Planning a trip to New York City? Live in the city? Have a fondness of skyscrapers and big cities? This is the booklist for you.
We loved visiting New York City during the Christmas season this year and spent a great deal of time beforehand reading about this great city. We lived there for a couple of years and built up quite the collection of New York City Children’s Books.
There are some truly extraordinary books written about New York City. The books below are the best of the best, most of which you can find in our home library. If you think I missed a great one, please share it in the comments below!
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16 Picture Books about New York City
1. A Walk in New York City
by Salvatore Rubbino
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A father takes his son to New York city for the first time in this gently illustrated tribute to the first time wonders of America’s biggest city. Together the pair explore many of the city’s most famous attractions. The author also includes various additional facts about the city in smaller text. For instance, did you know that more hot dogs are consumed in NYC than anywhere else? Or that Broadway’s American Indian name is Wickquasgeck Trail?
2. A New York Year: Twelve Months in the Life of New York’s Kids
by Tania McCartney + Tina Snerling
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A New York Year follows five kids as they have snow days in January, attend the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest in July, and carol in their neighborhood in December. The authors have carefully balanced what is special with New York with the commonalities that kids across the country share while considering a wide variety of diverse backgrounds. This is no easy challenge but the result is an interesting and inspiring snapshot of New York life. Perfect for kids living in New York. 5+
3. Cooper and the Big Apple
by Camille Cohn
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As Cooper the cat and his friend Jennifer explore the city, Cooper figures out that the “Big Apple” refers to the city, subways don’t refer to the sandwich, and Times Square has nothing to do with boring times tables – addressing our many confusion figures of speech. Although these misunderstandings lead to some disappointments, often Cooper finds himself pleasantly surprised by the big city. A fun, often humorous, trip around New York City and a wonderful discussion piece for the language that can confuse young children, especially those on the Autism Spectrum. The book is only enhanced by the delightful mixed media artwork that conveys the story with humor and creativity. Cohn wrote this book using her experiences and knowledge about the autism spectrum and her daughter, Riley, who illustrated the book is on the spectrum and considers her autism a gift.
4. Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure
by Nadja Spiegelman and Sergio Garcia Sanchez
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Lost in NYC is a marvelous subway adventure told through TOON Graphics. A school class, including its brand new student, takes a field trip on a subway train in New York City. It seems like a normal day until a couple of students step onto the Express Train instead of the Local Train and an adventure begins. The reader follows both the teacher and class frantically trying to find the missing students and the two students on their adventure as depicted through busy illustrations and dialogue bubbles. Ultimately, everyone is reconnected and they go on the intended adventure to the top of the Empire State Building. A story subways, New York City, and finding your way in more ways than one. A brilliant book that brings to life the hectic pace of New York, explores the emotions of being someone new, and documents the excitement and history of subway trains in an accessible and visual format for young readers. Make sure to read the additional information about the history and current state of subways and the Empire State Building in the appendix.
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5. You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum
by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Preiss Glasser
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A little girl and her grandmother go to the Met with a balloon in hand. When the security guard stops them and insists they leave the balloon with him it sets off an adventure around the city. Brilliant wordless book teaming with fun details, scenes around the city, and plenty of adventurous inspiration.
6. Balloons Over Broadway
by Melissa Sweet
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This is the true story of the puppeteer that is the original mastermind behind the balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which we got to see this year! The illustrations in this book can’t be beat and I love the fascinating history lesson.
7. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
by Mordicai Gerstein
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This is the true story of a French performer who walked on a cord between the Twin Towers while they were still under construction in 1974. It is a stunningly illustrated adventure and unique tribute to the events of 9/11. This has more recently been made into a movie called The Walk.
8. Nana in the City
by Lauren Castillo
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A little boy goes to visit his Nana in New York City. He loves his Nana, but he thinks her city is too loud, busy, and scary. However, after Nana fashions him a red cape and gives him a tour of the city he comes to understand that although it might be big and loud, New York is also wonderful.
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9. The Carpenter’s Gift
by David Rubel
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This book tells the story of the first tree in Rockefeller Center. It is a beautiful story about hope and Christmas that I discovered a few years ago. I shared it with our kids for the first time after their first New York adventure and it inspired our Kid-Made Ornament for this year.
10. Red & Lulu
by Matt Tavares
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A beautiful story about two birds who accidentally get separated when their home gets chopped down and sent to New York City to be the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. An amazing story full of warmth, Christmas magic, and love.
11. My Little Cities: New York
by Jennifer Adams and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
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Cute toddler friendly opposites book about New York City. Great illustrations and simple text.
12. Julian is a Mermaid
by Jessica Love
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Oh I love this. The illustrations are magical, but what I really love about it is the way Julian’s grandma just unconditionally accepts the mess and the creativity and the unexpected choice her grandson makes. A book about real love and being who you are. Fantastic.
13. New York Melody
by Helene Druvert
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It is impossible not to be swept away by this stunning picture book. The intricate lasercut illustrations paired with the poetic song of text are together a magical combination. I loved the scenes around New York City and I loved the melodic experience of reading this aloud. My one reservation is that something so beautiful and delicate is hard to hand to young children without some tears or mishaps, otherwise this is a book to treasure.
14. You Can’t Ride the Subway in Your Pajamas!
by Brad Spiegel and illustrations by Giovanni Mattucci and Aliza Lewis
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I wish I could have put this book in my son’s hands when he was five. This is a book for all the kids out there who are obsessed with trains – particularly those who live in New York City. It is about a little boy who loves trains and has learned all about the subway routes in NYC. It is full of trains, but also New York City highlights like Central Park and The Bronx Zoo and Grand Central Station. I love this book for kids who live in NYC or who are traveling there.
15. Sunshine
by Ludwig Bemelmans
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MADELINE is adored in our house so we were excited to discover this less known book by Ludwig Bemelmans. Much like MADELINE celebrates its setting in Paris, SUNSHINE is set in New York City. Spots around the city play a large role in the book and they are so much fun to spot if you know the city well. The story itself is fun too. It is about apartment dwelling and a preposterous number of umbrellas. Told in Bemelmans rhyming style and illustrated with his watery paintings, it is a delight.
16. Five Stories
by Ellen Weinstein
History is beautifully captured in this highly readable story. FIVE STORIES shows how one neighborhood has changed over time by sharing five families that have lived in one building. It is based on the building the author’s grandmother lived in and the real people who have lived in it since. From 1914 to the modern day, New York’s Lower East Side has transformed dramatically. Zeroing in on one building and specific families personalizes the history to deepen the reader’s connection and understanding. What I love most as you read through the stories of these immigrant families is that although their cultures differ and the world has modernized, the experiences at their heart are much the same. Each family is hopeful about a new life, each family works hard, each family has left behind loved ones. It is their commonalities that sing from these pages amongst the vibrant diversity. A beautiful tribute to a building, a city, immigrants and a must read explanation of the history that connects us all.
