Emma's Journey

K-Gr 2—When her friend Duck migrates south for the winter, Emma, a sparrow living in New York City's Central Park, feels left behind. After hearing family stories of faraway Paris from Uncle Bob, she decides to migrate overseas. The ensuing excursion becomes a vehicle for the Frossards' illustrations, a combined effort of crisp, realistic photographs of Manhattan in winter and the imaginary, cartoon drawings of Emma and her world. The text is best suited for reading aloud and conveys Emma's excitement and apprehension of traveling but the illustrations steal the show. As Emma begins her voyage, she visits Broadway, Greeley Square, the Flatiron building, and a sidewalk café before arriving beneath the Brooklyn Bridge to meet Old Joe, a rat who will help her sail across the ocean. The lifelike photographs show the hustle and enormity of the city from a perspective that befits Emma's small size and accurately depicts city life. The cartoon drawings inserted into the pictures use illustrated thought bubbles to tell the visual story of the other small animals' lives. A mouse even has his own hot-dog stand. The story wraps up quickly as Emma and Old Joe cross the ocean and arrive on the banks of the Seine, completing her quest. The visual and textual representation of the Big Apple from Emma's bird's-eye point of view is likely to appeal to children, particularly those who desire to venture beyond their own backyards.—Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY