There are a few times of year that especially make me think of New York. One is early April, when we were on our second trip and got the call about Luke. The second time of year is mid-May, when we've made two trips with mostly lovely weather although got hit with rain both times (not the whole trip). The next time of year is mid-September because September 11th memories are still fairly strong even though I was hundreds of miles from NYC on that day, it was a very heavy presence on the news for many weeks. And finally mid-late October which is when we made our first trip which was one of the most perfectly executed trips we've ever taken (literally nothing went wrong and it was very smooth).
Of course, I have read a decent number of NYC set picture books to my boys. Partially because of the sheer volume of books we read, some are bound to slip in. But, also, both boys have been there (that at least Luke remembers) and it's fun for them (and me!) to learn more about the city and some of it's famous landmarks. I've said it so many times but I have learned SO MUCH from reading picture books. Never underestimate what you can learn from some pretty pictures and well chosen words.
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Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11 by Julie Gassman, illustrated by Steve Moors
I had read about this before I read the picture book but I loved the kid version of this too - that the largest water evacuation happened in Manhattan on September 11th. Massive numbers of boats helped get people off the island to somewhere (anywhere) safer. Miraculous and incredible.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
This is a the story of a man, Philippe Petit, who tight roped between the Twin Towers, before they were officially done, in the 1970s. He wasn't supposed to do this and it caused a sensation at the time. When he was arrested the judge gave him the sentence to perform in the park for children. This is a great read that briefly mentions the Towers no longer existing.
This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin
This is about a pear tree that stood between the Towers and, miraculously, survived the towers collapsing. It was moved to the Bronx while Ground Zero was cleared out and later moved back to the Memorial (I am fairly certain we saw this tree, I think I found a picture of it from one of our trips). A story of survival and growth.
Lost in the Library and Where is Our Library by Josh Funk, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
These are two books about the lions that guard the 5th Avenue branch of the New York Public Library, Patience and Fortitude (so named during the Depression or a World War). In one book they get lost inside the library (where we've never been but have seen the lions out front) and the other they get lost around Manhattan (stopping many places we have been) looking for their library when part of the collection was moved. These are fun and made me want to actually go in that 5th Avenue Library.
My Little Golden Books About The Statue of Liberty by Jen Arena, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
Normally I wouldn't include a Little Golden Book but this holds a bit of a special place because I bought it for the boys when we were at The Strand in New York, a few hours after we had visited the Statue of Liberty with them. Then I didn't read it to them until we were at the lake a week later. It's a good, kid size version of how we got to have the famous Lady Liberty!
Liberty Arrives: How America's Grandest Statue Found Her Home by Robert Byrd
This is a longer picture book with more details about how we (America) got the Statue and all the work it took to make her and get her here.
Wilbur Wright Meets Lady Liberty by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor
I find the story of the Statue of Liberty fascinating and also a bit the story of the Wright Brothers, after visiting Kills Devil Hill (twice) where they made the first flight and going to school in Dayton, Ohio, where they were from. Only a few years after the Wrights flew for the first time, Wilbur brought a plane to NYC for a demonstration and flew around the Statue of Liberty. Two icons meeting.
Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Claire Nivola
France was giving us the Statue of Liberty but they weren't giving us the pedestal - that was a problem for the Americans. It took a lot of people to pitch in and raise money for that pedestal and one such contributing person was Emma Lazarus, a poet who was inspired by the Eastern European immigrants. She wrote the famous words: Give me you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." Which are now on a plaque at the Statue (I've seen them). A young woman making history at a time when not many did.
Watch the Stars Come Out by Riki Levinson, illustrated by Diane Goode
This book is ingrained in my mind as the book on the Statue of Liberty episode of Reading Rainbow. (And episode my sister found on VHS for me after our first visit to NYC). The story of immigrants making the trip across the ocean and seeing the Statue for the first time.
Up in the Leaves: The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses by Shira Boss, illustrated by Jamey Christoph
This is the true story of a boy who built treehouses in the trees in Central Park. The park rangers kept finding them and taking them down even though he evaded capture for quite awhile. There are a lot of trees in Central Park and it's fun to think about being up in them!
A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park by Ashley Benham Yazdani, illustrated by John Pruden
When we were trying to convince my parents (really my Mom, my Dad was always on board) that they should go to New York with us, there were two big selling points. 1) Seeing the Statue of Liberty and hopefully getting to go in the crown (we did). 2) Central Park. We didn't get as much time in Central Park as I would have liked (never enough time!) but my parents DID like it. The design and creation of the park is SO fascinating to me and it's incredible to see any of it in person. It's a marvel.
When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy's Fight for an American Icon by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger
We take the Amtrak to New York, getting off at Penn Station which is a giant station almost entirely underground. I've seen pictures of it before and it was incredible before it was razed. That makes the fact that Grand Central was saved all the more impressive because it was also almost razed until Jackie Kennedy stepped in to help.
Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
We love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, watch it every year, and I love reading this story of the man who came up with the big balloons the parade is famous for. We read it ever November!
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