Subway Ride
(by Heather L. Miller/ illus. by Sue Rama, Charlesbridge $15.95 Score:)

Urban kids will relate to the lively pace of this subway ride told in verse. A glossary at the end tells about subways in ten cities around the world. The glossary feels as if it is intended for an older audience, but that said, this is a book young kids will relate to as they see the typical sights underground. 4 & up.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

The Day the Animals Came
(by Frances Ward Weller/illus. Loren Long, Philomel $16.99 Score:) Ria, a child from the Caribbean, is homesick. Her neighbor, Mrs. Blum, takes her to the cathedral of St. John the Divine, for the Feast of St. Francis. Luminous illustrations capture the vastness of the cathedral, the vastness of the crowd, the grandeur of the animal procession, and finally Ria’s transformation from outsider to becoming a part of her new world. 5–8.

Age: Early School Years,Later School Years. Award Year: 2004.