Tag: City Life

New York is My Playground

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NewYorkIsMyPlayground

Image Credit: POW! (powerHouse Packaging & Supply, Inc.), Jane Goodrich/Bob Raczka

City life. Movement. Happy kids.

New York is My Playground is a joyful romp though New York City. Goodrich’s vibrant photographs accompany Raczka’s playful words in this simple and beautiful book. It’s more of a collection of photographs with text than a story; one huge spread shows a little boy “holding up” a large red sculpture and he says “I feel like I can do anything in New York.”

This book showcases the hustle & bustle of New York but also explores the fact that you can find a quiet, restful spot when you need it. Curious kids twist, run, jump and play on every page. I love the diversity of the kids and the energy of the photography. Goodrich’s shots are dynamic! The typography, with its vibrant colors, is fun; it looks like graffiti covering the city landscape. Instead of sitting in straight lines on the page, the typography is blended & bended into the city landscape. It’s really visually interesting.

This is a fun one! Kids in New York might recognize familiar spots and kids not in New York have the opportunity to check out a new city. New York is My Playground, with words like “running,” “dancing,” and “jumping,” is great for getting kids up and moving during story time!

Enjoy!

 

Recommended for: All ages
Great for: City Life, New York, Movement, Diversity, Read Aloud, Friendship, Family, Photography, Exploration, Feelings, Colors
Book Info: New York is My Playground photographs by Jane Goodrich/Text by Bob Raczka, 2016 POW! (powerHouse Packaging & Supply, Inc.), ISBN: 9781576877890

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City Shapes

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CityShapes

Image Credit: Little, Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group), Diana Murray/Bryan Collier

I first saw this book cover online many, many months before it published and I couldn’t forget it. How could I?? Her smiling brown face is full of joy and wonder. Now I finally have my own copy of this book and it is a delight.

Summer is starting to wind down and like the little girl in this book, kids are holding onto the last bits of fun before they head back to school. City kids will really relate to City Shapes; it celebrates the beauty of city-living and also teaches shapes! In the story, a mama pigeon and an imaginative girl spend the day exploring their city. The dynamic spreads and gorgeous rhyming sentences teach children about shapes found in the city. Children will enjoy reading Murray’s rhymes and searching for shapes in the illustrations. Maybe they’ll even be inspired to search for shapes in their own home.

This book sounds beautiful read aloud. I hope families, teachers and librarians are reading it to their children. Murray’s flowing words are enhanced by Collier’s colorful and dreamy art. Collier’s signature watercolor and collage art has so many layers for children to explore; he truly brings the city to life. I especially love that the girl in the book is his daughter! In a time when we need many more excellent books staring black children, I’m so happy to have this one to love and recommend.

What a lovely book! With every read you’ll find something new to enjoy. ❤

 

P.S. Towards the end of the book, look for the tiny photograph of Collier’s daughter! 😀

 

Recommended for: All Ages
Great for: Imagination, Discovery, City Life, Creativity, Shapes, Animals, Friendship, Read-Aloud, Diversity, African American, Black Girl Magic
Book Info: City Shapes by Diana Murray/Illustrated by Bryan Collier, 2016 Little, Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group), ISBN: 9780316370929

 

 

 

 

Wait

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Wait

Image Credit: A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press (MacMillan), Antoinette Portis

First of all, the cover illustration wraps around to the back of the book…so 10 points to Gryffindor!!

Secondly, what a precious book that speaks loudly to the idea of quiet, slow moments. Wait is about paying attention to the details and it encourages readers to slow down and enjoy.

There are only three words spoken in the entire book. In Wait, a busy mother rushes through the city with her young son in tow while she says “Hurry” and he says “Wait.” She encourages his curiosity about the world around him while kindly nudging him on to their destination. I love how they’re in two different worlds mentally but are still very connected; she holds his hand lovingly.

This book is so clever! Portis uses foreshadowing in the illustrations to give the reader hints about what’s coming next. Be sure to keep an eye on the truck with the fish and though it seems like Mom says no to the delicious rainbow treat, maybe they’ll get another rainbow treat later!

Wait 2

Image Credit: A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press (MacMillan), Antoinette Portis

The first time I finished this book, I thought “Oh that’s sweet” but as I re-read it for this review, I realized how complex it is! Portis’ illustrations are bold & confident with rich colors. The wide pages are perfect for depicting movement since the story starts at one point and ends at another. It’s a great story about city life, relationships and appreciating the little things! Check it out!

P.S. This book pairs excellently with Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith which is another beautiful book about a city commute.

 
Recommended for: All Ages
Great for: City Life, Beginning Readers, Patience, Relationships, Diversity
Book Info: Wait by Antoinette Portis, 2015 A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press (MacMillan), ISBN: 9781596439214

Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin

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DearPrimo

Image Credit: Abrams Books for Young Readers, Duncan Tonatiuh

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that Duncan Tonatiuh is one of my favorite author/illustrators. Not only does he write great stories, he’s an amazing artist. I got the chance to read this book (his very first one!) while preparing for my interview with him and I’ve also reviewed his more recent books Salsa and Funny Bones.

Dear Primo is a story about two cousins. Carlitos lives in Mexico, in the country and on a farm and Charlie lives in a big city in the United States. They write letters back and forth to each other, explaining their daily lives and the things they like to do. While Carlitos rides his bicicleta to school every day past the perros and nopal, Charlie rides the busy subway, which he describes is like a long metal snake that travels underground. The duality of the storytelling makes it easy for children to compare and contrast. At the end of the story, both boys come up with the same conclusion; it’s time to visit each other! 🙂

Though it seems their lives are very different, there are more similarities than differences. Duncan incorporates Spanish words into the text and they’re also printed in bold, white letters in the illustrations. Children can pick up the words and definitions easily, matching visuals to the words.

I’ll never get enough of Duncan Tonatiuh’s art style. Inspired by Mixtec codices, his figures are inspired by the past and updated for modern day. He uses digital collage for texture; an image of blue jean for Charlie’s pants and images of marbles for Carlito’s game of canicas! I love the well-balanced cover with crinkly lined paper in the background. As I mentioned to Duncan in our interview, it’s interesting to see how his lines have become cleaner and more polished over the years. Dear Primo‘s art is much more “raw” as he put it, compared to his most recent book Funny Bones, but I enjoy the art of both for their similarities and differences. Teachers, this book is great to introduce a unit on pen-pals. I think you’ll enjoy Dear Primo. Check it out!

 

Recommended for: All ages
Great for: Family, Cousins, Friendship, Duality, Relationships, City Life, Country Life, Culture, Cultural Relativism, Games, Daily Life, Traditions, Mexico, Mexican-American, Food Culture, Mexican Food, Spanish Language, Pen-Pals
Book Info: Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh, 2010 Abrams Books for Young Readers, ISBN: 9780810938724