How Little Lori Visited Times Square

by Amos Vogel, Illustrations by Maurice Sendak

HarperCollins, May, 2001.
Hardcover, 64 pages.
ISBN: 0060284625
Ages 4-8

How Little Lori Visited Times Square is the kind of story a child will enjoy reading, because it is an adventure story about a child going out into the adult world. Film expert Amos Vogel wrote this little book in 1963 for his own two sons, Loring and Steven, and it is the kind of story that can develop at story telling time between a loving parent and his children. The story is actually a tour of familiar parts of the city of New York as a child who lives there would see it. However, New York being a very influential part and a sometime home for many Americans, the story has interest beyond the borders of the city.

The story begins as little Lori, a little boy, sitting in his room gets an idea that he would like to visit Times Square. And this begins his adventure. A subway ride from eighth street lands him at South Ferry, and this is followed by a bus ride that takes him to 242nd Street. Even a person unfamiliar with the layout of New York can see that little Lori is getting nowhere near his destination. Finally, after ending up almost everywhere but Times Square, little Lori ends up crying in frustration in front of Macy's where he is approached by a friendly turtle. Little Lori cries and cries as he relates his sad tale of wanderings all over the gigantic city to the sympathetic turtle. The turtle offers to take little Lori to Times Square, and off they both go to wander for months looking for Times Square.

The drawings of Maurice Sendak, best known for Where the Wild Things Are, are so droll and amusing that no reader can resist them. Mr. Sendak has obviously watched children in emotional situations with an understanding and humorous eye. His drawings lead the reader through all the trials and frustrations of a child trying hard to make sense of a complicated world.

How Little Lori Visited Times Square will interest any child because of all the problems that the main character has. The reader is warned on the title page that reading this funny book may cause one to spill one's orange juice. This is no doubt true, because reading the reissue of this funny little tale and enjoying Mr. Sendak's hilarious drawings will clearly bring on the giggles.

-- Sarah Reeves White

How Little Lori Visited Times Square is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the September, 2001 of The Internet Writing Journal.