Up High by Matt Hunt

Up High by Matt Hunt. Nosy Crow, 2024. 9798887771090






Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5



Format: Hardcover picture book



What did you like about the book?  Just in time for Father’s Day comes this beautiful, lyrical, and interesting book about a boy and his dad. Every Sunday, the small, nameless blond boy and his tattooed dad take a walk into town. Looking up from the sidewalk at the towering adults pressed close, the child feels “really small” and asks Dad to go up high. In a wordless two-page spread, we see Dad’s strong arms hoist his son onto his shoulders as we float up to the boy’s point of view. Now we see the tops of people’s heads and a bird’s eye view of the city. Once they reach the park, the main character begins to notice small things: a squirrel, a ladybug, a frog. “Things that make me feel like a giant.” Emboldened, he walks home down on the ground, until he grows sleepy and Dad scoops him up in a hug. 



This sweet and relatable book has a tall, narrow shape that reproduces Dad’s gangly frame. Loose watercolor paintings with noticeable brush strokes and bright colors perfectly suit the lazy, impromptu observations that dominate the walk. City kids will appreciate the urban street scenes, filled with familiar sights, like a hardware store window, grimy sidewalks, park benches, and even another little kid riding “up high” on her dad’s shoulders. We never actually see all of Dad’s face, mostly his eyes, or his legs, or the top of his head, which further emphasizes the father’s height and the boy’s lack thereof. Dad and son are White, but see many diverse people along their walk and more kinds of people appear in the crowded blue endpapers.



Anything you didn’t like about it? No



To whom would you recommend this book?  Any picture readers, especially those who look forward to urban walks and weekly rituals. This would be a great selection for a Father’s Day read aloud.



Who should buy this book? Elementary school and public libraries



Where would you shelve it? Picture books



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes



Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA



Date of review: May 30, 2024