Milo Imagines the World - by Matt de la Peña (Hardcover)

About the Book

While Milo and his sister travel to a detention center to visit their incarcerated mother, he observes strangers on the subway and draws what he imagines their lives to be.

Book Synopsis

The team behind the Newbery Medal winner and Caldecott Honor book Last Stop on Market Street and the award-winning New York Times bestseller Carmela Full of Wishes once again delivers a poignant and timely picture book that's sure to become an instant classic.

Milo is on a long subway ride with his older sister. To pass the time, he studies the faces around him and makes pictures of their lives. There's the whiskered man with the crossword puzzle; Milo imagines him playing solitaire in a cluttered apartment full of pets. There's the wedding-dressed woman with a little dog peeking out of her handbag; Milo imagines her in a grand cathedral ceremony. And then there's the boy in the suit with the bright white sneakers; Milo imagines him arriving home to a castle with a drawbridge and a butler. But when the boy in the suit gets off on the same stop as Milo--walking the same path, going to the exact same place--Milo realizes that you can't really know anyone just by looking at them.

Review Quotes

A New York Times Bestseller
A #1 Indie Bestseller

Bright, fun, whimsical . . . An absolutely wonderful book for kids. --Good Morning America

Exquisite . . . Ends with a heartfelt punch. --The TODAY Show

Brilliant. --The New York Times Book Review

* With the same combination of wide-eyed observation and suspenseful buildup to a socially conscious revelation that readers cherished in this duo's award-winning Last Stop on Market Street (2015), this picture book offers a child's view of the impacts of incarceration on families. De la Peña's descriptive language and Robinson's innocent, endearing art make for another winning package . . . A memorable, thought-provoking story poised to make a difference for many. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* Harold and the Purple Crayon meets twenty-first-century urban realism . . . As in Jacqueline Woodson's Visiting Day, the joy and parent-child love shine through . . . This poignant, thought-provoking story speaks volumes for how art can shift one's perspectives and enable an imaginative alternative to what is . . . or seems to be. --The Horn Book, starred review

* Robinson intersperses scenes of his signature cut-paper collage artwork . . . with images of Milo's sketchbook, and the child-like drawings in thick crayon lines not only give insight into his imagination but his heart . . . An excellent conversation-starter for modern times. --Booklist, starred review

* A text that flows like poetry . . . Glorious. --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

* In this rich, multilayered journey, the award-winning creators of Last Stop on Market Street celebrate a city's kaleidoscope of scenes, offer a glimpse at a child's experience with parental incarceration, and convey that child's keen observations about his circumstances and surroundings. --Publishers Weekly, starred review

* Readers of Milo Imagines the World will feel compassion stacked on top of heartache on top of humility on top of hope. --Shelf Awareness, starred review

Pictures brimming with activity, an endearing main character, and threads for thinking about art, families, and what we see in others make this a book that will hold up to many readings. --School Library Journal

De la Peña's prose is precise and evocative . . . His story respects young readers by incorporating their complex interior worlds and the observant ways they attend to issues of class . . . Robinson's signature collage illustrations bring Milo and his sister's distinct personalities to life . . . This sweet but never saccharine story is a classic in the making. --BookPage

Sweet yet poignant . . . Manages to be sophisticated while also bringing in the joy and wonder associated with picture books. --The San Diego Union-Tribune

About The Author

Matt de la Peña is the Newbery Medal-winning author of Last Stop on Market Street. He is also the author of the award-winning picture books Carmela Full of Wishes, Love, and A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, and seven critically acclaimed young-adult novels. Matt teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the country. You can visit Matt at mattdelapena.com or on Twitter @mattdelapena.

Christian Robinson received a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for his art in Last Stop on Market Street. He is the author and illustrator of the picture books Another and You Matter, and he has illustrated many more, including Carmela Full of Wishes, the Gaston and Friends series, School's First Day of School, and The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade. You can visit Christian at theartoffun.com or on Instagram @theartoffun.