SMALL in the CITY and TRUMAN- Two Views of Urban Pets

This pair of recently released picture books are treasures when enjoyed "as is", each offering a heartwarming, heart-tugging story, with visually engaging and expressive images and satisfying resolutions. Each will undoubtedly by reread again and again, each inviting readers of any age to pore over the illustrations and expressions and subtle details despite appearing to be pretty simple. And BOTH offer ideal mentor text for older readers for exploration of deep themes, distinct voice, and story structure to build tension and weave clues throughout minimalist text.

Neal Porter Books, 2019

SMALL IN THE CITY is the creative work of author/illustrator Sydney Smith. The universality of the main character is brilliantly portrayed by the illustrator, allowing the clothing, skin tone, and body posture to provide a character who can and will be donned by any and every reader. The first person voice pairs with up-close scenes, in full spreads and frames of various sizes, to present insights about the possible welcomes and dangers of a neighborhood, especially to an implied listener who might be new to the area, probably navigating it alone. Questions arise immediately about who the "you" might be, with various clues allowing for multiple possibilities. Nearing the end, the underlying story emerges, pulling hard at our heartstrings but without manipulation or cheap tricks. The color tones, the subtle details of reassurance, and the agency of the narrator will all be welcomed by very young, but will also serve as an extended analogy for middle grade and older writers who are exploring and developing understanding of deeper themes. 

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019

TRUMAN is written by Jean Reidy and illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Truman is certainly the most appealing, charming, donut-sized tortoise you'll ever meet. He's also very clever, recognizing subtle changes in in his dear friend, Sarah, on the day she prepares to to go to school for the first time. From his window-view tank, Truman's logic leads him on a grand adventure to "be brave" and go in search of Sarah, who he had watched climb ON THE BUS for the first time!
His deep-seated commitment to Sarah, his flawless logic, and impressive determination lead him out, onward, and unwilling to give up, even when feeling overwhelmed.
The consistency of his tortoise-eye-view and mindset allows readers to identify with his fear despite knowing the human side of the story. The bright colors and unusual scale and perspective of the scenes combine a background awareness of the time passage for his adventures to build hope in the reader. An expected happy ending is taken a few pages further to extend the satisfaction level of both Sarah and Truman moving into a new stage of their relationship.

I've been reading many rave reviews about these books and expected to like them, but I was wowed. These seemingly simple books can serve as mentor text for tone, voice, and even for art perspective. Both are books that kids will beg to reread and can do so for themselves at very early ages.When the two are shared together the similarity of rounded images, minimalist line characters with expressive eyes and postures, and voices of the narrators beg comparison. On the other hand, contrasting the two titles for use of color and light tones, seasons, settings, and relationships merits discussion. 
Writers intent on creating remarkable picture books should take a page and explore both through repeated readings and discussions. Don't miss them.