Urban Picture Books: Adèle and Simon

Not wanting to limit the Urban Picture Books series to America, Mom and Kiddo love Adèle and Simon. Barbara McClintock's charming old-fashioned drawings take us to Paris. Adèle and Simon walk home from school but little Simon loses all his belongings on the way. I like a number of things about this book.

1. A variety of city locations are depicted: museums, gardens, parks, cafes, subway, etc., all of which an urban kid might visit during the course of a day.

2. The pictures illustrate the hustle and bustle of city life: the parks are filled with puppetshows, parades and jugglers, the market square is teeming with people.

3. In each location Simon loses something which Kiddo can hunt for (although I recommend that the parent find it beforehand, because some of the lost objects are small and so little ones might need some clues).

4. The end papers are maps of Adèle and Simon's journey through the city (Kiddo LOVES maps).

5. In the back of the book there are informative descriptions of each Paris locale the kids visit.

Spend some time in Paris and be sure to spot some familar girls in the Jardin des Plantes.