City Under the City

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Pub Date Nov 15 2022 | Archive Date Nov 08 2022

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Description

From acclaimed author-illustrator Dan Yaccarino comes an exhilarating adventure—set in a richly imagined alternate future—celebrating autonomy, community, and the power of reading, perfect for fans of The Rock From the Sky.

Bix lives with her family in a city where people rarely talk or play together, and no longer read books. Instead, they stare at small portable screens, monitored by giant eyeballs. The Eyes are here to help! With everything. But Bix would like to do things for herself. Running from an Eye, she discovers another world: the City Under the City. There, she befriends a rat who leads her to a library and its treasure trove of books and knowledge. As she explores the abandoned city, she’s thrilled to learn about the people who lived there, with no Eyes. But she misses her family, and decides to head home, where, just maybe, she can help defeat the intrusive Eyes—and show her people how to think for themselves and enjoy each other’s company. Told through Dan Yaccarino’s stunning graphic style, this page-turning picture book/early reader crossover will spark a new appreciation of reading, books, independence, friendship, and family.
From acclaimed author-illustrator Dan Yaccarino comes an exhilarating adventure—set in a richly imagined alternate future—celebrating autonomy, community, and the power of reading, perfect for fans...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781662650895
PRICE $18.99 (USD)
PAGES 64

Average rating from 23 members


Featured Reviews

The little details in this book really brought a smile to myself. When Bix finds the library, the first page shows dolls of classic literary characters- Dorothy, Madeline, Alice. City Under the City reminded me of the movie Wall=E in that the characters, minus Bix, are so obsessed with the technology in front of them that they don't know to look around their world. I think this book pushes that idea further in that their current world exists just above where civilization truly lived. This story would be a great lesson about how not everything can be learned in front of a screen, as well as how important family is.

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SCI_FI for young readers – LOVE IT!! So many reasons to LOVE this book!!
This book reminder experienced readers of Fahrenheit 451 (one of my all-time favorite books), where books are banned, and education and information are limited in order to control society. What a great way to introduce banned books and the freedom of choice to our younger generations. The EYES and overall theme of this children’s book reminded me of other futuristic SCI- FI classic novels like the Orwellian 1984.

In today’s, present day society I am reminded of how cell phones have taken over a majority of or lives including our private every day family lives. Many scenes of this tale are a reminder of what happens (is happening for many of us) when we pau more attention to our technology than the people and environment around us.

I can express in words what I felt reading this book. It is exciting… it is eye opening… It should be read by adults to children everywhere!!
I may need to buy large quantities of the amazing book and handing it out to every one I know.

And I haven’t even touched on the illustrations. They are colorful futuristic in a uniquely vintage way (not intended to be an oxymoron) honestly the illustrator has capture the future and history in these outstanding images).

BEYOND Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Museyon Books.

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A perfect adventure book to help illustrate the need to get off screens, spend time with loved ones, to appreciate reading and what books can do, and independence. A timely gift for any age.

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This would make for a great addtion to any library, be it home or classroom. So many interesting conversations could come up after reading. It tells a story , but leaves so much room for the child's imagination to run wild. Loved this book

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Dan Yaccarino’s art is lovely, as always. The colorful design and fun story will be inviting for young readers and a welcome addition to classroom libraries.

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A dystopian book for young readers? Yes please.
Bix and her family lives in a city where there are eyes helping (and controlling) the citizens.
The only one who questions this reality is Bix. She wants to do things herself.
All the citizens are walking around looking in small screens and do not communicate much with each other.
Bix doesn't like reading through the screens but when she finds out there is a library full of physical books in the city under the city she suddenly changes her mind and enjoys reading.

I like the illustrations which feels influenced by comic books with boxes and speech bubbles.
The story itself is not brand new but it feels new in its format and intended audience.

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Oh my goodness this book was SUCH a delight omg. All of the illustrations were so charming and full of little details I'm still looking closely at. The use of the Eyes was so incredibly effective, and I loved the exploration of the city under the city. I already can't wait to gift this book to several friends with kids as well as to make sure my library adds it to the collection. I really loved this book and look forward to sharing it with others when it comes out!

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This book is futuristic and realistic. If we don’t change some of our habits we will love like this in no time. I love having books to hope us see how our lives could be Hopefully it inspires us to be more present.

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A spooky sci-fi/dystopia story that early readers will love! I've never seen anything quite like this for this age group and I think it will be really popular in libraries.

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A science fiction/dystopian book for young readers is such a great idea! I really enjoyed reading this book quite a lot, and I will be picking up a copy of it for my preschool books collection. There are so many great details within this book, like the dolls of Alice, Dorothy, Madeline, and Pippi-Longstocking within the library.

I love how the style within the book felt like a comic book with the illustrations, text bubbles, and panels. Everything was so beautiful to look at, along with the wonderful story.

*Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. *

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This is an adorable title that I would recommend to anyone! Kids will be drawn in by the story and adults will love its message. A definite recommend.

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