From Publishers Weekly
A gifted folk artist, Jakobsen (illustrator of Reeve Lindbergh's Johnny Apple seed ) here conducts a thoroughly enjoyable and informative excursion through Manhattan. Her fastidiously detailed oil paintings illustrate a chatty letter written by a girl named Becky to a friend who will soon be moving from the Midwest to New York. Becky's tour of the Big Apple includes visits to the Central Park Zoo, the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store, Chinatown and the South Street Seaport; like any good guide, she throws in suggestive statistics (the Baby Watson cheesecake operation uses more than 38,000 eggs a day). Several foldout pages present larger-scale visual extravaganzas, among them a panorama of the skyline as seen from the top of the Empire State Building, a high-rise under construction and dinosaur skeletons at the American Museum of Natural History. As an added treat, youngsters can search out Becky and her parents, who appear in each picture. This stunning book's piece de resistance is a spectacular double-page spread of New York Harbor on the Fourth of July, with fireworks exploding over the Statue of Liberty and an impressive assemblage of tall ships. A splendid tribute to the city that never sleeps. All ages. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Jakobsen's combination of descriptive, conversational text and colorful folk-art paintings brings to life a young girl's New York scenes. From the Statue of Liberty off the lower tip of Manhattan to the Museum of Natural History on West 81st Street, readers tour places and events such as the NYC Marathon, the Central Park Zoo and carousel, FAO Schwartz, Chinatown, the home of Baby Watson cheesecake, the circus at Madison Square Garden, the aircraft carrier Intrepid, South Street Seaport, and the Fourth of July fireworks over New York Harbor. Fold-out pages of the Empire State Building and a building under construction are an interesting design addition. A map appears inside both front and rear covers. Most illustrations are double paged, with a few exceptions that do not work as well because of the busy details on facing pages. Notes at the end give additional information about each site or event mentioned. Although Becky's New York is in reality only a small area of Manhattan, the marvelously detailed illustrations and the excellent range of places paints an exciting and informative picture of the best of New York City life and activity. A visual treat for children from all around the country. Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
A tour of ``my favorite places,'' described in a letter from Becky to a friend who's moving to New York from the Midwest. The child's-eye view suggests a good balance of topics--a flea market and the subway, as well as Manhattan's familiar attractions. Folk-artist Jakobsen fills her precise illustrations with details to explore, employing different points of view to good advantage: the Empire State Building in perspective from the street (sideways on a foldout page) plus a panorama from its top on the verso; elevated views of the N.Y.C. Marathon and Chinatown. A vertical foldout accommodates the Natural History Museum's remarkably tall, slender barosaurus. The illustrations are busy but nicely orchestrated, with bright, attractively stylized forms and figures mingling on every spread, plus Becky--in the same attire regardless of season--to be discovered on each. Other pictorial visits to New York include Munro's Inside-Outside book (1985); this one is distinguished by its wealth of cheerful, authentic detail and pleasingly decorative style. Endpaper map. (Picture book. 4-9) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
My New York: New Anniversary Edition ANNOTATION
A young New Yorker writes to her friend from the Midwest to tell about the things they will see in the city when Martin comes to visit her. Some foldout pages.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
With a young girl guiding them to all her favorite places, readers are treated to a stunning, kid's eye-view of New York City. Engagingly described and sumptuously illustrated with paintings full of details to pore over again and again, the city's pleasures almost burst of the page. Readers are introduced to the thrill of riding your own special horse on Central Park's colorful carousel, the magic of seeing the spectacular Fourth of July firewords explode over the New York skyline, and much, much more. Oversized fold-out pages of the Empire State Building, the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History, the Chrysler buidling, and Rockefeller Center at Christmastime add to the fun, while a map in the front and fun facts in the back make a helpful guide. With paintings by a premier American folk artist, this is a visual celebration of one of the world's most fabled cities, sure to be treasured by young and old.
Author Biography: Kathy Jakobsen is one of America's premier folk artists. Her paintings are wildly collected and are part of a number of permanent collections, including the Museum of American Folk Art and the Smithsonian.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
A gifted folk artist, Jakobsen (illustrator of Reeve Lindbergh's Johnny Apple seed ) here conducts a thoroughly enjoyable and informative excursion through Manhattan. Her fastidiously detailed oil paintings illustrate a chatty letter written by a girl named Becky to a friend who will soon be moving from the Midwest to New York. Becky's tour of the Big Apple includes visits to the Central Park Zoo, the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store, Chinatown and the South Street Seaport; like any good guide, she throws in suggestive statistics (the Baby Watson cheesecake operation uses more than 38,000 eggs a day). Several foldout pages present larger-scale visual extravaganzas, among them a panorama of the skyline as seen from the top of the Empire State Building, a high-rise under construction and dinosaur skeletons at the American Museum of Natural History. As an added treat, youngsters can search out Becky and her parents, who appear in each picture. This stunning book's piece de resistance is a spectacular double-page spread of New York Harbor on the Fourth of July, with fireworks exploding over the Statue of Liberty and an impressive assemblage of tall ships. A splendid tribute to the city that never sleeps. All ages. (Sept.)
Publishers Weekly
In another big-city adventure, My New York by Kathy Jakobsen, Becky tours the Big Apple, with elaborate paintings of popular destinations such as the Central Park Zoo, FAO Schwarz and Chinatown. Fold-out pages depict a sweeping view from the top of the Empire State Building, and a towering Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. First published in 1993, and praised in a PW starred review as "a splendid tribute to the city that never sleeps," this updated edition includes additional scenes such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New Year's Eve in Times Square and a 4th of July celebration with a view of the twin beams of light in homage to the World Trade Center. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-Jakobsen's combination of descriptive, conversational text and colorful folk-art paintings brings to life a young girl's New York scenes. From the Statue of Liberty off the lower tip of Manhattan to the Museum of Natural History on West 81st Street, readers tour places and events such as the NYC Marathon, the Central Park Zoo and carousel, FAO Schwartz, Chinatown, the home of Baby Watson cheesecake, the circus at Madison Square Garden, the aircraft carrier Intrepid, South Street Seaport, and the Fourth of July fireworks over New York Harbor. Fold-out pages of the Empire State Building and a building under construction are an interesting design addition. A map appears inside both front and rear covers. Most illustrations are double paged, with a few exceptions that do not work as well because of the busy details on facing pages. Notes at the end give additional information about each site or event mentioned. Although Becky's New York is in reality only a small area of Manhattan, the marvelously detailed illustrations and the excellent range of places paints an exciting and informative picture of the best of New York City life and activity. A visual treat for children from all around the country.- Mary Rinato Berman, New York Public Library
BookList - Ilene Cooper
From the South Street Seaport to the Museum of Natural History, Jakobsen presents New York City, capturing all its incredible energy. She frames the text in a letter from a young New Yorker writing to a friend. The boy will be visiting soon, and the narrator describes the many sights he'll see, not all of them regular tourist stops--one of the neatest pictures is of the Baby Watson Cheesecake Bakery, whose owner puts his baby picture on every box. Jakobsen's shrewdly chosen sites get terrific treatments in her crowded folk-style art, which makes the city come alive. Whether the view is from the roof of the writer's apartment building or looking across at snow-covered Central Park, the pictures make viewers feel as if they were right there, riding on the Staten Island Ferry or staring up at the Empire State Building (a three-page fold-out spread). The book really covers a wide age range. Primary-graders will enjoy looking at the pictures, and older kids doing reports on the city should get a real feel for it through Jakobsen's art. Adults, too, will enjoy the visual visit. A map of the city appears on the endpapers.
Art & Photography
Book Info
