NIGHT IN THE CITY

As Harriett Foy guides listeners through the city at night, her voice is as warm as the sunny yellow interior scenes that contrast with the surrounding nighttime blues in this picture book. Its central character is a child of color who is going to bed as nighttime activity is carried out by a diverse group of adults with a variety of occupations: a nurse (the child's father), a firefighter, a baker, a hotel manager, and more. They interact in busy tableaux that beg listeners to stop and look; Foy obliges with a stately but never stiff delivery that encourages lingering. Occasional full-page scenes are equally arresting; a museum custodian dusting a T. rex skeleton is a highlight. Background sound effects--car engines, sirens, a dog yapping--underscore the bustle. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2023]