D C-T!

by Joana Avillez, Molly Young

A joy-inducing illustrated book about New York City in the ingenious style of William Steig's classic CDB!Just as there are few cities as storied and replete with life as New York City, there are few illustrators or writers who have charmed as many generations as William Steig. To Molly Young and Joana Avillez, a connection between the two seemed obvious, and so D C-T! ("The City!") was born.Using a playful phonetic language first invented by Steig in his now classic 1968 book CDB!--but which in today's world of text message and internet shorthand feels uncannily contemporary--Young and Avillez tell a different story on each page of this collection of illustrations stuffed to brim with humor and "S L-I-F!" (It's alive!) A boy shouts gleefully at a pile of rubbish seething with rats"I M B-Z" (I'm busy) Declares the phone-wielding businesswoman to the would-be mugger"R U I?" (Are you high?) Asks the clerk at a bodega to the blissed out shopperBrought to life in Avillez's distinctively ebullient and droll style are precocious pets and pet-owners, iconic architecture, and startlingly intrepid anthropomorphic rats. At once recognizable, and imagined like never before, are the surprising, intoxicating, and not-always-entirely-welcome sights, sounds, and smells of New York City. Full of wit, romance, and sheer delight, D C-T! is both an affectionate portrait of the visual cornucopia that is New York City and a gracious love letter to the great William Steig, sure to enchant readers young and old alike just as his work has for half a century.

Genres: Humor, Graphic Novels, Picture Books, New York

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember William Steig's 1968 brilliant ode to the alphabet, C D B? It’s really an all-ages book in an invented phonetic code not that weird in the context of today’s text message shorthand. This is a tribute to that approach by Joana Avillez, whose cartoons are funny and lively. And oh, yeah, it’s also a book about New York City: Da Ci-Tee!

* “S L-I-F!” (It’s alive!) A boy shouts gleefully at a pile of trash crawling with rats, the mother grimacing.
* “I M B-Z” (I’m busy) Declares the businesswoman, on her phone, to a would-be mugger
* “R U I?” (Are you high?) Asks the clerk at a convenience store to a stoned shopper

Avilez includes an appendix where she explains each of the pages, but suggests if you are an adult that you just ask a texting kid. . .

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original and a bit challenging!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember William Steig's brilliant ode to the alphabet, C D B? It was one of those wonderful books that appealed to grown ups and children alike. You felt so SMART when you figured out the sentence! Here is a lovely homage by the hugely talented Joana Avillez, whose cartoons are full of joie de vivre and humor. A great gift book.

[Lane Pybas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An “adult” picture book inspired by William Steig featuring letter puzzles that describe the illustrations on each page. The illustrations are charming, and the puzzles are clever and unexpected—if slightly pretentious. The book doesn't tell a story, but depicts various New York scenes. Thank god for the answer key!

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the reference to William Steig's CDB and CDC. Some of these were really easy, some were words I had never heard in my life. It's the adult version of CDB so there was some nudity and fun words.

It was fun

[Tomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and entertaining!

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever little word-picture puzzles.

[Natalie Daher · Rating 5 out of 5]

sharp & blunt as a knife

[Clif · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't aware of William Steig's original "CDB" until I read "D C-T!", but this follow-up to the original is beautifully executed. Its pure and honest depictions of the City That Never Sleeps will make you want to be there, for both its unique character and imperfections.