cover image Big City Explorer

Big City Explorer

Maggie Li. Pavilion (IPG/Trafalgar Sq., dist.), $18.99 (64p) ISBN 978-1-84365-274-8

In a fact-filled outing, packaged with a removable compass, a penguin gives readers an alphabetical guided tour of 28 cities, beginning with Amsterdam and ending with Washington, D.C. Digitally illustrated, cartoon-style maps give a rough sense of each city’s center, dotted with images of significant landmarks and attractions. The penguin, whose outfits change to reflect the places he visits, offers a friendly introduction to each city: “Sitting prettily on the banks of the River Spree, this historic city is filled with amazing museums, palaces, and monuments,” he says of Berlin, while wearing lederhosen. Additional details appear in captions and bursts scattered across the pages. Readers are invited to locate specific places and objects within the spreads and can use the included compass to “navigate” between the cities or, potentially, their own neighborhoods. Ages 4–7. (May)