City Signs

August 1, 2002
The urban scene unfolds in City Signs by Zoran Milich, through 30 artistic photographs-a police car, school bus and construction site among them-all framed by wide white borders. The only text appears on the vehicles and signs. Carefully choreographed spreads teach themes or concepts, whether featuring a red car under an "enter" sign and another at an "exit" or a spread of pizza and ice cream vendors.

October 15, 2002
PreS-K. Milich took to the streets with his camera, looking for printed words found in various outdoor environments. The 30 photographs here demonstrate that even children who can't yet read a book understand many of the words they see around them. The quality of the pictures is very good. They are nicely composed, clear, and often colorful. Of course the print is prominent in all of them, and in most cases the setting makes the words or phrase easy to understand. One photograph shows a storefront window with the word " pizza" printed on it in large letters and someone nearby holding a pizza. A railroad crossing sign is shown with a train in the background. Some words won't be as easily recognized, especially by young children who live in rural areas. But most kids will find enough that's familiar to feel successful, and hopefully they will come away more aware of the words they see every day. Preschools and day-care centers can use this before setting off on a walking field trip through a city or suburban area.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2003
This book complements rather than competes with Tana Hoban's "I Read Signs". Signs haven't changed a lot in twenty years, but each photographer's approach is different. While Hoban's style is close up, Milich pulls back to show his signs in context. Neither book provides additional text, allowing the photos to speak for themselves. There is an arc in the sequence and pacing of Milich's photos and plenty of detail for repeat viewers.

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)