Underground (Us Edition): Subway Systems Around the World

A 2021 Texas Library Association 2x2 Reading List book selection!

Find out about world cities and their underground systems in this fun search-and-find book!

This is a playful search-and-find, inside/outside book of underground systems around the world. Alternating shortened pages introduce the subways of twelve different cities. On the first page, we see the exterior of the train and are presented with fascinating facts and figures about the transport system. On the following, shortened page, we find the inside of the train and the platform, bustling with activity. On this busy page, young readers are invited to spot key items that are unique to the city in question; a pretzel, an I • NY t-shirt, and a Statue of Liberty headband on the New York Subway, for example. Perfect for train-obsessed children but also for a wider audience, this book teaches young readers about transport and also about cultural signifiers of different cities around the world. Uijung Kim’s busy, colorful illustrations have a manga-like sensibility that feels joyously contemporary. The cities included are: London, New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Moscow, Beijing, Mexico City, Paris, Madrid, and Berlin.

Uijung Kim is a Korean illustrator living and working in New York. Her adorable cartoon-style is deeply rooted in Korean culture.