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Cityblock

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From high up in a skyscraper to far below the ground in the subway, young readers will explore city life in a brand-new way in Cityblock , a fun addition to the Abrams Block Book series!

STARRED REVIEW *“A big urban adventure in a small package.” ― Publishers Weekly

STARRED REVIEW *“Will delight young readers and grown-ups.” ― School Library Journal

Divided into three sections—things that go, things to see, and things to eat— Cityblock features 24 different aspects of city living. Kids who live in, visit, or dream about New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and more will love getting to know how cities work from top to bottom.

Like the previous books in the series, Cityblock has die-cut shapes on every spread and durable, interactive fold-out pages, perfect for little hands. Each section opens with a full city scene but gradually focuses in on the small, unique neighborhoods that make the city special.

This clever book will attract young readers living in urban hubs and suburbia alike with its bright, animated, retro-inspired artwork by Peski Studio. This is a must-have book for the little city slicker in your family.

Collect the whole

Alphablock
Countablock
Dinoblock
Cityblock
Buildablock
Star Wars Block
Marvel Alphablock
Farmblock
Disney Block
Loveblock
Sharkblock
Sesame Street Countablock
Spaceblock
Pixar Buddy Block
Bugblock

Also A Box of Blocks , featuring Alphablock , Countablock , and Dinoblock .

96 pages, Board Book

Published September 6, 2016

1 person is currently reading
113 people want to read

About the author

Christopher Franceschelli

32 books43 followers

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5 stars
112 (48%)
4 stars
80 (34%)
3 stars
35 (15%)
2 stars
2 (<1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Becky.
6,188 reviews303 followers
September 18, 2016
First sentence: Big city, on-the-go city! How will we get around?

Premise/plot: Cityblock is a board book that celebrates New York City. The first part focuses on how to get around. The second part focuses on what to do. The third part focuses on FOOD.

My thoughts: I loved this one. I loved the actual pages: the die-cut format of some of the pages, the way the pages unfold, the bulky size and shape of it. The text itself is great because of the rhythm and rhyme nature of it. The illustrations are bright and colorful. Dare I say it's a board book that goes beyond its 'toddler and preschooler' audience?!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10
Profile Image for Mehsi.
15.1k reviews456 followers
July 27, 2021
Een echt supertof en leuk boek waarbij je steeds door naar de volgende pagina te gaan (door middel van leuke vormpjes en meer, sorry ik kan het gewoon niet beter uitleggen op dit moment) uitvindt wat deze grootvader en zijn kleinkinderen gaan doen. We hebben 3 thema's. Vervoer, waarbij we ze zien rijden in een taxi of varen op een boot. Eten, waarbij we allerlei lekkers krijgen van nacho's tot pretzels. En dan is er nog de dingen die te doen zijn in de stad, zoals naar een museum! Dit trio heeft echt een geweldige tijd in de stad~
Ik vond het echt erg leuk vormgegeven en ik weet zeker dat kinderen dit boek helemaal geweldig zullen vinden. Leerzaam en leuk!
Ook de illustraties vond ik top. Erg leuke stijl al vond ik de gezichtsexpressies soms een beetje vreemd (dan kijken ze opeens verdrietig/angstig terwijl dat niet bij de situatie past).
Profile Image for Emma.
725 reviews
August 10, 2019
Explore all the wonderful things you can do, see, and eat in a big city! Great celebration of city living, wonderfully sweet and diverse illustrations. I love the format of the book, with different shaped pages. Little littles will love the variously shaped pages and searching for the little black cat in the illustrations!
Profile Image for Mort's Kids.
400 reviews3 followers
June 17, 2021
Walkable Urbanism. A planner (or modern neolib's) wet dream.

The Peskimo art is blocky and modern, reminiscent of the twee illustrations you'll see on many 2010's website or transit PSA from a first rate city. The interactivity is lightweight--don't expect fuzzy touch and feel sections--but a pleasing inclusion.

My biggest complaint is that it's a bit long for what it is and it's basically three books (city transit, city sites, city food) smushed together as one. As a board book, it ends up being a bit bulky for my tastes.

Profile Image for Raquel C.
23 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2022
They can't all be winners. My song and I loved "Countablock" and "Alphablock." Citybook has the same great illustrations and flap style but the content of the book is too unfocused for me. I get that the point is to take a trip through the city. Midway, my 2-year-old was saying "the end, the end." He actually sits through longer books than this, so it's not the length. It just didn't flow as well as the other two we read. Honestly, I would still buy this book to have a collection of all of Franceschelli's board books.
Profile Image for Dallin Christensen.
182 reviews1 follower
February 22, 2021
I love the intricate cutouts in this deceptively simple book about city life. Even though there isn't really a "story" there is plenty to talk about on every page, and that makes it really fun to read together. Every page prompted Dallin to ask a myriad of questions, and we had a lot of fun discussing big cities together.
Profile Image for Sandy.
1,539 reviews5 followers
June 2, 2020
Learning about the city with your toddler? This is an excellent and engaging way to start to build the concepts. It jumps around on topics from city to food, which is a little strange, but still interesting.
Profile Image for Ali.
1,421 reviews14 followers
December 24, 2020
Reading this post-pandemic makes us worry as there are so many people and no masks! But it is a great book! I love how the different sections talk about different themes: transportation, things to do, and food!
Profile Image for Christina Lawrence.
157 reviews
February 8, 2022
February is learning about the city. What a fun layout. Unique page cutouts give this book depth and movement. Colorful illustrations describe ways to get around the city (walking, subway, taxi, etc), diverse eateries, and what to do in the city. It's a favorite with the kids!
Profile Image for Mary.
3,638 reviews10 followers
November 13, 2024
A chunky board book with die-cuts and fold out pages that explores life in a big city from the viewpoint of a grandfather and two children. This bright and colorful book explores things that go, things to see, and things to eat. A wonderful book to share with little ones about life in a city.
407 reviews4 followers
January 2, 2020
We love these books in this series. Great for any age. My dd likes this book because there are so many hidden pictures.
Profile Image for Freddie D.
898 reviews6 followers
January 21, 2021
I adore all of the books in the 'block' series. This one made me nostalgic for NYC, yet it will surely delight and unite city folk everywhere.
Profile Image for Kurtbg.
701 reviews19 followers
February 11, 2021
What do you do in the city, and how do you get there?
This book helps a child find out.
Profile Image for Robin.
4,505 reviews7 followers
April 30, 2021
Thick board book with die-cut and lift-the-flap pages shows the possibile places to visit and things to do on a visit to a big city.
Profile Image for Jay Gabler.
Author 13 books144 followers
July 7, 2024
My only complaint? This chunky board book could have been EVEN CHUNKIER
Profile Image for Jason Ortega.
11 reviews2 followers
September 5, 2025
Bought this book twice after the first was lovingly destroyed. Second is on its way there as well
280 reviews4 followers
March 19, 2017
Filled with multicultural images of a major city, this text showcases not only how to travel around the city but also wonderful things, like ice cream, that you can find. Lift the flap pages and board book format. Great for story time!
Profile Image for Stacie.
Author 6 books100 followers
September 6, 2016
Cityblock is an adorable board book that takes little ones on a exciting adventure as they discover all the city has to offer.

​As the children and their grandpa (I assume that's who it is from the illustrations) venture into the city they take all sorts of modes of transportation like the subway, a bus, and a ferry. Then they do a little sightseeing and visit a museum, flea market, and a gift shop. Hunger sets in and the group has some tacos, sushi, and ice cream proving the city is full of places to explore.

Cityblock is such a fun book and the vibrant illustrations add to the delight. I love how each page offers so much to be discovered and little ones will be captivated by all there is to see. This creative picture book is definitely worth adding to your bookshelf.

I highly recommend picking up a copy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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