The Subway Sparrow

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.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 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