A young girl and her mother head out for a free symphony city orchestra concert downtown, but get separated at the subway station! The young girl embarks on a city-wide adventure as she follows the sounds of music she hears everywhere. I absolutely love the illustrations in this book, especially the illustrator's use of bright, vivid color and the use of white as contrast. This book of few words would be suitable for a K-3 classroom to imaginatively discuss music and all of the unexpected places it can be heard.

Independent publishing house and David Sedaris brainchild McSweeney's moved into the children's book market last year, when they released Symphony City (amongst other titles) through their new "McMullens" imprint. The result, at least in the case of Amy Martin's book, is a distinct triumph! The brief, minimalist text and gorgeously stylized illustrations work flawlessly together to tell the story of a young girl, separated from her parent on the way to a concert, who finds music on the streets of the city instead, before eventually finding her way home.

I'm glad that, prompted by the review of an online friend - thanks, Lisa! - I finally gave Symphony City a try. As already mentioned, I thought that text and image worked very well together here, but I also found the artwork, with its vivid palette and intriguing composition, appealing in its own right. This is a well designed book - something I very much appreciate in all books, but especially in picture-books - and I'm only sorry that, because it was borrowed from the library, I couldn't fully appreciate the dust-jacket, which apparently unfolds into a poster. I may have to find a copy in a bookstore, to see what I've missed... ( )