*The Trek by Anna Jonas (1985) was a delightful surprise and ranks as one of my favorite picture books. The trek is a child’s walk to school. It’s a walk of several city blocks, but watch out because there are animals everywhere. Here’s a hint: when the young girl in this story looks out onto a row of flowering bushes, she sees—and it took me a while to see in them too—sheep. Jonas’ clever illustrations are subtle and revealing at the same time. There’s a crocodile in a walkway, giraffes in a chimney, zebra in a bush, and elephant tree trunks. You need to look closely to find the alpacas and the warthog. There’s very little text because it’s unnecessary. The point is the pictures. All 36 animals are have thumbnails at the back of the book. Did you find them all?
