Emma's Journey

Emma's Journey

• Photograph: © Etienne Frossard; 2010. Reprinted with permission of Enchanted Lion Books61.bo.emmasjourney_02.jpg726771
• Photograph: © Etienne Frossard; 2010. Reprinted with permission of Enchanted Lion Books61.bo.emmasjourney_03.jpg726792
• Photograph: © Etienne Frossard; 2010. Reprinted with permission of Enchanted Lion Books61.bo.emmasjourney_01.jpg726813

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Photograph: © Etienne Frossard; 2010. Reprinted with permission of Enchanted Lion Books

The scenes of New York City life depicted in Emma's Journey (Enchanted Lion, $18, ages 4 to 8) are about as recognizable as any we've seen in a children's book—and that's saying something, since the story's main character is an illustrated sparrow sporting a French sailor beret. Plucky little Emma leaves her family's Central Park nest in hopes of making it to Paris, and young readers follow her progress through cleverly mixed media: Author-artist Claire Frossard's text and acrylic drawings overlay her uncle Etienne Frossard's street photography. Cartoon birds and other critters populate photos of familiar city locales—Greeley Square, Orchard Street, the Brooklyn Bridge—in slushy winter. When Emma eventually reaches her goal, spying a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, we're happy for her—if a little wistful about losing her bird's-eye view of our city.