A booklist of New York City Books for All Ages
The Children’s Book Review
From iconic sights, landmarks, and attractions, this selection of gorgeous kids’ books about New York City are excellent choices for any young reader.
Mr. Boddington’s Studio: NYC ABCs
Written and illustrated by Mr. Boddington’s Studio
Ages 3-5 | 28 Pages
Publisher: Penguin Workshop | ISBN: 978-1524792039
What to expect: Letters of the alphabet, iconic NYC sights
Mr. Boddington’s Studio: NYC ABCs is a cleverly designed board book that aims to bring the letters of the alphabet to life in a distinctly New York setting. Each letter is brilliantly described—from “Alternate side of the street parking” to “Kitten in a bodega” and “Metrocard”—and beautifully illustrated. Readers will love looking for the intricate details that highlight the city’s uniqueness, as well as its iconic sights and frenetic pace.
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New York Day & Night
Written by Aurelie Pollet
Illustrated by Vincent Bergier
Ages 3-6 | 30 Pages
Publisher: Prestel Junior | ISBN: 978-3791373782
What to expect: NYC sights, imaginative interpretations of common NYC scenes
New York Day & Night is an ingenious book that provides readers with two versions of distinctly New York scenes—an imaginary version of a scene at night and the reality of the scene during the day. The authors have used a clever blue insert between illustrated pages to show a slightly different version of daytime realities. The effect is fun and gives ample opportunity to activate young imaginations about the possibilities of different scenes. A fun, interactive book that will spark conversation and creativity.
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Mice in the City: New York
Written by Ami Shin
Ages 6-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Thames & Hudson | ISBN: 978-0500651285
What to expect: Intricate illustrations of NYC landmarks and lots of mice
In Mice in the City: New York, author Ami Shin has put together a lovely book of NYC landmarks and attractions from Grand Central Station to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Coney Island and everything in between. Young readers will love looking for the little mice that populate the pages and seeing their many adventures.
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Nelly Takes New York
Written by Allison Pataki and Marya Myers
Illustrated by Kristi Valiant
Ages 4-8 | 48 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster | ISBN: 978-1534425040
What to expect: Young girl sets out to find “the Big Apple”
Nelly Takes New York is the first installment of the Big City Adventure Series. Nelly lives in NYC and one day decides to find where “the Big Apple” really is. Each stop on her quest is an iconic NYC landmark but the big apple is proving more elusive than she expected. Readers will delight in the many twists and turns that Nelly takes on her adventure and will learn a lot about the city that never sleeps and the many people that live there!
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Bolivar Eats New York
Written by Sean Rubin
Ages 5-8 | 24 Pages
Publisher: Archaia | ISBN: 978-1684154241
What to expect: A culinary tour of New York City
Bolivar, a dinosaur, and Sybil, a young New Yorker, set off on a culinary tour of New York City in Bolivar Eats New York. Sybil has decided that she is going to help Bolivar break out of his routine of only eating corned beef sandwiches. They wander through the five boroughs eating iconic foods at every turn. Readers will enjoy this graphic novel that is teeming with detailed illustrations of city scenes and delicious foods!
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Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island
Written by Jennifer Thermes
Ages 8-12 | 64 Pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams | ISBN: 978-1419736551
What to expect: An illustrated history of the evolution of Manhattan
In Manhattan Mapping the Story of an Island, author Jennifer Thermes has cleverly illustrated the history of the island of Manhattan from the arrival of Henry Hudson in 1609 and his interactions with the Lenape Native Americans to the present day. Told in a conversational style and chock full of interesting sidebars, this book will appeal to middle-grade students looking for an easy-to-digest but comprehensive history of the city that highlights the city’s constant growth, renewal, and rebirth after any number of tragedies.
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The booklist 6 Gorgeous Kids’ Books About New York City was curated by Luisa LaFleur. Follow along with our articles and reviews tagged with New York City and Geography.
