Just in time to celebrate Pittsburgh's big birthday comes "Steel Town" by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Terry Widener (Atheneum, $16.99, all ages). Winter, a Pittsburgh resident, previously penned a picture-book biography of Roberto Clemente as well as a number of other well-received titles.

True, Winter never identifies the "Steel Town" he's writing about -- but Pittsburghers will recognize the smoke-belching mills, the onion-domed church and the Hot Metal Bridge. And they'll definitely note that the Birmingham Bridge had a different name, way back when.

A big part of Winter's appeal is his lyrical use of language. Here the contrast with the gritty subject matter makes the poetic tone particularly noticeable and effective.

Winter's description of the steel-making process is accurate, but, more importantly, it's beautiful. Repetition of words and phrases mimics the sound of big machinery, descriptive language brings the complicated process to life, and well-chosen metaphors give readers and listeners a way to grasp the information.

Appropriately enough, "Steel Town" features paintings reminiscent of WPA murals. They show an industrial landscape, illuminated by sparks and molten metal, but otherwise grim and drab.

Clothing and cars in the fashions of the 1930s ground the story in the past, as does the 5 cent hot dog one worker buys at the "Mill Canteen." By writing in the present tense, however, Winter ensures that this past remains alive to readers, whether they are old folks reminiscing or young listeners just learning about their city's history.

Happy birthday, Steel Town.

-- By Lisa Dennis, coordinator of children's collections
at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

"Titanicat" by Marty Crisp, illustrated by Robert Papp (Sleeping Bear Press, $17.95, ages 7-10).

Say "Titanic" and the mind conjures words like "tragedy," "hubris," "loss," senseless." Appropriately, and adding a happy twist to the unfortunate tale, this lovely children's book tells of the rewards of kindness, friendship and trust while using the star-crossed steamliner as backdrop.

It is 1912, a few days before the Titanic is to slip into the North Atlantic. Young Jim Mulholland signs on as cabin boy for the ill-fated maiden voyage. A Belfast native, the youngster feels lucky to be aboard. He had always wanted to sail the seas to far-off places. As if to seal his luck, a calico cat approaches him as he walks along the dock toward the ship. "It was a good omen for a cat to walk towards you," he tells himself. That is the first hint of the momentous place the gentle cat will have in the story and with Jim.

Marty Crisp weaves in a bit of lore about sea-faring cats and the care sailors take to not jinx a vessel still under construction, which the Titanic is seeing the end of in this story. Crisp sketches out the developing friendship between little "4-0-1," the ship's number during its construction, and calico's name in the story. In the author's note at the end of the book, she explains that "Titanicat" is based on the true story of an Irishman who had been assigned to the oceanliner but, in a quirk of fate, skedaddled as the ship moved away from the dock.

This rendition is a delightful version of that story, and Robert Papp's vibrant paintings enhance the optimistic yarn that flips the Titanic story on its sad head.

-- By Monessa Tinsley-Crabb, Post-Gazette staff writer