Leyla Torres's beloved picture book The Subway Sparrow playfully engages with issues of big city life and multiculturalism.

An English-speaking girl, a Spanish-speaking man, and a Polish-speaking woman might not be able to converse, but when a sparrow trapped in their subway car needs help, their common concern bridges the language barriers between them.

“Colorful watercolor paintings illustrate this multicultural story. When a sparrow flies into a subway car, a young Oriental girl tries to rescue it. She enlists the aid of a teenage boy, a Spanish-speaking woman, and a Polish-speaking man. The illustrations are filled with wonderful details. . .The brief text, which includes phrases in Spanish and Polish, advances the plot while allowing the illustrations to convey the action. . .A special book.” —School Library Journal

“A charming multicultural vignette, ingeniously constructed, nicely paced, and altogether disarming.” —Kirkus Reviews