Cheering the city life vibes

The natural world gets a lot of love from children’s books, for good reason. But plenty of kids grow up enjoying big-city scenery — and that has its own allure, too. These vibrant new books are all about city life, and its special sights and sounds, from taxis zipping back and forth to the rhythm of double dutch at the playground. Hit the brakes for a moment and enjoy one of these cheerful tributes to metropolitan magic.

“Taxi, Go!” by Patricia Toht, illustrated by Maria Karipidou.

(Ages 2-5. Candlewick. $17.99.)

Taxi is ready for a busy day, all gassed up and full of energy. “Start the meter with a click. Count the miles. Tick, tick, tick.” The bold, bright illustrations show Taxi winding through alleys, splashing through rain, and picking up all sorts of people to “help them on their way.”

After a long day zipping past shops, parks and highrises, Taxi at long last can dim the lights, stop the motor and take a well-deserved rest.

“Is This the Bus for Us?” by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Richard Brown.

(Ages 3-6. Red Comet Press. $17.99.)

Leo and his sisters are waiting for the blue bus to take them to the park. But before the right one arrives, a rainbow of other buses rolls by — from a cheerful yellow one full of fish (heading to the aquarium, of course) to a green one packed with grinning dinosaur skeletons (going to the museum, naturally).

“One Sweet Song” by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez.

(Ages 3-5. Candlewick. $18.99.)

The author — who has lived all over the world but now lives in New York City — was inspired to write this book by Italian city dwellers singing from their balconies during the pandemic, making this a truly global story of city love.

It begins as “one note trills … floating in the air” when a flutist begins playing, then builds as a little girl rings a triangle, a violinist joins them; then the music spreads “from balconies, windows, every door.” The singers and players put together “one sweet song, a warm embrace,” before the music begins to fade, although the sense of connection lingers — a vibrant city of people finding harmony together.

“My Block Looks Like” by Janelle Harper, illustrated by Frank Morrison.

(Ages 4-8. Viking Books for Young Readers. $18.99.)

This gorgeous love song for the Bronx sings the praises of vibrant city life, as a little girl declares her block “the coolest place I’ve ever been.”

The poetic text skips and dashes through the delights of the neighborhood — splashing in a hydrant, eating an Icee, sneakers squeaking during a pickup basketball game. Sure, “the streets look mean from a bird’s eye view,” but down at eye level, it’s a glorious “collision of cultures/ a melting pot of cool/ a burst of life/ my favorite groove.”