I'M A MAIL CARRIER

The latest in the Tinyville series extends the field of board books about careers.

A smiling and determined mom has a job to do—deliver the mail, whatever the weather. Her first stop is school, where she delivers her children; her final task is reading them a bedtime story. In between, and despite the rain, she cheerfully delivers letters and packages all over a refreshingly multicultural Anytown (our protagonist has brown skin). Her work ethic is shown, not explained. A mustachioed gentleman asks, “Any packages for me today?” to initial disappointment. Three pages later, the expected package is found in the almost-empty mail sack. Back she goes, waving off his thanks matter-of-factly: “It’s my job.” Biggs’ background in comics and advertising is apparent. The mail carrier tells her own story, with conversational speech bubbles used when she interacts with customers. Black-lined illustrations are consistent from page to page, with her purple umbrella providing a contrast to her blue uniform. All but two of the simple pictures span a full spread. Unfortunately, adjacent illustrations collide in one. Apparently, Biggs had more pictures than pages and more information than would fit easily into a 22-page board book. This design flaw is not fatal but suggests an audience of older toddlers and preschoolers rather than babies.

Given the dearth of board books about community helpers, caregivers and libraries will be happy to deliver this Tinyville title to their young readers.