Milo Imagines the World

Product Information

In this rich, multilayered journey, the award-winning creators of Last Stop on Market Street celebrate a city’s kaleidoscope of scenes, offer a glimpse at a child’s experience with parental incarceration, and convey that child’s keen observations about his circumstances and surroundings.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

2 Shadowing Resources Yoto Kate Greenaway Shortlist

In this book, we follow a young boy named Milo as he and his older sister take their monthly Sunday subway ride to visit their mother. Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap... A great message for kids, and a good one for adults to be reminded of from time to time as well.” — The A.V. Club

Milo and his big sister get on the New York subway to visit their mother, who is in prison. On the train, Milo’s sister looks at her phone but Milo – excited but also anxious about seeing his mum - watches the people around him and imagines their lives, sketching his ideas in his book. Is the man reading the crossword going home to an empty apartment with just his cat for company? Are the clean cut white boy and his dad going home to a castle in a horse-drawn carriage? What about the crew of teenage girls that get on the train and do a dance routine? This lesson activity will help readers to question their first assumptions of Milo after reading Milo Imagines the World. Step One Tell readers that while you read, their job is to notice new information about Milo. Learners can infer how he feels and discover his living situation. Record new information on the chart paper. Step Two

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña Review of the Day: Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña

T (electrician): (4 stars). I guess I liked it. Surprise ending--I was wondering where it was going. While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. I would like everyone I know, whether you've got little ones or not, to read this book. Matt de la Pena's writing is simply beautiful, Milo's voice is worldly wise and innocent, a smart boy who's grown up more than he should have to who sees such beauty in the world even while riding the dirty old subway. de la Pena's descriptions of that subway and its passengers so vividly conjure up images of NYC I was reminded almost too strongly of my long ago morning commute. Christian Robinson's illustrations are the perfect pairing to those words. He draws the subway and streets of New York teaming with life and color and soul. The distinction between the "real" world and Milo's drawings is also cleverly handled. He really grasps the child like sort of scrawl that you'd expect from a young child.

Genre

I loved that the book described Milo's feelings about the journey describing him feeling 'like a shook-up soda'. There is so much scope for using the book in the classroom from discussing feelings and using your imagination to drawing pictures of things you see on your journeys to school. However, I would be careful about discussions around prison or detentions centres. To pass the time while his older sister is absorbed by her phone, Milo people-watches, using a notebook to record the places he imagines his fellow passengers going after they reach their stops. For a boy wearing a suit and tie, Milo imagines “the clop clop clop of the horse-drawn carriage that will carry him to his castle.” For a trio of break-dancers who cavort in Milo’s train car and who, like him, aren’t white, he glumly foresees that “even after the performances are over, faces still follow their every move. When they walk down the electronics aisle at the department store./ When they cross into the fancy neighborhood.” Continue reading. Milo questions what people might think of him. Can they see that he is a poet and his aunt takes good care of him? Do they know that his mother loves him very much and is incarcerated?

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña | Goodreads

A memorable, thought-provoking story poised to make a difference for many.”— Kirkus, starred review I don’t want to give away the ending, but I will say that as Milo reaches his destination, he is surprised to find the young boy in the suit is going to the very same place as Milo and his sister. That’s how he learns that we can’t really know anyone just by looking at them, and is inspired to reimagine all of his drawings.

Become a Member

When looking at the cover of Milo Imagines the World, what do you suppose the story is about? I thought we would learn about a boy who aspires to be an engineer. I made this assumption because of the cityscape drawings and the pencil behind Milo’s ear. Reading Milo’s story made me realize how wrong I was with my first impression. Milo Imagines the World is a warm and richly satisfying story from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book duo, about a little boy with a big imagination who learns that you can't know anyone just by looking at them. Set in a bustling city, and full of a family love that binds even in difficult circumstances. A text that flows like poetry . . . Glorious.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review A text that flows like poetry . . . Glorious.”— The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review This is hard stuff but it is also necessary for kids to see and its a story that is told in such a gentle, loving way. Hard stuff like this doesn't have to be terrifying. Milo's lesson as he sees the little boy, who he assumed based on how he looked was nothing like him at all, run up to hug his own orange jumpsuit wearing mom is that it doesn't matter what you're wearing or what expression you have on your face or how well your hair is combed. You can never know all of someone else's story just based on what they look like.

Milo Imagines The World | BookTrust

At the end of the story, learners will know more about Milo. Invite learners to reflect on how their thinking changed about Milo from the beginning of the story to the end. Discuss how Milo questioned his assumptions and considered different possibilities. Ask why it’s important to practice this reflection process when meeting new people. WorksheetWe are none of us one story. We aren't the clothes we wear or the colors we dye our hair or the music we listen to or the color of our skin or the language we speak. Those things are part of us but they aren't who we are. We have to remember that when we meet each other in the world and we have to get better at seeing with more than just our eyes. Begin the lesson by showing learners the cover of the book. Ask learners to share what the illustrator wants us to know about Milo. Record responses on chart paper. In When Milo gets anxious, he imagines stories about the people around him. He studies their faces and conjures up images of what their lives must be like. Milo captures his imagination by drawing his visions in his sketchpad.