Storied Cities

Musical City: Tito Puente, Mambo King - Rey del Mambo

2013-04-04T14:09:00.000-04:00

Title: Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo
Author: Monica Brown
Illustrator: Rafael López
Publ. date: March 3, 2013
Publisher: Rayo/Harper Collins

Tito Puente, the Mambo King, was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents and went on to become one of the most important musicians and composers in Latino musical history. Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo tells the story of Puente's life in a straight-forward tale from the time when he was a small child banging out catchy rhythms on pots and pans through his time in the Navy, at Julliard, all the way to the end of his career when he was recognized with 5 Grammys.

The text, which itself seems to sway to the beat of a mambo is in both English and Spanish, a tribute to Puente's heritage, but there is no sprinkling of Spanish words amongst the English text as one sometimes finds in bilingual books. Brown focuses primarily on general facts about Puente without getting into a lot specifics, but they are the types of events that young kids will enjoy hearing about: his love of dancing, his wish to be a bandleader, the sounds of the instruments. My sons loved the repeated rhythmic phrases like "¡Tum Tica! ¡Tac Tic! ¡Tum Tica! ¡Tom Tom!" at the beginning and end of the story.

López has created vibrant illustrations which fly across each full two page spread. A fun note in the copyright section indicates he used "acrylic paint that comes in recycled salsa jars from Mexico." Those swirling, spicy orange, red and brown colors of the salsa that used to inhabit those jars bring Puente's musical salsa to life. The city is ever present; skyscrapers and apartment buildings are colorful browns, purples and yellow, with windows always lit up as if constantly full of life.

This is a short biography. Older children who want to know more detail about Puente's life can read a biographical note in the back. I think the book is best used as a springboard to introduce kids to Latin Jazz. I would encourage you to listen to some of Puente's music (or watch a video like the one below) after reading the book.

I've read a lot of jazz-themed books but this is one of the few that is specific to Latin jazz. I encourage you to read it with your music-loving kids.

Want More?
The same team wrote and illustrated the bilingual My Name is Celia/Me llamo Celia : The Life of Celia Cruz/la vida de Celia Cruz.
Visit Monica Brown's website.
Visit Rafael Lopez' website.
Watch this video of Puente from 1965:

Big Kid says: He sounds like a great musician.
Litte Kid says: Can you still see his sticks?

Disclosure: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. Purchases made through links may result in my receiving a (very) small commission, at no extra cost to you. I was given a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Animated City: New York in Pajamarama

2013-02-28T13:13:00.001-05:00

Title: New York in Pajamarama
Author: Michaël Leblond
Illustrator: Frédérique Bertrand
Pages: 24
Publ. Date: 2013 (US Edition)
Publisher: Phoenix Yard Books

When I first saw the YouTube video demonstrating how New York in Pajamarama worked, I knew I had to share it with my kids! The book was originally published in France as New York en Pyjamarama in 2011 (where it was the fastest selling picture book of the year) and has finally made its way to the USA!

The Story:
One night, at bedtime, instead of falling asleep a boy in striped pajamas dons a red cape and flies off on a midnight adventure across New York City. Inviting readers to follow him, he takes in the whole city: from traffic-jammed streets to busy shopping districts, from leafy Central Park to sparkling Broadway. Eventually, the dizzying "skyscraper forest" overpowers him and he finally heads back home to rest, but not without mentioning that there will be a new journey soon. (There is a sequel, Lunaparc en Pyjamarama.)

How It Works:

The book comes with a large sheet of acetate marked with black lines. Each of the book's illustrations also contains an embedded "code" of lines and when you slide the acetate across the pages the effect is that the illustrations come alive (as demonstrated in the video, below).

The technique is perfect for conveying the constant movement of the city: dizzying lights, waving leaves, rushing vehicles and stampeding pedestrians! My kids loved the interactive nature of the book and there was a wee bit of arguing over who got to control the animation! We had to take turns for each page, but no one wanted to relinquish the acetate sheet!

My Recommendation:

I found this book to be marvelous and highly recommend it. Many of you may be familiar with the "Scanimation" books by Rufus Butler, but I always found those small books frustrating because the animation only occurred when turning the page and you have to be careful not to miss it. The great thing about New York in Pajamarama is that readers can open the large book flat to control and enjoy the "magic."

This is not a library book! It's a book to purchase (and I don't say that about many books since I love the library so much).

Want More?

Watch the YouTube Video:

Read a review at Library Mice or Kirkus.
On my parenting blog, we made a cityscape art project to go along with the book.

Big Kid says: Awesome!
Little Kid says: Awesome!

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, but it in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Baby City: Lazy Little Loafers

2013-01-16T12:33:00.003-05:00

Title: Lazy Little Loafers
Author: Susan Orlean
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
32 Pages
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publ. Date: Oct. 1, 2008

The narrator of this book is really on to something. She wonders why babies aren't doing anything more productive than pushing strollers and elevator buttons (both activities which are are more likely to annoy than improve the lives of those around them.) Babies, she declares are just moochers. Worst of all, they get to all the things she wants to do, except she is required to go to school instead!

Karas' illustrations of a girl walking through the city with her (very stylish) mom and baby sibling bring Orlean's story to life. [Orlean is the author of the grown-up book, The Orchid Thief, which was the inspiration for the very bizarre move, Adaptation.] Our narrator sees babies everywhere, from billboards to the park and the City is the natural choice if you are looking for a location that can be easily and realistically packed full of infants. Indeed, the illustrations reminded me of the heavily tot-populated nabes of the Upper West Side and Park Slope in New York City. (A Central Park hot dog vendor in a park scene reveals that the location is NYC).

This is a cute book and would be a nice choice for older siblings who frequently whine about why they don't get to do what their younger counterparts get to do. (Not that I know anyone like that....) But be warned, the book doesn't answer that question!

Big Kid says: That is Central Park.
Little Kid says: What's a "loafer"?

Want More?
Read the backstory at Susan Orlean's website.
Watch a video of Orleans talking about the book on The Warren Report.
Visit G. Brian Karas' website.

Neighborly City: Laundry Day

2013-01-13T10:29:00.001-05:00

Title: Laundry Day
Author/Illustrator: Maurie J. Manning
32 Pages
Publisher: Clarion Books (HMH)
Publ. Date: April, 17, 2012

Laundry Day is going on my list of favorite new urban picture books. Set in early 20th century New York City, a length of red fabric floats down and lands on young shoeshine boy. He looks up to see miles of laundry lines criss-crossing the tenement-lined alleyway. Determined to find the owner of the vibrant cloth, he hoists himself up on the fire escape. Making his way from apartment to apartment he encounters the friendly inhabitants from various cultural backgrounds, including a Chinese grandmother, four young Polish girls, a harried Irish mother, an African-American prospector, and others. Each neighbor expresses their admiration for the fabric, using a cultural reference (and new foreign word) but it is not until he reaches the roof, that the shoeshine finds its owner.

Although the action of Laundry Day takes place in a single, rather confined location, author-illustrator, Manning, has marvelously created an uplifting portrait of a diverse and densely populated city. It looks like a lovely place to live -- interesting neighbors, different cultures and friendly faces. Manning illustrates the books using a multi-panel (or storyboard) layout which both enhances the feeling of close-knit living as well as nicely accents the shoeshine as he adeptly climbs railings, slides and tightrope-walks across clotheslines and shimmies up pipes. In this book, the city is indeed a fun place to be.

Laundry Day is an excellent choice for your next family story time, whether you're an urban-dweller or not. I highly recommend it.

Little Kid says: He climbed to the top!
Big Kid says: That looks a little dangerous.

Want More?
Visit Maurie J. Manning's website.
Reviews at Perogies & Gyoza, Bookalicious and Waking Brain Cells.

Brownstone City: The Beautiful Christmas Tree

2012-12-14T14:32:00.000-05:00

Title: The Beautiful Christmas Tree
Author: Charlotte Zolotow
Illustrator: Ruth Robbins
32 pages
Publisher: Parnassus Press (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Publ. Date: 1972

When Mr. Crockett moves into a rundown brownstone on a fashionable block in a gentrified neighborhood, his neighbors are suspicious. After all, he engages in highly unusual activity such as cleaning his own windows and stoop! Surely he does not realize it is better to hire others to do this for you! He even has the Charlie Brown-esque audacity to purchase a spindly, sickly potted tree for Christmas instead of a lush, chopped-down evergreen. Mr. Crockett, however, subscribes to the outdated motto, "beauty is as beauty does," and he nurtures the little tree through the winter and in spring he plants it on the sidewalk. Needless to say, the little tree thrives under Mr Crockett's tender care. The tree catches the attention of the birds and children and the true meaning of Christmas is realized.

The references to fashionable neighborhoods at the start of the book reminded me of the battle over gentrification that is waging in cities like NYC. Neighbors object when someone doesn't conform (think: The Big Orange Splot) and are apt to miss the beauty right under their noses. Ruth Robbins' gentle illustrations are lovely and delicate. Her pastel brownstones stand in a neat row and oversized snowflakes cover sidewalks where kids pull their sleds. Mr. Crockett sits on his stoop, watching his more fashionable neighbors, but some of those neighbors like to watch out their upper floor windows. We only see one block (and one shop) of the whole city, but it is such an intimate story, that is all that is necessary.

This classic edition of Zolotow's story is no longer in print, but I recommend you try to obtain a copy (as opposed to the 2001 version -- see below) at your library or used bookstore. It's a longer picture book than most and a lovely story.

Want More?

In 2001, a version of The Beautiful Christmas Tree with illustrations by Yan Nascimbene was published. The illustrations are appealing, but the abridged text is a disappointment.
Visit the author's website.
Ruth Robbins won the Caldecott for her Christmas book, Baboushka and the Three Kings, which she wrote but was illustrated by Nicolas Sidjakov.

Shopping City: Brownie & Pearl See the Sights

2012-12-11T12:17:00.001-05:00

Title: Brownie & Pearl See the Sights
Author: Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator: Brian Biggs
24 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Beach Lane Books)
Publ. Date: Oct. 5, 2010

Brownie & Pearl See the Sights is part of the Brownie & Pearl by powerhouse kid lit author Cynthia Rylant (seriously, it is amazing how many books she has written). In this installation, Brownie and her faithful feline friend, Pearl, head out to the city shops for a little retail therapy. Everything they try on is oversized until they get to the cupcake shop, where the products are a perfect fit. (Isn't that always the way?) When the sugar high turns into a sugar low, Brownie and Pearl head back home for a winter nap.

Biggs' illustrations are colorful and cheerful, loaded with oranges and pinks. When the shopping duo get to the city they are greeted with colorful shops and traffic, all decked out for the holidays. I love that there are even menorahs in apartment windows. A sprinkling of snow falls over the the grey city backdrop. The final note of the book tells the reader that being cozy at home is much more relaxing than seeing the sights and shopping in the city. However, they obviously had a good time on their outing and there is no sense that the city is a place to be avoided as sometimes happens in city v. country books.

My one complaint about the Brownie & Pearl series is that for short books they have a high price point. They are published in a hardback picture book format, but the $13.99 price tag is very high for an easy reader (I have the same complaint about the Elephant & Piggie books). However, I highly recommend finding this book and the rest of the series at your local library. As read alouds they are nice and short; as easy readers, they will lure in an audience with their jolly illustrations.

Want More?
Visit the illustrator's website.
Visit the author's website.

Rodent City: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

2012-12-06T03:00:00.000-05:00

Title: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
Author/Illustrator: Helen Ward (from Aesop)
32 pages
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publ. Date: Sept. 11, 2012

Helen Ward's retelling of Aesop's fable is traditional in its approach. There are no surprises in the text. All ends as it always does: the town mouse still likes the town best and vice-versa. East-west, home is best, and all that jazz.

The reason I have decided to review The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse here at Storied Cities is simply because Ward's illustrations are so lovely. The town is no "town" at all. It is New York City in the 1930s! At Christmas! What could be better? Not much, I tell you. At first the little country mouse is dazzled by "great towers of smooth stone and glass," electric elevators, sumptuous holiday feasts, and cozy Christmas trees that make great sleeping nooks. Unfortunately, the city also comes equipped with one highly menacing pug dog, who sends the country mouse scampering back to home-sweet-home. The town mouse, however, doesn't mind his canine pal and curls up for a good gorgonzola-induced nap.

There are only a few city scenes in this book but they are worth it, and country lovers will enjoy Ward's illustrations of the more natural side of life. It's an excellent choice for some cozy holiday reading.

Want More?
Try a different variation on the country mouse-city mouse theme with Love, Mouserella, or the duo Brown Rabbit in the City/Moon Rabbit.
Read an article in The Guardian about Helen Ward.

Fish City: Carl the Christmas Carp

2012-12-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Carl the Christmas Carp
Author: Ian Krykorka
Illustrator: Vladyana Krykorka
32 pages
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Publ. Date: Sept. 1, 2006

In Czech culture it is traditional to eat carp for Christmas dinner. Some people keep this fish in their bathtub to fatten it up for a few days before the big meal. This is all news to me, but it sounds like a good idea for a picture book, right?

You are in luck.

In spite of Radim's declaration that he would rather have chicken, Radim goes with his father to the outdoor market to buy the traditional carp for Christmas dinner. After bringing it home they set it in the bathtub to live for the next week so they can fatten it up. Disturned by fish dreams and the resemblance of the fish to his uncle Carl, Radim decides to free the fish. One night, he and his friend, Mila, engage in a piscatorial conspiracy and release the fish into the local river. Fortunately for Radim, the Christmas spirit prevails, his parents forgive him easily and Mila's family has them all over for a nice chicken dinner.

Christmas stories from other cultures are always a great choice for holiday read alouds. Carl the Christmas Carp is a fun choice and not many kids' books are set in Prague. I loved Krykorka's colorful mixed media illustrations and we get lots of perspectives of the city from the marketplace to the town square, out by the river, ice ponds surrounded by beautiful old building facades and some apartment interiors. The illustrations are vibrant and Krykorka's brushstrokes create a city under constant siege from a very blustery snow storm. constant. Even the interiors are experiencing the effects of such a strong wind!

Want More?
There are two more carp-in-the-bathtub stories I have not read yet. One is also set in Prague, the other is about a Brooklyn Jewish family fattening their carp up for gefilte fish.

Visit the illustrator's website.
Read a review at Quill and Quire.
Oh, yes. You can indeed watch you tube videos of people with carps in their bathtubs. Some of them even have uplifting musical accompaniments evoking Jesus. People are so weird.

Christmas City: Great Joy

2012-12-03T03:30:00.000-05:00

Title: Great Joy
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline
32 pages
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publ. Date: Oct. 9, 2007

It's a pretty safe bet that a book by Kate DiCamillo will be a winner and Great Joy is no exception. The plot itself is fairly simple, but the power of the book lies in DiCamillo's skillful writing and extraordinary ability to provoke an emotional response in her readers by combining child-like wonder with a compassion for others. I'm not admitting anything, but this book might have made me cry. That's all I'm saying.

From her apartment window, young Frances watches an organ grinder with his monkey who plays every day on the same street corner. She wonders where they go at night, but her mother assures her, "everyone goes somewhere." Frances is unsatisfied with this response and seeks him out to discover he spends his nights on the same corner. On her way to church, Frances invites the man to come and watch her in the Christmas pageant. When he shows up just as Frances delivers her line, she cannot help but be inspired with, "Great Joy!"

I admit I have a soft spot for snowy winter cityscapes. Our entire view of the unnamed city in Great Joy is of a single street corner at "Fifth and Vine." We view this location from a number of vantage points: from the apartment window, the building stoop, the street, at day, at night and as such we are privy to a variety of perspectives. It's wonderful the way Frances can look out her window and see the world below, thoughtfully considering the lives of the people she sees. Both the text and Ibatoulline's gorgeous illustrations effectively communicate that the city is not a faceless void, but a place for intimacy, compassion and individual relationships to shine. Indeed the backdrop of bustling, ever-changing life brings Frances' and the organ grinder's humanity into sharp relief.

Needless to say, I highly recommend adding this book to your stack of Christmas reading. There is a religious element to the story, but it is not the focus and both religious and secular families will take much away from the book.

Want More?
Visit the author's website.
Watch an interview with the author as she talks about moving from novels to picture books. At Reading Rockets.

Holiday City: Jeannette Claus Saves Christmas

2012-12-01T15:05:00.001-05:00

Title: Jeannette Claus Saves Christmas
Author: Douglas Rees
Illustrator: Olivier Latyk
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publ. Date: October 5, 2010

Did you know that Santa has a daughter?

Yep.

I'll just let that tidbit soak in for a bit.

Anyway. Her name is Jeannette and she is a little bit feisty and a very bit cute. One Christmas Eve when her dad has a cold, Jeannette insists on making the yearly round of gift deliveries to all the good little boys and girls. The team of very grumpy reindeer are none too happy about this and manage to strand her on a rooftop in the middle of the trip. Fortunately for Jeannette, this particular rooftop is in a big city where there lives an ample population of stray cats and dogs which she can rally around her. She harnesses a hodgepodge team of these domestic pets to her sleigh and together they lift off into the starry skies.

I admit the idea for this story is pretty cute, even though I can't list the book as among my favorite Christmas reads. (It also uses the word "stupid", which I really hate because it is a word I am constantly trying to get my kids to abandon.) It is rather unclear why the reindeer are so mean-spirited and the conflict with that team is left unresolved. Will the sleigh-team next year be cats and dogs or will Santa go back to the reindeer? It's probably not a detail that is particularly important, but it bothered me.

The city, however, is the crucial point of my reviews and in this book it is of course the only location where Jeannette could have assembled a new team so quickly. The digital illustrations are colorful, but rather uninspiring. In fairness, I did like their retro flavor and the perspective from the snowy rooftops with their water towers and fire escapes.

It might seem as if I don't recommend this book, but that is not the case. Jeannette Claus Saves Christmas is a fun story and both my boys enjoyed it and that is the material point. Pick up a copy at your local library.

Want More?
Visit the author's website.
View more of the illustrator's work. I really like this illustration of a colorful, snowy city.
Read a review at Miss Print.

Harbor City: Little Tug

2012-11-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Little Tug
Author/Illustrator: Steven Savage
Pages: 32
Publisher: Neal Porter Press (Macmillan)
Publ. Date: October 2, 2012

On the heels of his 2011 Where's Walrus? (a favorite in our household), Savage offers up a story about the hero of the harbor-world illustrated in his signature retro-graphic style.

When I first saw the cover of Little Tug I was reminded of Little Toot and was actually expecting it to be a rewrite of that classic children's book. Thankfully it is much, much shorter!

It is hard not to glance at the cover and feel a surge of affection for the little tugboat, his cheery red paint color standing out against a backdrop of blues and greys. The plot (such as it is) begins in a predictable fashion: Little Tug helps the various Big Boats enter and dock in the harbor but when Little Tug gets tired out, the roles are reversed and the Big Boats come to his rescue. The text is blissfully sweet and simple and I dare you not to smile and the oh-so-adorable ending, perfect for bedtime.

As in another classic ship book, Harbor, by Donald Crews, the city necessarily remains in the background as Little Tug goes about his business. Savage immediately establishes the urban setting in the opening page spread when the red tug sails solo across the huge, darkened night harbor; the only lights are those twinkling on a long suspension bridge. The city represented is generic, though one would guess that Savage was inspired by New York City, his hometown and the setting of Where's Walrus?. I liked how Savage adds visual interest to the cityscapes by varying its representation: sometimes the buildings are low, other times they are lit up, sometimes darkened. He manages to add a great deal of visual interest into a landscape that at first appears to be quite simple.

Bottom line: this is a great book for toddlers and preschoolers. My three year old loved it and so will yours.

Want More?
Visit Steven Savage's website.
Read the review in the New York Times.
See more of the artwork at the publisher's page.
Watch the book trailer below. I dare you not to smile!

Big Kid says: I want to watch the book trailer.
Little Kid says: He swims!

Snowy City: The Great Horse-Less Carriage Race

2012-11-19T11:34:00.001-05:00

Title:The Great Horse-Less Carriage Race
Author: Michael Dooling
Pages: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Publ. Date: 9/1/02

On November 28, 1895 a group of ambitious drivers gathered together to show off their horseless carriage models in a 52 mile race across Chicago. The participants of America's First Automobile Race knew that the winner would earn positive publicity for his machine and the possibility of convincing the public that his carriage model was the wave of the future.

Half of the drivers are eliminated in the first paragraph of the story so it is convenient that Dooling begins rather than ends his book with a brief outline of the historical event and its participants (there is an end note about the fate of the winner as well).

Even though the race takes place in freezing, snowy weather and the carriages keep breaking down, Dooley's storytelling operates on a standard race plot structure: Frank pulls ahead, now Oskar pulls ahead, now things are looking better for Frank... you get the idea. Nonetheless, this particular race is an interesting subject for a picture book I suspect that it will keep most kids interested, even if for adults Dooley's storytelling lacks suspense and it is rather obvious from the outset who the hero of the race will be.

Dooley's sepia-toned illustrations thoughtfully evoke the historical time period. Chicago plays a significant role in the race but I would have liked to have felt its presence more. I was excited at the prospect of seeing "52 miles" worth of historical Chicago but unfortunately, for the most part, Chicago remains a grey streak in the background of scenes dominated by a vast white tundra-like route. A few times the drivers must stop in the city, absconding to tin smiths and blacksmiths for repairs during the race. I would have liked to have had a better sense of how and where these shops were located along the route. After all, stops to these conveniently located urban locations would not have been likely during a race through the country side. Other than the mention of the city and a brief scene in which trolley tracks come into play, the race could have been located anywhere.

Despite my somewhat critical review, I do recommend this book. If you kids are interested in history or cars and races, it is an interesting story. Anyone who is a fan of NASCAR will be amused by pit stops which take hours instead of seconds in addition to the length of time (7 hours) it takes to complete the race.

If you happen to be looking for a cars-in-a snowstorm themed book (and who isn't?), this will certainly fit the bill.

Want More?
Read more about America's First Automobile Race at Eyewitness to History.
Visit the author's website.
Read an interview with the author at Raychelle Writes.
Read the review at Kirkus.

Halloween City: The Trip

2012-10-18T13:46:00.000-04:00

The Trip
Author/Illustrator: Ezra Jack Keats
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pub. Date: 1978

The Trip by Ezra Jack Keats is one of the lesser known titles by this great children's book author/illustrator. I came across it quite by accident in our local library and was delighted to discover it just in time for Halloween. Frankly, I had all but dispaired of finding a good urban picture book with a Halloween element.

Louie has just moved into a new apartment. Since he doesn't have any friend yet so he retreats to his room and builds a diorama. Using his imagination, Louie flies through the miniature world he has constructed, meeting up with friends he misses. It is Halloween and and he takes his costumed friends on a plane trip through his former neighborhood. When his mom's voice and cries of "Trick or treat!" make their way through the wall of Louie's imagination, he ventures outside to discover some new friends waiting for him.

Keats' book works on so many levels, it is a shame it is out of print. It is story of friendship, of loneliness, artistic creativity and of the power of imagination all wrapped into one. Keats' trademark illustrative style shines as he transports us from a real world grounded by oil paints to the imaginary one of collage, photographs, crayon drawings and marbled skies.

As in all of Keats' books, the urban landscape is essential to the story's world. Skyscrapers full of windows are the backdrop for Louie's imaginary world and his apartment building frames his reality. The opening page reminds us just how much of the urban life revolves around street activity when Louie is disappointed to discover, "there weren't even any steps in front of the door to sit on." How is an urban kid to make friends if he has no stoop from which to survey the world! When you see the world from this perspective Halloween becomes the perfect holiday to introduce him to the neighborhood. After all, is there any other holiday in which so much of the celebration takes place outside on the sidewalks?

Despite this book being out of print, I bet it The Trip is in many libraries around the country, thanks to its famous author. Check out a copy before Halloween. You won't be sorry you did.

Highly Recommended.

Want More?
Visit the official website of the Ezra Jack Keats foundation. Here is the page for The Trip.
In NYC, The Jewish Museum had Keats exhibit. You can read about his art here.
Louie appears in other Keats books, including Louie's Search, Louie and Regards to the Man in the Moon.
Watch some kids talk about the book:

Collaborative City: A Poem As Big As New York City

2012-10-09T13:37:00.001-04:00

A Poem as Big as New York City: Little Kids Write About the Big Apple
Illustrator: Masha D'yans
Editors: Teachers and Writers Collaborative
Publisher: Universe Publishing (Rizzoli)
Pub. Date: September 4, 2012

I am so pleased to be able to tell you today about a very unique poetry book.

The Teachers & Writers Collaborative, an organization that helps children develop their creative writing skills, led a series of workshops in public schools and libraries across New York City. The children who participated worked on writing poems about what it's like to live in The Big Apple. The resulting poems, "stacks of poems on hundreds of loose leaf pages" as adapter Melanie Maria Gooreaux described them in the introduction, were collected and edited to create one big poem. The result is the marvelous A Poem as Big as New York City: Little Kids Write About the Big Apple.

The overall feeling of A Poem as Big as New York City is joyous. It is clear that the authors love their city. A smiling, curious anthropomorphous Poem is the thread that holds the poem's story together. In the image below you can see the "Poem" illustrated as a graphic character formed out of words taken from the poem itself.

The Poem travels through the five boroughs of the city, narrating its journey, sometimes in the third person,

The poem walked by the East River and reached up
to touch a pink-and-white striped sky.
It passed by the Chrysler Building,
and it looked like a wealthy woman
who just couldn't hide her jewels.

and sometimes in the first person,

I jumped inside a parking meter
and heard the soul of New York City
crunching like quarters.

but always celebrating the uniqueness of the city: the sounds, sights, smells and even the taste.

The journey of the Poem somehow manages to be both magical and realistic, individual and collective. It celebrates the diversity of New York City's people, places and experiences. There's an exhilarating sense of movement throughout the lines as the reader is carried along with the Poem through the streets, underground and above the skyscrapers. I love the final image of the Poem in front of the New York Public Library. The Poem is reading a book, the cover of which is a diverse group of faces. It is as if one can never get enough; instead of being exhausted by the action and excitement, the Poem (and the reader) just wants more.

Masha D'yans's beautiful watercolor illustrations are both ethereal and vibrant, if that is possible, and effectively capture the jubliant quality of the poem. It is hard not to smile as we see the Poem lounge on the grass of Central Park, swing through the sky on the suspension lines of Brooklyn Bridge, and munch on a black and white cookie during a shopping trip. How she managed to make two black circles look like so inquisitive is a feat in and of itself.

The perfect final touch is the credit page at the end of the book in which the names of participating libraries and school are arranged to resemble a cityscape, as if to remind us that the children are what make up the the city.

I know this book will be loved by New York City residents and I hope it finds an audience beyond that because it's a great ambassador for the city.

Want More?
Visit the Teachers & Writers Collaborative website to learn about their writing workshops and programs.
Read other reviews at Great Kid Books, Where the Best Books Are, and NC Teacher Stuff,
Visit the illustrator's website (you can see more artwork from the book here).

Special thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of the book.

Autumnal City: Applesauce Season

2012-09-28T12:16:00.000-04:00

Applesauce Season
Author: Eden Ross Lipson
Illustrator: Mordicai Gerstein
Pub. Date: 08/04/09
Pub.: Roaring Book Press

Fall is marching on, but it's not too late to make applesauce!

A boy looks forward every year to fall, when his entire family gathers to make applesauce. The young narrator takes us through the entire journey, from market to kitchen to table describing how the applesauce changes throughout the season, how his family eats the applesauce and even how he imagines he will eat applesauce when he is grown up.

What I like most about Applesauce Season is there is no trip to a rural apple farm and absolutely no sense that this is a cause for mourning. The book opens thus:

We live in the city. There are no apple trees, but there are farmers' markets where there are lots of apples. Sometimes my grandmother goes to the market, sometimes my mom and dad go, sometimes my big sisters. If I don't have soccer, I go, too.

Obtaining apples from the farmers' market, freshly picked for urban families, is presented as a perfectly legitimate and joyful event. The title page illustration are of the characters looking out at the cityscape dreaming of apples in anticipation, the young narrator races out of school to meet his grandma and a beautiful two page spread of the market with the cityscape in the background is lively and complete with dogs straining at their leashes. Gerstein's reputation as an illustrator is firmly established and the overall impression from his sparkling watercolors is good, old-fashioned cheer. In almost every single tableau, the people are smiling, and it's hard not to join them by the time you've finished reading this book.

Big Kid says: (Taking book away) Let me see all those kinds of apples...
Little Kid says: I like red apples best.

Want More?
Visit the illustrator's website.
Read about the author at the NY Times: Remambering Eden Ross Lipson (includes artwork from this book).
Read a review at the NY Times or Waking Brain Cells.

Musical City: Max Found Two Sticks

2012-09-18T02:30:00.000-04:00

Max Found Two Sticks
Author/Illustrator: Brian Pinkney
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publishing Date: 1994

When the wind blows two sticks in bored Max's direction one day, the young boy discovers they make wonderful drumsticks. Tapping the sticks on his thighs, boxes, trash cans and soda bottles, Max pounds out the rhythms of his neighborhood. When a marching band passes by, one of the band members sees Max's talent and tosses him a pair of real drumsticks. Max never misses a beat.

Pinkney's Max Found Two Sticks is an engaging story that should be on every child's reading list. Although Max stays in and around his brownstone stoop, Pinkey effectively captures the vibrancy of a neighborhood by merging the musical, natural and urban worlds with his energetic text and illustrations.

The text of the book reminded me of "call and response" songs. In this case, Max's response to everyone's question, "what are you doing with those sticks?" is to tap out a rhythm with his sticks. No doubt this book is used in music classes everywhere.

Want More?
Visit the author's website.
Miniature drummers might also enjoy Drum City.

Fruit City: The Invisible Man

2012-09-17T03:00:00.000-04:00

The Invisible Man by Arthur Yorinks.

At his corner stand, Sy sells fruit to cure every ailment, but when he self-medicates with some prunes Sy wakes up to find himself growing increasingly paler. The now invisible Sy is shunned by society, and worse still becomes the scapegoat for all of the world's unfortunate and unexplainable incidents! After stints in various occupations and a bit of jail time, Sy finally takes on a job as a magician's assistant. When a disappointed audience responds to his failure on stage by pummeling him with produce, Sy's faith in the healing power of fruit is restored.

The Invisible Man is a fun story, though not as mischievously absurd as I would have expected a children's picture book about invisibility to be. Yorinks seems to have decided that the idea of fruit with magical healing properties was all the cleverness one picture book could handle. That's a bit disappointing but Doug Cushman's illustrations add a some extra liveliness. The city is primarily represented through silhouetted skylines behind Sy's greengrocer stand, though a clever illustration of the invisible Sy wrapped in his bathrobe scaring a pigeon off his apartment windowsill adds an alternative perspective.

Most children at some point in their youthful careers imagine what it might be like to be invisible and this is an enjoyable enough book to search it out at the library.

Want More?
Yorinks Theater Group did a collaborative theater project with The Greene Space based on H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man.
Visit the illustrator's website.

Gigantic City: Wow! City!

2012-09-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Robert Neubecker's Wow! City! was an ALA Notable Book in 2004, but unfortunately is now out of print. This is too bad because it is a great book for toddlers who might be about to visit the city for the first time.

The book is huge, measuring 10 x 20 inches, when open. Although the illustrations are obviously inspired by New York City, the minimalist text is not city-specific. Each two page spread contains only two words:"Wow!" and whatever the featured sight is: "Wow! Taxi!" or Wow! Lights!", etc. Nuebecker's vibrant illustrations effectively convey the narrator's enthusiasm for the sights and sounds of her urban vacation. He varies the perspective from up close to far way and even through a car window.

Toddlers and preschoolers will love this one.

Want More?
Neubecker wrote a couple of other "Wow!" books, including Wow! Ocean! and Wow! America!
Watch an interview with the author.
Visit the author's website.

Poetic City: Mural on Second Avenue

2012-08-02T15:07:00.000-04:00

Lilian Moore celebrates the city in a 2005 collection of poems, Mural on Second Avenue and Other City Poems. In contrast to the previous poetry collection I highlighted, Moore's short poems stay away from the more gritty aspects of the city. Fortunately, that doesn't make them less interesting. I've never considered myself an expert on poetry and have always felt a little unqualified to judge it but Moore received the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children as well as many positive critical reviews of her work.

The subject matter in this collection ranges from the expected topics of seasons and bridges to the slightly amusing,"How to Go Around a Corner" and department store windows. The poems are all an easy length and mostly written in free verse. One of my favorites was "Forsythia Bush" because it reminded me of my own delight on discovering the beautiful forsythia during my first New York spring ten years ago.

There is nothing
quite
like the sudden
light

of
forsythia
that
one morning
without warning

explodes
into yellow
and
startles the street
into spring.

Each poem is accompanied by a lovely painted illustration by Roma Karas. The illustrations are clearly based on NYC (as is so often the case), but the poems are not city-specific.

Want More?
Read about Lilian Moore at The Poetry Foundation.
Visit Roma Karas' website.
Other Poetry Books you might like: Other poetry books you might like: A City Is, Sky Scrape/City Scape, City I Love, City Poems.

Poetic City: City Poems

2012-07-26T16:05:00.004-04:00

Many parents are familiar with Lois Lenski's books about characters named "Small" or "Little" transportation devices: Cowboy Small, Fireman Small, Policeman Small or The Little Fire Engine, The Little Train, ... you get the idea. Plus, her characteristic line drawings grace many a children's book, including her own Newbery Winner, Strawberry Girl.

In 1971, three years before her death, Lenski published City Poems, a collection of previously published and new poems about -- you guessed it -- the city. I actually found this collection in the adult, rather than the children's section of the library, but it is certainly appropriate for the younger set, which I suspect is the target audience anyway.

Lenski's poems are simple and while I would be hard pressed to call them brilliant, my three year old was quite taken with them, especially (and unsurprisingly) the ones about cars, trucks, subways and taxis. The poems (about 100 in total) address a wide range of urban topics, from litter in the street and smells on the fire escape to libraries and playing ball with dad. Some are quite serious -- poems about gangs or slums -- while others are quite whimsical -- poems about hot dogs or the zoo's bear conversing with the children. While the poems are descriptive and detailed about life in the city, I was sometimes surprised at their straightforwardness, particularly when it came to poems with rather stark themes. For example, a deceptively simple poem about a traffic accident in which a boy on a bike is injured ends with the mundane question, "How did Mom get here?"

The collection is divided into sections such as "I Like the City", "People in the City" and "My Home in the City." The book is long out of print but you might be able to find a copy at your library. I would definitely suggest it for older children who are interested in city life and parents of small children can find some more playful poems, such as those about swings and whirlygigs and hot dogs, to recite aloud.

Want More?
Read another review at The Brookeshelf.
The Kirkus Reviews was not very flattering, and I think, a little unfair.
Other poetry books you might like: A City Is, Sky Scrape/City Scape, City I Love, Mural on Second Avenue and Other City Poems.

Mystery City: Ottoline and the Yellow Cat

2012-06-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

I recently chose Chris Riddell's chapter book Ottoline and the Yellow Cat off the library shelves because of its whimsical cover (It's true! I judge!) and was delighted to see its setting was "Big City."

Ottoline Brown lives in Apartment 243 of the Pepperpot Building. Her parents are traveling the world and collecting interesting things (though they do keep in touch via postcards and sage tidbits of advice), and so Ottoline spends her days with the unusual Mr. Monroe. Mr. Monroe will probably remind the reader of Cousin It. One day, Ottoline notices a rash of burglaries around the city. Being a very good thinker, she sets out to solve them (with Mr. Monroe's help, of course). Along the way she encounters some shady feline and canine characters, but with a detailed and clever plan she sets a trap to catch the (ahem) cat burglar.

Chris Riddell crafts Ottoline's tale through a clever combination of text and intricate and amusing line drawings. Immediately I was put in mind of Eloise, but the narration of Ottoline's story relies much more on the drawings than Eloise's. The city setting is crucial to the story and adds the requisite air of mystery. There are plenty of intriguing, yet whimsical cityscapes, especially when Ottoline sets out at night, when her long shadow is dwarfed by towering buildings. A thieves' den in and old warehouse presents a quirky take on a hideaway you might see in an old 40s film noir, but a resident chihuahua named Fifi Fiesta Funny Face III, keeps us firmly in the world of children's books.

My sons and I really enjoyed Ottoline and the Yellow Cat as a read aloud, but it could easily be enjoyed by any child on his own, as long as they take plenty of time to examine the drawings.

Recommended.

Big Kid says: "Ottoline! Ottoline! Ottoline!"
Little Kid says: "Ottoline! Ottoline! Ottoline!"
(This was the chant they shouted every night when it was time for our read aloud.

Want More?
Visit the author's website.
Read more reviews at Annie and Aunt, Charlotte's Library, books4yourkids or Kids Read.
There are more Ottoline books: Ottoline Goes to School and Ottoline at Sea.
Watch this you tube video of Chris Riddell drawing Ottoline:

Book List City: Guest Post

2012-06-15T05:28:00.000-04:00

This week Tanya at books4yourkids.com interviewed yours truly about books and traveling. All week long she put together book lists on terrific cities so you can do a little armchair traveling with the kids. Hop on over there and take a look.

PARIS
ITALY
LONDON
NEW YORK

Thanks, Tanya! It was fun!

Familial City: Tar Beach

2012-06-12T14:48:00.003-04:00

Summer is just around the corner and in cities everywhere, rooftops become outdoor gathering places for those in yard less apartments. Faith Ringgold's Caldecott Honor book Tar Beach is a magical story celebrating family, city life and a special bridge.

Much has already been written about this beautiful book (see Want More? section below) and there is every reason in the world to pick it up this summer and read it with your kids. The free-flowing story of Tar Beach was originally told via a quilt Ringgold crafted around the image of a family gathered around a late summer dinner on their rooftop. The term "tar beach" obviously refers to the blackness of the roof on which the narrator (a stand-in for a young Ringgold) relaxes and remembers her life in Harlem, New York City.

Our young protagonist, Cassie, alternates her narration between her imagined flights over the city and the George Washington Bridge (which she imagines wearing "like a giant diamond necklace") and a more realistic vision of her family's life in the city. There is her dad, who has a hard time finding construction work, her mom, full of laughter and tears, and her younger brother BeBe, who Cassie eventually takes with her on her nighttime flights.

It is hard to describe the beauty of this book. It is truly a love letter to the city and the freedom it offers. I hope you add it to your summer reading list.

Want More?
Visit the author's website.
Flying over the city is a popular motif in urban picture books: see any number of my bird book reviews, but also: Flying Over Brooklyn, Come Fly With Me, Wings, The Little Reindeer, The Tale of Hilda Louise and Abuela.
Enjoy another of my favorite rooftop books: At Night.
Gathering Books has a blog post with links to educational resources about the book.
Watch this great Reading Rainbow episode, featuring New York City rooftops and a lovely reading of Tar Beach. (If you search for Ringgold on You Tube, you will find several videos of her discussing her book and quilt.)

Musical City: Cats' Night Out

2012-06-11T03:30:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to read Cats' Night Out since it was first published in 2010, but it wasn't until the illustrator, Jon Klassen, achieved much deserved fame for I Want My Hat Back that my local library bought a copy of it, despite the fact that it won the Canadian Governor General's Literary Award (Canada's answer to the Caldecott).

Imagine a 1920s urban cat dance party and you will fit right into the world of Caroline Stutson's poetic feline adventure. In fact, I was so taken with the smooth jazz-like rhyme of Stutson's Cats' Night Out that it wasn't until the second reading that I even noticed this was a skip counting book (or maybe I'm just not very observant). Each time we turn the page pairs of cats on nighttime rooftops waltz, tango, foxtrot and samba their way through a impromptu swanky outdoor fête.

Unlike many urban picture book cats, these cats don't have to sneak around. There is no cautious slinking through alley ways and behind trash cans. These cats hang out in locations where you might instead be expecting to see birds: on laundry lines hung from fire escapes, on telephone wires and billboards, skeleton-like scaffolding, in trees and even atop traffic lights. In fact, I couldn't even find a single bird. The city comes off as slightly mysterious, draped in fog and muted colored lights which offer the type of partial illumination you might expect in a smoky speak-easy. Klassen's felines are grooving out and you can see the look on their faces. These are some seriously cool cats.

Sure, this is a great book to introduce counting and music concepts, but what you'll really love is the atmosphere.

Little Kid says: Those cats are dancing! Let's dance, mom!

Want More?
Read all my reviews of Cat-in-the-City books.
Check out the author's website.
Visit the illustrator's website.
Read Betsy Bird's more extensive review (and see some artwork) at Fuse #8.

Where Am I?

2012-05-29T05:13:00.001-04:00

As one of the the 6 readers of this blog you are probably wondering what's happened to me. Well, the true answer is "nothing."

My youngest has stopped napping, thus cutting way back on my free time -- if any parent can be so bold as to claim she has such a thing as free time.

I do plan on continuing with the blog, but my posts will be fairly infrequent for the time being. I am hopeful that once September arrives and both boys are in school full time there will be more time to write review posts. I still have stacks of books I want to share with you, including a number of books set in London and another handful of books set in Paris.

I hope to see you soon.