Dear Street

A girl’s inventive method of celebrating her neighborhood has a domino effect in Zier-Vogel’s affectionate picture book debut. Leaning over the flower box outside an upper-story window, pigtailed Alice, portrayed with pink skin, observes the cheerful homes on her street—and one sour-faced neighbor grumbling over repair-related construction delays. The reaction inspires her to write a letter addressed “Dear Street,” praising “your tall maple trees and your marigolds that look like pom-poms,” which she tucks into the roadworks sign for another neighbor to find. This act launches a campaign of seasonal missives that others discover to their delight. Bonne-Müller’s crisply worked acrylic, pencil, and crayon artwork invites lingering explorations of the tree-lined street and neighborhood residents, who are portrayed with varying skin tones and rosy cheeks. An author’s note details the book’s inspiration. Ages 3–7. (May)