The annual PEN World Voices literary festival, to be held this year from April 30 through May 6, will include Herta Muller, Martin Amis, Ludmila Ulitskaya, festival chairman Salman Rushdie and a contingent from the Middle East, as well as E.L. Doctorow, Jennifer Egan, Paul Auster and Claire Messud.
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By: Justyna,
on 2/27/2012
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Robert Moses, mta, *Featured, Art & Architecture, Arts & Leisure, antonio masi, fordham university press, joan marans dim, real city, robert caro, second avenue subway, expressways, caro, History, US, art, New York City, Architecture, bridges, moses, Add a tag
Moses, who died in 1981 at the age of 91, was a driven and brilliant civil servant. In a 44-year reign from 1924 to 1968, he was likely the city’s most influential figure during the 20th Century. Never elected to public office, he served as chairman of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, city park commissioner, and city construction coordinator. He also held other numerous state appointments. Moses’ power and influence was unprecedented, and during his tenure he accomplished seemingly impossible tasks.
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By: By LARRY ROHTER,
on 3/1/2012
Blog: Schiel & Denver Book Publishers Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Kronos Quartet, Rula Jebreal, Tony Kushner, Books, New York City, PEN, Salman Rushdie, Add a tag
Blog: Schiel & Denver Book Publishers Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Kronos Quartet, Rula Jebreal, Tony Kushner, Books, New York City, PEN, Salman Rushdie, Add a tag
By: Justyna,
on 2/27/2012
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Robert Moses, mta, *Featured, Art & Architecture, Arts & Leisure, antonio masi, fordham university press, joan marans dim, real city, robert caro, second avenue subway, expressways, caro, History, US, art, New York City, Architecture, bridges, moses, Add a tag
By Joan Marans Dim
The world was allegedly created in six days (God rested on the seventh day), so why is it taking New York City so long — some 90 years, or possibly longer — to create the Second Avenue Subway?
According to the MTA, proposals to build a north-south subway line along Second Avenue date back to 1929. But it wasn’t until March 2007 — 78 years later — that the first construction contract for Phase One of the Second Avenue Subway was awarded. Tentative plans aim at a 2016 completion, although several dates have proliferated.
Perhaps it takes a God-like figure in this metropolis to get monumental tasks done. As it happens, New York City had such a being, Robert Moses, often referred to as the “Master Builder.”
Source: New York Public Library.
In 1929, Moses wasn’t keen on the mass transit and therefore probably not on the Second Avenue Subway as well. The Second Avenue Subway’s slow progress is clarified by reporter William Bredderman, who interviewed Moses biographer and author Robert Caro for the online magazine Realcity. (Caro’s The Power Broker: Robert Moses and The Fall of New York — qualifies him as the uber expert on Moses.) Writes Bredderman:
“According to Caro, the city attempted to build the Second Avenue line first in 1942 and again in 1954. Both times Moses prevented funds from being allocated to the project, preferring to instead spend the money building expressways through densely-populated neighborhoods. If you’ve ever been on (or near) the Cross-Bronx Expressway, the BQE or The Major Deegan, you can thank Moses.”
Moses routinely built bridges, tunnels, and roadways that transformed the city, without an iota’s consideration for what might be lost. The result was huge gashes in densely populated working-class neighborhoods to make way for roadways and expressways. Neighborhoods were destroyed, forever. Who can drive these expressways without seeing the havoc wrought? Old timers who had once lived in these now devastated neighborhoods still curse Moses.
An early example of Moses’ disdain for mass transit is also evident in his first major public project, Jones Beach, which begun in the 1920s and opened in 1929. Almost immediately after the opening, motorists jammed the city’s parkways in a beeline to get to what is still considered one of the world’s most beautiful parks. However, accommodation for public transportation to Jones Beach was not a part of Moses’ plan.
Moses, of course had his critics, including: Caro, activist Jane Jacobs, and historian and architectural critic 0 Comments on Robert Moses and the Second Avenue Subway as of 1/1/1900
By: Stacey,
on 2/26/2012
Blog: TWO WRITING TEACHERS (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: new york city, standardized tests, performance assessments, Add a tag
Last Friday New York City released the individual performance assessments for 18,000 elementary and middle school teachers in New York City. While teachers have long known how they’ve been “ranked” based on their students’ test scores, the data was made public last week for the world to see. I’ve spoken at-length with several former colleagues [...]
By: Storied Cities,
on 2/15/2012
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Pre-K, the park, K-3, 3 and under, Picture Book, New York City, Add a tag
But, I babble.
Central Park Serenade is a serene book. Needless to say, it is a survey of the parks many features, from the horse-drawn carriages to the zoo to the sailing of toy boats. Barry Root's sunshine-filled illustrations (they made me want to start singing, "All in a golden afternoon...") follow a boy carrying his boat through the park as he passes many notable sites and activities, some grand, like the zoo, others small, like the ice cream carts. The text And the pigeons coo/And the big dogs bark/And the noises echo through the park is repeated throughout the rhyming text. There is a focus on the people and sounds of the park, rather than the inanimate sights: parents, drummers, baseball players, etc., which I appreciated -- after all the city park is what it is because of the people who bring it to life.
The end pages contain a map of the park. Maps are always a big hit with my boys. There are also many pictures with buses and taxis, also an important feature for my little guys. Personally, I was immediately struck by the fact that the protagonist of the narrative lives in an apartment in which his bedroom overlooks Central Park. That is some serious real estate. I wonder how many other New York parents notice the real estate in picture books. My own sons are still blissfully aware that their own view is not exactly going to bring in the big money.
I hope Central Park Serenade finds an audience outside of New York City as many of the experiences depicted are not limited to Central Park. Plus, I imagine kids in the country would enjoy seeing what a city park is like.
Want More?
Try the picture book The Pirate in Central Park.
Early Chapter Books about Pee-Wee and his squirrel friends having adventures in Central Park are quite delightful. I reviewed the series here.
Read a book about Pale Male in Central Park. I reviewed three of them.
Little Kid says: Read the bus page, again.
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By: Storied Cities,
on 2/11/2012
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, New York City, Parents, Trains, Pre-K, K-3, Add a tag
In Ken Rush's Friday's Journey
, Chris' parents are divorced and his dad has come to pick him up for their Friday journey, which is a subway ride to Dad's place, where he spends the weekend. During the train ride, Chris imagines the places the train could take him: places he used to go with both his parents. In the end, he realizes he can still enjoy those places just with Dad. The story fell a little short for me, but I imagine it has a place among the targeted audience. However, there are a number of specific subway experiences that my young listeners grabbed on to, which is why I'm including a review on this blog. For example: the distant lights of the subway in the tunnel, the experience of watching the tracks out the front window, the screeching noise of the train stopping in the station. The city is obviously New York City, but it is never mentioned by name and because of the book's theme of living with divorced parents this book will find an audience outside the local one.
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My favorite book about a dad and his sons riding the subway is the ingenious Subway
by Christopher Niemann.Little Kid says: Where is that train going?
3 Comments on Subway City: Friday's Journey, last added: 2/13/2012
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By: John Mark Boling,
on 1/23/2012
Blog: The Winged Elephant (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: a killer's essence, a quiet vendetta, the fry chronicles, bookcourt, events, new york city, stephen fry, barnes and noble, r.j. ellory, dave zeltserman, Add a tag
Tomorrow night brings two out-of-town Overlook authors, as well as one northeastern native to bookstores across New York for an evening of readings, signings, and lively discussion. Award-winning English novelist R.J. Ellory, author of A Quiet Vendetta will be joined by A Killer’s Essence author Dave Zeltserman to promote their latest crime thrillers at Brooklyn’s BookCourt, while English
0 Comments on A Night of Events: THE FRY CHRONICLES, A QUIET VENDETTA & A KILLER’S ESSENCE as of 1/1/1900
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By: Nina Mata,
on 12/30/2011
Blog: Beautifique (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: empire state building, city scape, highlight, nina mata illustration, large window, kids, fall, Illustrations, new york city, balloons, sunset, Add a tag
The highlight of their trip to the city wasn’t the city. It was Balloons!
A work in progress. I feel like its not quite there yet, but I can’t figure out what’s missing. Somethings off, somethings missing, but what? Any suggestions?
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
and hope everyone has a very safe and
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
See you all in 2012.
It’s going to be a great year.
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By: Storied Cities,
on 12/7/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: 3 and under, K-5, Picture Book, Winter, Christmas, New York City, Pre-K, Add a tag
If you live in or love NYC, you might enjoy this book, too.
Want More:
Roxie Munro's Inside-Outside book series includes the cities Paris, London, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Visit the author's website.
Big Kid says: Grandma and Grandpa took me to FAO Schwartz once.
Little Kid says: Can we see that?
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 12/5/2011
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Dumptruck Baby, Vivian Liddell, graphic novel, Education, New York City, Comicbookland, teachers, Kickstarter, Add a tag
Former high school teacher Vivian Liddell hopes to raise $7,000 on Kickstarter. The funding will help her complete her fictional graphic novel project entitled Dumptruck Baby: The Education of a NYC Teacher.
It will tell the story of a highly-stressed new mother embarking on a career as a New York City public school teacher. Liddell will offer several rewards for supporters including original artwork, hand silkscreened totes, and PDF copies of the finished book. Above, we’ve embedded a video about the graphic novel–what do you think?
Here’s more about the project: “Students, teachers, and administration alike are all examined within the context of their school, but with a nod to the bigger issues at play, such as public policy and lingering racial segregation. The novel takes a humorous look at serious problems, and unravels some of the complicated factors that come into play when a school labeled as “failing” has so much heart.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: MacKids,
on 11/10/2011
Blog: MacKids Home (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Travel, New York City, Providence, Jackhammer Sam, Peter Mandel, Add a tag
Blog: MacKids Home (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Travel, New York City, Providence, Jackhammer Sam, Peter Mandel, Add a tag
By Peter Mandel
The truth ab
out my new book, Jackhammer Sam, is that, with all of his atta-ratta racket and his puffed up hardhat-guy pride, Jackhammer Sam, himself, told me to write it.
One day, there he was in his T-shirt and those green suspenders, out on the sidewalk right in front of my house. I can’t remember his exact words, but it was something like, “Hey, listen, you gotta tell kids about what I do!”
“Oh, yeah?” I shouted from my upstairs window. “Why should I?” (My cat, Betty told me to say this.)
“’Cause I said so,” replied Jackhammer, starting to unload his drill and equipment. “Kids like LOUD noises,” he said. “An’ they like working on stuff, and building things, and digging underground, and cracking things to bits!”
“So?” I shouted back. (My cat, Cecil told me to say this.)
“Listen to me,” said Jackhammer. “You writers! You’re always writin’ about the same noisy things. I’m talking fire engines, trucks, bulldozers, airplanes. Thousands of books with stuff like that. Not one single book about me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied, “but I am way too busy. And, anyway, I don’t believe you’re as noisy as you say.” (My cat, Emily made me say this. And it was a bad mistake.)
ATTA-RATTA-Binga-Bong! Jackhammer’s hammer went to work. Right there on the sidewalk outside my house.
ATTA-RATTA-Pinga-Pong! His hammer made a HUGE crack in my concrete front steps.
ATTA-RATTA-Singa-Song!! Coming home from work in her high-heeled shoes, my wife nearly tripped over Jackhammer’s lunch bucket and air hose.
“Stop!” I shouted from my window. (I had no more cats left to tell me what to say.) “Okay, okay, Jackhammer,” I said. “I’ll do it. I’ll write a really LOUD and fun book about you and all the stuff you do...”
“I’ll make it about Manhattan, too--about the giant buildings and crumbly cracks that were what my Chelsea neighborhood was made of back when I was a kid. I’ll write about the subways that rumbled and grumbled underneath. And about the whistling cops and honking traffic that filled up Seventh Avenue along my walk to City & Country School…”
“But,” I added. “You have to do me a favor, too. Stop drilling. Stop scaring Betty, Emily and Cecil. Stop it now!”
With that, Jackhammer Sam gave me a grin, and unplugged his drill. He tucked his bird guide under his arm and tipped his hardhat as he waved goodbye.
Betty, Cecil, and Emily waved, too.
(You see, he’s really not a bad guy after all.)
Visit Peter Mandel at his website and check out more of his hilarious travel adventures here!
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By: Storied Cities,
on 11/3/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, History, New York City, Thanksgiving, K-5, Add a tag
Thanksgiving books tend to be set on turkey farms, Pilgrim homesteads or around well-laid tables in suburban homes. I should know, I went through every Thanksgiving book at the Brooklyn Public Library.
This year, I am pleased to report there is a new Thanksgiving-themed book set in the city, and I am especially pleased to report it is written and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
For anyone who has ever watched (or will watch) the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Sweet's Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade is essential reading. While the familiar larger-than-life balloons are now emblematic of the parade, this was not always so. Sweet's book gives us the low-down on Tony Sarg ("rhymes with aargh!"), the inventor of these upside-down marionettes.
The story starts when Sarg was six years old and began his inventing career figuring out a way to automatically open the family's chicken coop from his bedroom window. Apparently, for this feat his father rewarded him by saying he never had to do another chore. Ever. Perhaps it was all the free time left on his hands that led him to tinker around with marionettes. As an adult, Sarg moved first to London and then on to New York, where he got his start decorating windows at Macy's. In 1924 when the parade takes off, Sarg began by designing costumes and floats. Sweet devotes the majority of the book detailing Sarg's development of the helium balloons now used in the parade. Of course we know he was successful, but Sweet does an excellent job of making Sarg's journey interesting and suspenseful.
If you are familiar with Sweet's illustrative style you are probably already a fan, but you should know she has really outdone herself here. Combining collage, drawings, vintage ephemera and puppets she made herself (some based on Sarg's drawings!), Sweet has created a feast for the eyes. The city backdrop is essential to the story and I was pleased to see that she did not forget about period details like the El train. Somehow she has made the city buildings seem like a small town which has the appropriate effect of making the balloons seem even more gigantic. An especially nice touch were the spectators hanging out of their windows watching the parade. (That's some prime real estate, people!)
The end pages include a newspaper clipping from 1933 in which I was delighted to see the same blue elephant whose fate I had enjoyed following throughout the book. It was also amusing to find out that Santa Claus used to be pulled in a dog sled drawn by 11 huskies! An author's note on Sarg and the parade's history completes the book.
Only 21 more days until the parade! There's still plenty of time left to pick up a copy of this book. You're sure to enjoy it.
Want More?
Read a thorough review at Abby the Librarian.
Visit the author's website -- she has crafts to go with her books.
Read Millie and the Thanksgiving Parade (
2 Comments on Parade City: Balloons Over Broadway, last added: 11/4/2011
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By: Storied Cities,
on 10/26/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, New York City, Immigrants, Little Italy, K-5, Add a tag
This looks like it will be my last immigrant-in-the-city themed book of the month. I have certainly not exhausted the topic, but I am happy to be ending this theme on a high note: American Too.
None of the immigrant-themed books I've written about so far have focused on that perennial symbol of hope for a new life: the Statue of Liberty. It's certainly been in the illustrations of most of the books, but in Elisa Barone's American Too, it is moved to the forefront.
A very young Rosina immigrates to America with her family and the first thing she sees is the Statue of Liberty. Rosina find her beautiful and hopes one day to be as beautiful herself. Growing up in New York City, Rosina starts to value her American life and culture over the Italian one at home. She refuses to speak Italian, sits on her hands when she speaks (to avoid gesturing!) and discards her red coral necklace when the neighborhood girls tease her about being superstitious. In the process she acts like many American teenage girls and yells at her parents. Mon Dieu! When, to her dismay, she is chosen as queen of the Italian festival of San Gennaro she harnesses her admiration of the Statue of Liberty and becomes an Italian-American Queen.
American Too is a high-spirited book with a positive outlook on the immigration experience. Ted Lewin's watercolor illustrations are amazing. I am usually a fan of a less realistic style of illustration for children's books, but his painting serve the book remarkably well. The expressions on the characters faces brilliantly capture the emotions expressed in the story. The city in the book is not nitty-gritty, colors are light, tenement apartments are clean and sunshine is abundant. Apartment interiors and views of city sidewalks will draw you in with their detail. The iron work and stone detailing on the buildings are particularly impressive. Having tried working with watercolor myself, I am always amazed when artists exhibit such control over a naturally uncontrollable medium.
Ignore the two bad customer reviews on Amazon, they completely missed the point of the story. Fortunately, the professional review did not. This would be a great book to read in conjunction with any patriotic holiday.
Want More?
Bartone and Lewin also collaborated on Peppe the Lamplighter, also about Italian immigrants. I reviewed that book here.
I've also reviewed Lewin's book Stable, set in Brooklyn, and the Lewin-illustrated
2 Comments on Immigrant City: American Too, last added: 10/28/2011
By: Storied Cities,
on 10/18/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, New York City, Immigrants, K-5, Add a tag
In my series on immigrant-themed picture books we are returning again to the Russian-Jewish experience. I haven't yet determined if it is just my particular knack for finding these books, or if there is indeed an abundance of books about Russian Jewish immigrants. What do you think?
In any case, Linda Heller's The Castle on Hester Street is a clear winner. When it was first published in 1982 it won the Sydney Taylor Book Award, and for its reissue 25 years later, Boris Kulikov added his terrific and vibrant illustrations (Heller did the original illustrations).
Julie's grandfather is a weaver of tales. On day he tells her how he came to America. It is an extraordinary tale indeed, Moishe the goat carried him all the way from Russia in a golden wagon, he was met at the docks by Theodore Roosevelt himself, and he made his living selling jewel encrusted buttons.
Or did he?
While he tells Julie his tale, her grandmother sets the record straight with a more accurate rendition of events. Both versions, however are full of love for their adopted country, for each other and life itself.
Heller's text is vibrant, lively and grandfather's tale pulls us in immediately. Her witty take on the immigrant story -- placing side by side a dream-like, fanciful version and a realistic one, is not unlike the immigrant experience itself. After all, in many ways America idealizes the immigrant experience, which is always one of a new life, filled with hardships as well as dream-fulfillment of some kind. And that's also the story of the City, especially New York City: a place where you go "to make it" and find your way, but also a place of challenges to the body and the mind.
Reading this book as an adult begs the question: how will you tell your tale to your children? But whatever you chose, make sure you read this book to them.
Want More?
Read about the illustrator and see more great artwork at Seven Impossible Things.
Visit the illustrator's website.
Big Kid says: Why was the grandfather making that stuff up?
3 Comments on Storyteller's City: The Castle on Hester Street, last added: 10/19/2011
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By: Storied Cities,
on 10/3/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chapter Book, History, Toys, New York City, Immigrants, Easy Reader, WWI, K-5, Department Stores, Add a tag
Before I moved to New York 10 years ago, I thought the idea of living above a store was so old fashioned. Wasn't that what Nellie's family did in Little House on the Prairie? No one does that anymore, right? Wrong. Although, most people don't live above or behind their own business these days (they commute, I guess), Yona Zeldis McDonough's The Doll Shop Downstairs
McDonough writes in an afterward that her inspiration came from the real life story of Madame Alexander. The fictional family in her story are Russian Jewish immigrants. The three daughters love to play with the expensive dolls who are waiting for repairs. However, when WWI begins, their father finds he can no longer obtain the necessary parts to repair broken dolls because all the parts come from Germany. Instead, the family works together to design and make their own, "limited edition" dolls, which are then spotted by a buyer from FAO Schwartz.
The city is very important to the girls' story and McDonough splendidly conveys a detailed sense of place throughout the story. The family lives in the Lower East Side, and there are many references to the kinds of sights and places they see on a daily basis and for special treats. The "packed narrow streets," "crammed with shops, horses, wagons, pushcarts and crowds of people" are contrasted with the wide streets of Fifth Avenue lined with fancy, upscale shops. Moreover, the girls are exposed to a variety of different types of people -- one of the best things about living in the city.
This book is doubly interesting because it seamlessly incorporates, without being didactic, the historical moment in which the action occurs. Small details play a large part in establishing the world the girls live in. I wonder how my son would feel if I sent him to school with a lunch made of "rye bread spread with horseradish, a cold boiled potato, and apple." The family's economic situation changes with the start of the war, the mother must take in work and the girls try to think of ways to earn money. But the girls apply their boundless energy and creativity to help move their family forward.
McDonough has written solid book, with much to recommend it. Heather Maione's black and white illustrations are perfectly suited to the time period. The characters are appealing, the family, even in difficult times, sticks together and the overall tone is positive. Early chapter book readers will enjoy this one and younger ones should have no difficulty following it as a read aloud.
Want More?
Visit the author's website.
Read a comprehensive review at
4 Comments on Entrepreneurial City: The Doll Shop Downstairs, last added: 10/4/2011
By: Maryann Yin,
on 9/28/2011
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Louisville, Detroit, The Moth, StorySLAM, Events, Storytelling, Chicago, New York City, Readers, Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh, los angeles, Add a tag
The Moth StorySLAM Storytelling Series has expanded to Louisville, Pittsburgh and Ann Arbor.
See all the October events here. Although the series already regularly hosts events in Chicago, the organizers will also double the series’ presence in that city. The storytelling slam already runs in New York City, Detroit, and Los Angeles.
Here’s more from the release: “Kicking off on September 27th, the monthly Louisville StorySLAM will take place at Headliners Music Hall on the last Tuesday of every month. Pittsburgh’s StorySLAMs will commence on October 11th and will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at Club Café. Ann Arbor’s StorySLAM series will be held on the third Tuesday of each month at Circus. Chicago’s existing StorySLAM series will be expanded with a new installment every third Monday of the month at the Haymaker Pub & Brewery.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: Lauren,
on 9/26/2011
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: adam rosen, revenge of the nerds, tvtropes, Sociology, culture, New York City, nerd, nerds, geeks, hipsters, *Featured, Lexicography & Language, Add a tag
By Adam Rosen A little over three weeks ago, Hurricane Irene passed through New York City. Although residents greeted warnings from authorities with wildly varying degrees of seriousness, their response was nearly uniform: hunker down. Even for those types relishing the chance to buck official admonishment, there wasn’t much point. Concerts were canceled, beaches were closed, and untold numbers of brunches went unserved. I wasn’t, in truth, all that bothered by the state of affairs.
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By: Storied Cities,
on 9/13/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, New York City, Brooklyn, Middle Grades, Neighbors, K-5, Add a tag
Amy Hest's books have appeared here at Storied Cities before, and in How to Get Famous in Brooklyn
Linda Dalal Sawaya's illustrations are as colorful as Janie's observations and many places in Brooklyn are depicted, from the neighborhood streets to the docks on the waterfront. Brownstones are teals, purples and orange and streets, shops and subways are filled with animated people.
This is a longer than average picture book. The concept of spying on and writing about one's neighbors is a theme in many other children's books so the specificity of Janie's Brooklyn neighborhood should not be a barrier to one's enjoyment of the book.
Want More?
I've also reviewed these Amy Hest books: When You Meet a Bear on Broadway, The Purple Coat, Jamaica Louise James.
Visit the illustrator's website.
Read another book about writing in the city (Manhattan, this time): N
6 Comments on Writer's City: How to Get Famous in Brooklyn, last added: 9/14/2011
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By: Storied Cities,
on 9/12/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, Birds, New York City, Traffic, Trains, Pre-K, Concept Book, K-3, 3 and under, Add a tag
I'm quite surprised I have never come across Where Are You, Little Zack?
Around here, we are big fans of Brian Floca's illustrations, but I think it's interesting he does not list this book on his website. True, it's not as spectacular as his more recent books, such as Moonshot
This book is lots of fun, and judging by the lack of reviews on Amazon, I'm guessing it's not well-known, which I find surprising. I think it would be a lov
4 Comments on Duck City: Where Are You, Little Zack?, last added: 9/13/2011
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By: Storied Cities,
on 9/8/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, New York City, 9/11, Boats, K-5, Add a tag
As we near the 10th anniversary of 9/11 you may be wondering if there are any picture books you might read to your children about the events of that day. Of course the first step is to determine if your children are mature and ready to discuss the full story. If they are, Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey
Maira Kalman has made the wise choice of choosing a way to approach the events of 9/11 that will interest many children: a fireboat. The story actually begins in 1931, when "amazing things were happening big and small" in NYC. Big things, like the Empire State Building's construction and small things like the sale of the first Snickers bar. It was also the year the John J. Harvey Fireboat was launched. Kalman then takes us through the boat's hey dey, its retirement and and refurbishment. But then, on 9/11 the little boat proved to be a unique hero, and, like the events on 9/11, will never be forgotten.
Kalman's illustrations serve the story well, but parents and teachers should preview the book as the illustrations of 9/11 events are powerful.
All in all, this book would be good choice to accompany discussions with your children about 9/11. However, that said, it might be too powerful for some children, and it should not be the first introduction to the events, as the abrupt change of events in the book and the illustrations of the towers on fire can be jarring.
Want More?
Take a look at these other picture books about the twin towers: The Little Chapel That Stood
2 Comments on Heroic City: Fireboat, The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey, last added: 9/10/2011
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By: Storied Cities,
on 9/4/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Animals, New York City, Brooklyn, Pre-K, K-3, Picture Book, Add a tag
Lela Nargi's The Honeybee Man
I have a super soft spot for well-done collage illustrations and Kyrsten Brooker's shine. The color scheme, which makes the sky rather teal and the buildings a palette of browns, blues and purples is unexpected, but worked for me.
The city is a key player in The Honeybee Man
A sweet way to learn about beekeeping.
3 Comments on Buzzing City: The Honeybee Man, last added: 9/6/2011
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By: Lauren,
on 9/1/2011
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: New York City, Geography, hurricane, irene, waterfront, Naked City, Sharon Zukin, michael bloomberg, *Featured, Environmental & Life Sciences, evacuated, crowdmap, developers’, nycsevereweather, hurricane’s, Add a tag
By Sharon Zukin Everyone knows by now that Tropical Storm Irene, which blew through the East Coast last weekend, flooded the beaches, suburbs and some inland towns but did little lasting damage in New York City. I have seldom felt so lucky to live on a high floor with no river view and on a street with very few trees.
0 Comments on Memo from Manhattan: Eye of the storm as of 1/1/1900
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By: Storied Cities,
on 8/26/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Chapter Book, New York City, Middle Grades, grades 3-5, Add a tag
In The Saturdays
New York City plays an important role in the Melendy's life. Enright describes the family's typical brownstone in detail, and the children must navigate the streets on their independent adventures. One chapter is dedicated to a delightful and amusing excursion in Central Park and the zoo and it is fun to think about the differences between the NYC of 1941 and that of today. For example, Oliver goes to the circus at Madison Square Garden's old location at 50th and 8th Ave -- a detail my map-loving 6 year old was quick to point out. But when Oliver is helped home by a mounted policeman, my son then pointed out that police officers in the city still ride on horseback in some locations.
While reading this book to my six year old, I couldn't help thinking about how these kids were having wonderful adventures that they could only have because they didn't have any electronic tranquilizers like video games and you tube to keep them busy and indoors. We recently gave up TV in our own home and I have already noticed the creative difference, so it was fresh on my mind. The Melendy children have a healthy sense of independence and self-reliance, but Enright also surrounds the children with caring adults who support and guide them at important moments.
This was one of the most enjoyable chapte
2 Comments on Familial City: The Saturdays, last added: 8/27/2011
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By: Storied Cities,
on 8/24/2011
Blog: Storied Cities (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Book, History, Animals, New York City, Brooklyn, Construction, K-5, Add a tag
April Jones Prince's Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing
Francois Roca's illustrations felt grand, but I was left wanting more from them. However, there are some interesting views of the bridge. I like the spread of the to-be-completed bridge spanning across the river above steamboats and sailboats. An author's note gives a bit of information about the real story.
If you like bridges and circuses this book is worth a look, but get it from the library.
Want More?
Read another picture book on the same subject: Twenty-One Elephants
Visit the author's website.
Big Kid says: Do the elephants ever go across the bridge now? [Nope, now they go through the Midtown Tunnel!]
4 Comments on Suspension City: Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing, last added: 8/27/2011
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 8/21/2011
Blog: Galley Cat (Mediabistro) (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Events, New York City, Lit Crawl, Operation bookLUCK, Add a tag
Tonight at Scratcher in New York City, Operation bookLUCK will host a happy hour and stockpile used books for a mystery project.
Here’s more about the event: “[We will] collect used books for operation bookLUCK, a viral book drop extravaganza that will make waves all across New York City … Bring books you’re no longer reading – hardcover, paperback, erudite, or silly – and receive $1 off your first drink.”
The New York City fourth annual Lit Crawl event will take place on September 10th. The itinerary includes twenty-one bars throughout the East Village and Lower East Side neighborhoods. San Francisco and Austin readers can join other Lit Crawls in October.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: Pam Coughlan,
on 8/17/2011
Blog: MotherReader (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: New York City, What Happens on Wednesdays, Add a tag
For our summer vacation we went to New York City. Generally it would be an odd choice for late July, when the heat of the concrete brings the temperature most closely approximate to that of Hell. And that's not even counting the smell...
But we had a purpose in the tween's Broadway Artist's Alliance two week program and a drive to enjoy the city to the fullest extent. With our previous visits, we no longer felt the need to hit the tourist places, but instead to experience the city life and try new things.
Tween had a wonderful time at BAA, honing her performance skills with some illustrious Broadway faculty. Her favorite moment was practicing her song "Lamest Place in the World" by singing directly to Adam Kantor - of RENT fame. Our favorite was seeing her monologue in the final showcase, which she delivered perfectly. Truly, I found the showcase for parents and industry astonishing in that every one of those kids was fantastic. There was one boy who sang well but looked nervous, which just reinforced for me how amazing it was that seventy kids under fifteen years old performed well and with confidence.
Teen and I had a blast exploring the city. We often feel like best friends, but even more so on this trip where we were really travel buddies. Together we'd figure out what we wanted to do, we each made compromises for each other, helped sooth over each other's cranky spells, and looked to find the humor in things. We walked until our feet hurt. We shopped, but bought very little. We laughed a lot, and treated ourselves to cupcakes, cookies, and chocolates as needed.
We saw RENT off-Broadway, and would have liked it better if our seats hadn't been so bad. Teen and I saw Avenue Q, which was funny, brilliant, and quite raunchy for a show with puppets. We all went to see two Broadway plays, Catch Me if You Can - which was fun - and How to Succeed in Business - which was ridiculously entertaining, especially Daniel Radcliffe who was working as hard as I've ever seen an actor work. No phoning it in for this kid. Look at him dance:
Over the two weeks the family sampled street fairs and sample sales, gelato and gyros, The Strand and the High Line, Rockerfeller Center and Fort Tryon Park. Our home base for the first week was a friend's apartment in the peaceful, lovely, birdsong-filled Washington Heights. We spent the second week in my cousin's place in the accessible, lively, city-at-your doorstep East Village. There was no drive to purchase "souvenirs," but we bought books, sund
3 Comments on Our Summer Vacation, last added: 8/18/2011
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I checked, and while San Jose public library system doesn't have a book, 10 libraries in our extended CA-Nevada system do. Looks like a lovely book!