G.P. Putnam’s Sons | ISBN 978-0399549083
Readers have been waiting almost three years for the next book by the Newbery Award-winning picture book duo Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson, and it’s finally here: MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD. It’s a beautiful book that feels like the perfect companion to LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET.
I’d read about the MILO a little before its release, but by the time I picked it up from my favorite indie bookstore, I’d forgotten exactly what it was about. Which means I read it with the curiosity of a young child, wondering where Milo was going on the train with his sister, and – more importantly – where was the story going?
© illustration by Christian Robinson
For his part, Milo is mostly excited about this monthly Sunday subway ride:
“Excitement stacked on top of worry
on top of confusion
on top of love.”
As people come and go, board and leave the train, Milo imagines the lives of the passengers he sees and draws a story for each one. Along the way, he locks eyes with one of the riders – a young boy who’d boarded earlier, wearing a suit, his hair perfectly partly, without “a single scuff on his bright white Nikes.” It’s a pivotal moment, but we don’t know quite yet why.
“The spell is broken when a crew of breakers
bounds onto the train, announcing, “You all ready for a show?””
Milo continues to imagine the young performers, traveling train to train. Soon, he puts his pad aside and wonders: “What do people imagine about his face?”
At the next station, as he and sister step off the train, there’s the boy in the suit, a few paces ahead. And, suddenly, we understand what this journey is about.
© illustration by Christian Robinson
The dedication says that this is a book “… for those who dare to imagine beyond a first impression.” If you haven’t read MILO IMAGINES THE WORLD, find a copy soon.
