WOW! AMERICA!

The creator of Wow! City! (2004) goes to the same well for this follow-up, offering a set of oversized, poster-like American scenes, including two single gatefolds, all rendered in a wildly busy style. Two young children provide a simple link as they race from a New England dock to an Alaskan glacier, pausing along the way to ogle the Statue of Liberty, Washington D.C., Cape Canaveral, Mardi Gras, the Grand Canyon and other sights. Each big spread is packed with visual energy conveyed by huge crowds, dark, densely packed lines and vivid colors. Neubecker isn’t always specific about locations—“Wow! Corn!” stands for the entire Midwest—but the steady, vibrant intensity of his national portrait (the children even get to Hawaii) will carry readers irresistibly along. (endpaper maps) (Picture book. 5-8)