Small in the City

Product Information

As the girl (or boy—it could be either) makes her way through dark and sometimes foreboding scenes, she describes the people “who don’t see you,” and the disorienting sights and sounds of the city. Knoxville was put on the global map during the World’s Fair of 1982. A lot has changed in four decades, but the event marked a turning point for the city. The 266-ft (81m) Sunsphere is a landmark remnant of the fair, with the World’s Fair Park becoming a focal point for tourism. To the west of the park is Knoxville Museum of Art, with an excellent collection of 19 th-century through to contemporary regional art. To the east of the park is Downtown, where you’ll find excellent Tennessean cuisine and plenty of Appalachian culture, particularly around Market Square. True Appalachia is due south of the city with the unmissable Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Or, there are lots of good hiding places in the city, like under a mulberry bush or up a walnut tree.

Small in the City — Just Imagine

This is a three-week Writing Root for Small in the City by Sydney Smith. The sequence of learning begins with children getting in role as country and city cats. They will debate which is better for cats to live in, the countryside or the city. Then go on to develop their descriptive writing, using the gorgeous urban illustrations by Sydney Smith which will culminate in them writing and performing a poem. Children will continue to make inferences and predictions about the story, writing a letter of advice to the main character and a diary entry in role before discussing the final twist in the story. Children will finish by retelling the events in the narrative but from an alternative point of view. This will be their extended outcome which they will edit and publish. Synopsis of Text:Though your technique does vary from book to book, brushwork figures prominently. Can you elaborate on why that is often your medium of choice? Primarily with a Pentel Brush Pen? The city seems overpowering, dense, busy, chaotic. Smith’s use of a mixture of big and small, framed and unframed images makes us see and feel how it is to be small in such an overwhelming environment. For example, she informs her unseen listener that “people don’t see you and loud sounds can scare you”.

Small in the City – House of Anansi Press Small in the City – House of Anansi Press

We are living in a moment in history that requires us to keep at a safe distance from one another. Around the world we are self-isolating, social distancing, quarantining, and taking measures to ensure that we will get through this. It is a difficult journey, but we are on this journey together though it requires many of us to be alone or separated from friends and loved ones. It is during this time that these stories we share are more important than ever. They reach past the necessary barriers we may have in place and offer a connection. Our stories have the power to reach out to all ages and keep us grounded and connected to one another; or to provide a magical escape, or a cathartic laugh. Like a friend keeping in touch, stories offer the necessary sentiment: You are not alone. You will be alright. Small in the City is a story of a child’s journey through an urban landscape, and an emotional journey, processing the loss of a friend. The 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are sponsored by Peters and ALCS, and funded by Carnegie UK Trust. THE WINNERS: On a snowy day in a big city, a little boy hops off a streetcar and walks through downtown, between office buildings, through parks and down busy streets. Along the way, he provides helpful tips about which alleys make good shortcuts, which trees to climb and where to find a friendly face. All the while, the boy searches for what he has lost …

CILIP is the leading voice for the information, knowledge management and library profession. Our goal is to put information and library skills and professional values at the heart of a democratic, equal and prosperous society. CILIP is a registered charity, no. 313014. The Youth Libraries Group (YLG) is a special interest group of CILIP who work to preserve and influence the provision of quality literature and library services for children and young people, both in public libraries and school library services. Sidewalk Flowers was about discovering beauty in the busy city and sharing it. I worked on that book when I first moved to Toronto. Town is by the Sea is about struggle, family, and legacy. My first child, my son, was born while I was working on that book. It helped me process the significance of the moment. Now it’s Small in the City. It’s about navigating the nonstop urban life while also walking the path of grief after losing a loved one. Sheila Barry, my friend and editor, passed away as I was developing this book. Through this character I am able to project and process my own emotion after losing someone that important to me. This is practically a wordless book. I love the artwork; it's gritty and rough and towering and it brings up feelings of being Small in New York. It's a great bit of art. There is beauty in the harsh lines.