The City ABC Book (2001) by Zoran Milich is a wordless alphabet book. The pictures are black and white photographs of places in a city. They're altered to highlight, in red, a shape that resembles an English letter. For example, lowercase B is a portion of a vertical post and tire on a playground; C is written on the cover of a drain in a sidewalk; F is part of a utility pole. Sometimes a picture illustrates a capital letter and sometimes a small letter.
The author dedicates this book "For my mother, who has taught me to see. For my daughter, who I hope I can teach to see." To me, the black and white nature of the photographs directs our eyes to damage such as a broken sidewalk, worn stairs, aging brick, and cracks in a fence. I find the palette dark and unsettling. Unless you feel comfortable in an aging city landscape, you may find these visuals unpleasant. I love the concept but not the execution. There is a 2005 revision of this book by the same author that looks to have color photographs which might be more enjoyable.
Songs and Stories for the Classroom Teacher has Town Mouse and Country Mouse. My lesson for The Adventures of Taxi Dog is about the city. Miss Sandy Lewis has a city map.
