The Way Downtown

In this one-of-a-kind book, the complex and fascinating world of urban public transit is explored using five different characters' journeys through the imaginary city of Zoom. From the Zanies, a family of street performers; to Agent Theodore Rybka, a spy on a very secret mission; to Robbie, a seven-year-old boy visiting the city for the first time, the characters are quirky and full of personality. On this particular morning, they are all headed downtown from different locations, but they all end up in the same place at the same time. Keen readers will be able to spot where their paths cross along the way. All of the journeys from start to finish are described visually first and then are told as stories in panels, embellished with definitions, labels and explanations of how things work on subways, buses, light rail trains and ferry boats.

This fun and engaging book from Inna Gertsberg offers an innovative approach to a popular subject, covering a city's entire public transportation system rather than just one mode of transit. It's loaded with facts presented with fun, lively illustrations by Mike Lowery that are busy, humorous and filled with details. Also included are a city map, a transit map and a glossary. This is a book that will find numerous uses in the classroom, including social studies lessons on transportation, technology, the environment, land use, urban communities and map reading.