New York City is a special place for Hazel and me. At a young age, she wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. I have been lucky enough to take her on several trips to New York. And we are going again this summer for my birthday!! I promised to take her to see a Broadway show. After all her dream is perform on Broadway some day and she has never actually been. As we are planning our weekend away, these two new books arrived and only added to my excitement for our trip! The first is a beautiful book called Unknown New York: An Artist Uncovers the City's Hidden Treasures by Jesse Richards. This is not a children's book but is also a book that could be read with a child to learn more about the city.
About the Book:
An intrepid and gifted artist uncovers and illustrates more than 100 surprising, enchanting, and sometimes downright bizarre nooks and crannies that make New York such a compelling city.
It’s no surprise that New York City is the most visited destination in the U.S., and has proved itself to be an endlessly fascinating exploration ground to visitors and natives alike. Unknown New York walks readers through the vibrant, hidden, and forgotten worlds churning beneath the surface of the city. From the oldest bridge — a footbridge described as a “red sidewalk through the sky” — to a quirky and little-known Superhero Supply Store in Brooklyn to the original and abandoned Hall of Fame in the Bronx, the author takes us on a magical mystery tour through the city many people think they know.
Each entry presents a brief and compelling description of a hidden park, historical site, niche shop, etc and is accompanied by a charming four-color illustration by the author.
Divided into chapters titled Hidden History, Humble Parks, On the Street, Shopping Spree, Quiet Realms, Central Park, and Excursions, Jesse Richards reveals to us such extraordinary sites as the first Hall of Fame, a church where an attempted assassination took place in the 1800’s, a part of the Bronx that resembles Capri, the many pocket parks hidden in plain sight, the less frequented corners of Central Park, unusual shops conveying surprising items for all ages, a waterfall tunnel in midtown, and so much more. Also included are curated walks to lead you to several sites in an afternoon. There’s a Downtown River Walk, Neighborhood Parks Walk, Midtown Book-Lover’s Walk, and a Hidden Central Park Walk.
It’s no surprise that New York City is the most visited destination in the U.S., and has proved itself to be an endlessly fascinating exploration ground to visitors and natives alike. Unknown New York walks readers through the vibrant, hidden, and forgotten worlds churning beneath the surface of the city. From the oldest bridge — a footbridge described as a “red sidewalk through the sky” — to a quirky and little-known Superhero Supply Store in Brooklyn to the original and abandoned Hall of Fame in the Bronx, the author takes us on a magical mystery tour through the city many people think they know.
Each entry presents a brief and compelling description of a hidden park, historical site, niche shop, etc and is accompanied by a charming four-color illustration by the author.
Divided into chapters titled Hidden History, Humble Parks, On the Street, Shopping Spree, Quiet Realms, Central Park, and Excursions, Jesse Richards reveals to us such extraordinary sites as the first Hall of Fame, a church where an attempted assassination took place in the 1800’s, a part of the Bronx that resembles Capri, the many pocket parks hidden in plain sight, the less frequented corners of Central Park, unusual shops conveying surprising items for all ages, a waterfall tunnel in midtown, and so much more. Also included are curated walks to lead you to several sites in an afternoon. There’s a Downtown River Walk, Neighborhood Parks Walk, Midtown Book-Lover’s Walk, and a Hidden Central Park Walk.
From Me:
This book is perfect for someone who wants to see New York City in ways the average person does not. It is perfect for someone who is always there, like my nephew. He lives there. In fact, I think I'm going to save it for part of a gift to him. I love that this book shares about a place and its story as well as the beautiful artwork Jesse created with her art group. The art is beautiful!! The history and places are interesting.
I love the different chapters. You can pick your mood. Are you in the mood to discover some history or go to a park. Maybe you are in the mood for shopping or for a quiet place. There are so many options and with each one Jesse shares a bit about each place and why it is worth checking out. At the back of the book there are walks that can give you a tour of some of the amazing places. If you want to explore the more hidden parts of New York City or just want to learn about them, this book is for you!! One of our favorite things to do when Hazel was young was to read about different places and learn all about them. This book definitely adds an entire new dimension to knowing about New York City!
Our next book is a sticker book that kids will love!! It is I Love New York City Sticker Book by Workman Publishing and illustrated by Laura Supnik.
About the Book:
I Love New York City Sticker Book is a fun and colorful visual celebration of the Big Apple. Filled with 300+ stickers illustrated by local artist Laura Supnik, the book includes everything from yellow taxi cabs, the shining lights of Broadway, and our lovable pigeon and rat friends to all of the city’s boroughs and best-known landmarks (think Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Staten Island Ferry, the Unisphere).
From the creators behind the bestselling Paint by Sticker series, this sticker book will speak to anyone who has a special place in their heart for NYC.
From Me:
This book has loads of the many things people love about New York City in it. There are the Metrocards, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, the skyline, food, signs, buildings, animals including pigeons, t-shirts, pages for the various boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx as well as a page for LGBTQ+ pride and New York in the four seasons. There is so much here!
These stickers are perfect for scrapbooking, memory books, cards, artwork, or just decorating your computer or water bottle. I love that they have stickers for everything one might do in New York or might love! I know I'll be using some to make memories from our trip this summer and possibly for some crafts for Christmas gifts! After all who doesn't love New York!
New York City Resources:
We always used books and crafts to explore various places. We have done several crafts and read many books about and set in New York City. If you want to use these books to explore New York, be sure to check out these other resources.
1) New York a Foldout Wall Chart
5) Tales of Charlie Wags: New York City with Craft Roundup
8) We Leap Together a picture book about family including the whales returning to NYC
9) Whales in the City another picture book about the whales returning to the NYC harbor and waters
4) Greenhorn
6) Andy Warhol
