Count on the Subway

As a MetroCard-wielding girl proudly leads her mother uptown to Grand Central Terminal via the subway, it’s clear that they aren’t just utilizing a fast mode of transportation—they’re part of a nonstop celebration of life in a great city: “Big Apple subway, 8 cars long./ 9 people off, 10 people on./ 10 friends sway, boogie and bop/ to a tunnel beat.... Here’s our stop!” write Jacobs and Swender, the husband-and-wife team behind urban standbys My Subway Ride and My Taxi Ride. Yaccarino (All the Way to America) continues to revel in his role as one of the city’s most upbeat visual chroniclers, rendering the subway as bustling, bright, (and spotless) metropolitan crossroads with a soundtrack all its own. As the story counts from 1 to 10 and back, the numerals pop out of the typography in colored circles, a tribute to the system’s instantly recognizable signage. Yaccarino’s familiar throwback touches are also evident: the girl wears a matching coat and beanie straight out of Mad Men. Ages 2–5. Authors’ agency: Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (May)