MY SUBWAY RIDE

A husband-and-wife team faithfully conveys the vitality of New York City and its subway system—100 years old this year—in this lyrical offering. Here, the subway is the city’s lifeblood; its tunnels are veins and the subway car “[a] mama’s belly.” Onomatopoeia is used effectively to convey subway sounds: “[A] light in the dark, / a floating star, / squeak and squeal and screech to the stop,” as a train pulls in to the station. A diverse group of riders enters and exits in one of Alko’s vibrant, full-bleed spreads, “a bit of the world in every car.” Bits of mixed-media collage—textured fabric for a young girl’s dress, a newspaper tucked under another rider’s arm—add visual interest and depth. Familiar announcements incorporated into the verse (“Stand clear of the closing doors”) lend authenticity as the trains go to Yankee Stadium, Times Square, or Coney Island. A happy ride around town. (Picture book. 4-8)