Review: The Busiest Street in Town

Summary: Agatha Walker does not want to live on the busiest street in town!

Rushmore Boulevard is the busiest street in town—until Agatha May Walker decides to do something about it. Armed with a batch of Sweet and Spicy ginger snaps, a wingback chair, a card table, and a Parcheesi set, Agatha and her best friend, Eulalie Scruggs, take to the street to reclaim it from the noisy cars, motorcycles, and giant trucks that rumble by all day long.

Can these lifelong friends convince their neighbors to stop and smell the honeysuckle, listen to the mariachi band, and best of all, sample the Sweet and Spicy ginger snaps?

In this charming picture book about slowing down, a laid-back attitude is the best kind. So sit for a spell and give it a whirl! -- Knopf

THE BUSIEST STREET IN TOWN written by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Sarah McMenemy is an adorable picture book for little ones! Booking Son and I decided to read it together one evening before bedtime, and we both really liked this book. It was just a fun story that made up feel happy!

I thought the basic idea behind this story is very sweet. Agatha and her dear friend Eulalie both live on Rushmore Boulevard -- a very, very busy street. One day Agatha decides to visit Eulalie, but she can't get across the street because of all the vehicles. She decides to park herself in the middle of the street instead and Eulalie sees her sitting out there and decides to join her. They play parcheesi and eat gingersnaps; and eventually, others slow down to see what they are doing. More and more people stop to see what's going on; and some even make the street "more attractive" by planting flowers and drawing sidewalk chalk pictures. The busiest street in town ends up becoming a place where friends can share happy times.

I liked the overall message in this book that the busiest street in town doesn't have to be one with lots of vehicle traffic. Rather, it can be one where friends get together to play and visit with each other. I liked that Rushmore Boulevard was, in essence, taken back by the people who lived there. In some ways, the book reminded me of how these city streets used to be with the block parties and neighborhood festivals.

In addition to the story, I really appreciated the overall look of this picture book. The illustrations were very eye-catching because they had lots of bright colors. In addition, each page was filled with lots of fun things for kids to look at including different people and vehicles. I also thought the font was very easy to read, and I liked how the names of the street and the characters were in a different styled font.

When I discovered that I had received a copy of this book from the publisher, I was extremely excited. The author, Ms. Rockliff, is going to be at Aaron's Books in Lititz, PA for their KidLit Festival. What a great coincidence! Hopefully, I will get to meet Ms. Rockliff and tell her how much we enjoyed her book.

Booking Son and I both recommend THE BUSIEST STREET IN TOWN. We have enjoyed reading it numerous times, and I'm sure other preschoolers will like it too!

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!