"Rhythm and energy abound as a young girl sings herself a map of her trip to the grocery store and back...Depicted in bold goauache in primary colors, the two pass such landmarks as the laundromat ('Shake, slosh, shake, slosh'), a train ('Rattle, rattle, shake') and restaurants ('Sputter, sizzle, pip, pop!), finally arriving back home where they are greeted by a welcome surprise..Elementary mapping, finding one's way, and the mnemonic uses of rhythm and rhyme are all aspects of this gambol to which young children will relate."
- The Kirkus Review

". . .This is a book that glorifies urban life---the sloshing in the laundromat, the whooshing of the train, the sizzling of the stir-fry restaurant. . .the song is filled with joy and is certain to inspire children to create their own 'mapping songs.'"
- School Library Journal

"'Uptown, downtown, it's my city! / Near the Laundromat, I begin. / Listen to the wash. ' Shake, slosh, shake slosh. / Throw it in the dryer for a spin!' A child is walking from her house to the grocery store, accompanied by an older brother. Along the way, we are introduced to her internal map of sights, sounds, and smells that tell her where she is. ...The rhythmic, rhyming text uses repetition without becoming a prisoner to pattern. To get home, the child thinks about the sights and sounds in reverse..."
- Horn Book