A Walk in New York

by Salvatore Rubbino, Salvatore Rubbino (Illustrator)

Overview

“An intriguing snapshot of the Big Apple, sure to delight New York City residents, tourists, and would-be visitors.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

Follow a young boy and his dad on their walk around Manhattan, from Grand Central Terminal to the top of the Empire State Building, from Greenwich Village to the Statue of Liberty, learning facts and trivia along the way. In an ode to America’s biggest city, Salvatore Rubbino’s lively paintings and breezy text capture the delight of a young visitor experiencing the wonders of New York firsthand. Back matter includes an index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763695101
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

 

Editorial Reviews

An intriguing snapshot of the Big Apple, sure to delight New York City residents, tourists, and would-be visitors.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

It often takes a visitor to point out a city's treasures, and London artist Rubbino does just that in his debut, taking readers on a lively armchair tour of Manhattan sights as seen through the eyes of a day-tripping boy and his dad. First stop: bustling Grand Central Terminal, awash in sunlight that streams through the station's massive windows and onto "so many people-all in a hurry." The book's large trim size and the illustrator's perspective provide an entertaining and palpable sense of scale as the small boy marvels at skyscrapers and landmarks like the Flatiron Building and the main New York Public Library building. Design highlights include a vertical foldout of the Empire State Building; the subsequent spread offers a downtown view from its 86th-floor observatory. Each busy scene features exuberant narration from the boy ("This department store is called Macy's. Dad says that you can buy anything from a dishrag to a diamond inside"), as well as smaller captions of geographical or historical significance. Neophytes and jaded residents alike will embrace this vibrant and enticing slice of the Big Apple. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)

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Publishers Weekly

Gr 2-5

With a backpack over his shoulders, a T-shirted youngster and his father delight in a day in Manhattan in this entertaining and informative travelogue. The boy's first-person narration, set in casual, inviting type, is breezy and involving, making readers feel part of the adventure. In smaller type, fascinating tidbits, staggered around the page to catch attention, supply information such as the number of train platforms at Grand Central Station (44), the names of the New York Public Library's marble lions (Patience and Fortitude), and how many taxicabs (more than 12,000) ply the city streets. Illustrated endpapers, including the Flatiron Building, Greenwich Village, and Macy's, map the journey. Rubbino uses the whole page to tell his story, letting subdued colors provide effective backdrops to the tall buildings and high bridges; then, when the two reach the Empire State Building, the page unfolds upward, showing the landmark structure in its full glory. Meanwhile, the artist doesn't stint on views of New Yorkers; sketches of people-all sizes, shapes, colors, and from all walks of life-provide great opportunities for people-watching on the page. At day's end, a cab ride back to Grand Central makes a fitting ending to the pair's highly satisfying day. This is an intriguing snapshot of the Big Apple, sure to delight New York City residents, tourists, and would-be visitors.-Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

School Library Journal

This is not, of course, about New York City as a whole, but about Manhattan, as nearly all such volumes aimed at young people are. A boy and his dad come into Grand Central on the commuter train. In the boy's voice, readers hear of their travels to the Empire State Building (on a rather spiffy foldout), the New York Public Library, Macy's, Union Square and Greenwich Village. Various factlets are scattered throughout, separate from the boy's narrative, and while none seem to be incorrect, no sources are given anywhere. The Lenape name for the Hudson River, Muhheakantuck, is described merely as an "American Indian name," and the Wickquasgeck Trail (Broadway) is similarly described, which undercuts the specificity of a spread in which passersby exchange greetings in seven of New York's 170 languages. The 1950s-look mixed-media art is done in earth tones with hints of sunniness. It's very pretty, but doesn't replace other such standbys as Kathy Jakobsen's My New York (1993, 2003). (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews