For a young child, a subway journey is an eye-opening city-life experience. A story-poem from award-winning creators James Gladstone and Pierre Pratt.

The journey begins with the roar of the subway from the street above, as the child and their mom descend to the dilapidated platform below. The child feels a rush of air as the train pulls in, people stepping on board just in time! Sights and sounds include the dark tunnel and screeching wheels, then the train suddenly breaks out into bright daylight high above the city. All the while, the child takes in the passengers around them — people on their way to work, kids going to school, and “the sleeper,” whom no one else seems to see. At Union Station, the child accompanies their mom from restaurant to restaurant as she looks for work, before they journey home.

Author James Gladstone’s lyrical story-poem and Pierre Pratt’s illustrations, rich in detail and humor, make this companion book to My Winter City (illustrated by Gary Clement) at once delightful and thought-provoking.

Key Text Features

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.