The Busiest Street in Town by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Sarah McMenerny Grades K-2 40 pages Knopf October 2009 Hardcover     Rushmore Boulevard is the busiest street in town, with cars, motorcycles and trucks noisily vying with each other for space. One of the residents of Rushmore Boulevard, Agatha May Walker, makes gingersnaps one day to take to her friend Eulalie Scruggs. But after she puts on her hat and walks out her door, she found herself unable to cross the street to visit her friend. That’s when Agatha decides to take matters in her own hands and turn the street into a quieter, friendlier place. The Busiest Street in Town! tells the story of how - thanks to her efforts - this noisy, smelly street becomes “Walker Street,” where kids and adults play Parcheesi and hopscotch, listen to mariachi bands and gather to admire the honeysuckle and sunflowers. The Busiest Street in Town! is a vividly illustrated ode to a life lived at a slower pace. The book champions the transformation of urban spaces into more livable habitats. Mara Rockliff’s text and Sarah McMenemy’s lively mixed media illustrations complement each other well. However, the message of slowing one’s pace down - told through an elderly protagonist - seems to be aimed at parents rather than young children. Kids are in fact likely to find the busy, bustling street in the earlier part of the book more interesting than the transformed version.     web reviews   Usha Rao/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)