Cityblock

Franceschelli celebrates the sights, tastes, and vehicles of the city in this follow-up to Alphablock, Countablock, and Dinoblock, again illustrated by British design team Peskimo. Clever, well-designed die-cuts bring readers deeper into each scene while creating a guessing game to participate in: often, large die-cut objects in the foreground (a soccer ball, a pair of chopsticks) swing out of the way to reveal their locations (the stadium, a Japanese restaurant). As readers follow an elderly man and two children around town, they get a taste of crowded subways, all manner of street food, and multiple ways to see the city, including from a helicopter. It’s a big urban adventure in a small package. Ages 3–5. (Sept.)