The Subway Sparrow (Sunburst Book) [Paperback]

Leyla Torres (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Sunburst Book

An English-speaking girl, a Spanish-speaking man, and a Polish-speaking woman might not be able to converse, but when a sparrow trapped in their subway car needs help, their common concern bridges the language barriers between them.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Colorful watercolor paintings illustrate this multicultural story. When a sparrow flies into a subway car, a young Oriental girl tries to rescue it. She enlists the aid of a teenage boy, a Spanish-speaking man, and a Polish-speaking woman. The illustrations are filled with wonderful details, such as the advertisements lining the car and newspapers on the seats, which add to the authenticity of the scene and provide a fascinating background. The brief text, which includes phrases in Spanish and Polish, advances the plot while allowing the double-spread illustrations to convey the action. What makes this a special book, and not simply another New York story, is the theme of cooperation as people of differing ages, genders, and cultures work together to set the bird free. The expressive pictures and the caring tone transcend any particular place or time.
Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 3-8. There is a sparrow in the New York City subway. Four passengers, whose differences in age, culture, and language may appear insurmountable, find a way to catch it before the train gets into the next station and fills with people. Torres develops her story smoothly, weaving text and images into a simple, warm, and appealing plot. The text is enriched and extended through the use of original angles and perspectives in the full-color illustrations that effectively contrast the stark reality of urban public transportation with the human concern for a vulnerable sparrow. A good choice to read aloud to young ones, though older children may prefer to enjoy the detailed illustrations in the intimacy of a private reading. The interjection of foreign phrases does not break the continuity of the plot, which is carefully maintained through the illustrations; the text of the Spanish language edition is clear, reading with the ease of a native speaker's language. Graciela Italiano --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (March 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374471290
• ISBN-13: 978-0374471293
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 10.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for folks who love New York City, and excellent for everybody else., May 3, 2010

By 

Tom Brody (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Subway Sparrow (Sunburst Book) (Paperback)

SUBWAY SPARROW by Leyla Torres is a 30-page large format children's book. Every page contains an illustration, and most of the illustrations are panoramas, going from the extreme left to the extreme right. The first picture shows a sparrow finding its way into a subway station in New York City. The picture uses a dramatic angle, where the viewer is situated up in the air, just beyond the bird, who is perching on a ledge. Down below, we see a subway picking up passengers. The artist did a good job at depicting the silvery sheen of the metal of the subway. The remaining pictures take place inside of a subway car, or in the subway station, except for the very last picture.

The writing goes like this:

"At the Atlantic Avenue station in Brooklyn, a sparrow flew into a subway car on the D train. (NEXT PAGE) Little bird, what are you doing down here? (NEXT PAGE) With a rumble, the train begain to move. (NEXT PAGE) It's okay, it's okay--don't be afraid. I want to help you. (NEXT PAGE) Mister, maybe you can catch him with your hat. Si, con mi sombrero tal vez lo atajemos."

After the Spanish speaking man tries to catch the bird with his hat, a Spanish speaking boy is asked to help, but the boy warns the other people that he might hurt the bird by accident. Then, a Polish woman tries to catch the bird. She says, "Nie dotykaj go parasolem." The book provides a tranlation to the woman's Polish, and the book adds, "No, forget the umbrella--it might hurt him.' Finally, another Spanish speaking woman comes along, and safely ensnares the bird with a colorful scarf.

The story has a happy ending. What is remarkable about the book is its depiction of New York City's melting pot of persons who speak Spanish and Polish. (Hopefully, the author will publish another book about New Yorkers with some folks speaking a bit of Italian.) The depiction of immigant-types, in this book, is done effortlessly, and there is no suggestion whatsoever that a goal of the book is to teach "tolerance" to children. The effortless and natural depiction of New York City's melting pot of immigrants, the charm of the story, and the dramatic angles found in the illustrations, wins this book at least FIVE STARS.