Nice Try, Charlie! ­

PreS-Gr 2–Charlie, a white adult, collects discarded items in his urban neighborhood and looks for things to do with them. As he makes his way through the streets wearing a large green hat and yellow boots and pushing a cart full of found objects, Charlie interacts with a diverse cast of community members. His neighbor, Aunt Myrtle, an older Black woman who uses a motorized wheelchair, notices a box on the street that happens to have a large pie inside, and much of the story focuses on Charlie’s quest to find out who the pie belongs to. Eventually, neighbors come together and eat the pie (ignoring the fact that it’s probably not a good idea to dine on food found on the street). The colorful illustrations depict a lively city setting filled with apartment buildings, a tuba player, birds, and kind neighbors. The pictures are full of texture and are presented in different ways: two-page spreads, small comics-style panels, and cut-outs layered over other illustrations or photos of city backgrounds. The text is small and sometimes set off to the side in colored boxes, making it difficult to read. The goal of this book isn’t clear. The implication is that Charlie is homeless, but that is never explained and could confuse young readers. Charlie is kind and helpful to others, but despite the title of this book, it’s not really clear what he is trying to do or accomplish.