Madlenka has a loose tooth. She wants to wiggle that tooth, and she also wants to show it to her friends all around her city block. Her friends include a French baker, a newsstand proprietor from India, an Italian owner of an ice cream truck, and a Latino greengrocer. As she walks around the block, loosening her tooth, she’s welcomed with “hello” in several languages. Children who turn the die-cut pages of this imaginative picture story will travel around the block with Madlenka. They will also travel around the world as Madlenka knows and understands it. They will discover the stories she hears from different nations and cultures. They’ll find creatures real and imaginary. During repeated readings, they’ll notice structures such as the Great Wall of China and tales such as the Bremen Town Musicians. This truly fantastic book is a singular experience for everyone who begins to realize the wider world of neighborhood and community and for all who will grow from Madlenka to Sís’s earlier book, Tibet (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998). Sís is undoubtedly one of the most imaginative artists in today’s children’s book world. (Ages 4-8)