground travel. The illustrations channel the zest of a kindergarten-age art enthusiast. Katz (Counting Kisses) creates a merry metropolis that is both multicolored and multicultural; all the inhabitants sport brightly patterned clothing and even brighter smiles. Capitalizing on the book's horizontal format, the full-bleed spreads portray the subway experience from a variety of perspectives. Katz catches buskers boogying and passengers coming and going; she follows the trains as they snake through the tunnels; etc. In one cheeky vignette, she shows all the riders from the neck down-a sort of toddler's-eye view that should strike a chord with the audience. The characters' glee is so infectious that even die-hard junior suburbanites will find themselves aspiring to the straphanger's life. Ages 3-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 1-In brief, rhyming verses, an African-American child describes her ride on the subway, telling how she and her mother enter through a turnstile, board the train, transfer, and arrive at their final destination. She details the speed of the train, the music heard at a station, the darkness of the tunnels, and the motion of the car. The rhythmic language captures the feel of her journey and a repeated refrain invites readers to participate in the telling of the story. The bright, bold artwork depicts each scene in a realistic manner from the child's point of view. The colorful illustrations show a diverse group of travelers, all with happy expressions on their faces. For youngsters who have never been on a subway, this title provides a wonderful introduction. For veteran riders, it reinforces the experience in a positive manner.-Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Thumping verses convey the rush and bustle of a crowded subway trip. A tiny girl and her mother ride uptown on the subway, listen to a busker's saxophone playing, and transfer trains to complete their ride. The multicultural and smiling crowd is loudly colorful in bright, textured patterned outfits that accentuate the teeming multitudes. The passengers show constant delight, from their gleeful dances to the music, to their tight squeeze into a car: "open the door / to let in more / more, more, more / on the subway." Movement and energy fill the bright and crowded pages since this is the subway as seen through the eyes of one thrilled at the adventure: busy, joyful, and exciting. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews