I'm not usually attracted to board books that seem catered more to adults than to kids but NYC ABC's might just be the exception. If grinning is a sign of board book approval than I guess it must be good! From the very first page parents will immediately pick up on the humor from A is for "Alternate side of street parking" where illustrated signs in the background say, "No parking Mondays" followed by a sign that says, "Park Mondays" and another sign saying "Park here" and "Do not park here." Such a well depicted reminder of how confusing NYC parking can be! The ticket illustrated on the car is another classic NYC experience that shows the detail that went into making this book.
With lovely watercolor illustrations, the book goes on to highlight NYC staples like Bergdorf Goodman's Christmas window, Central Park Zoo, dahlias in the Flower District, an everything bagel, and the Guggenheim Museum.
Pages like J is for "Jaywalking (tsk-tsk)," or "Lunchtime for the film crew," or "Overwhelmed dog walker," followed by "Pilates + pigeons," or "Q train delayed" all contribute to the sense of accuracy when portraying the Big Apple. The book even includes an illustration of schlepping as a woman is seen carrying a handful of bags and boxes as well as walking her dog and carrying flowers.
As the book comes to a close, let's not forget the "Very little ballerina at Lincoln Center...the Wall Street executives...X for X-tra mustard on a pretzel... yellow taxis, and Z for Zillionaire + son jogging."
For anyone who's been to NYC, it's a fun book and one that I believe toddlers will enjoy regardless of the parent-centered humor. Maybe E should have been for "Escalades chauffeuring kids around Manhattan?"
What would you add?
Enjoy!
