New York City is one of the best places to explore with kids and reading is a great way to get kids excited about upcoming trips. If you’ve got NYC on your family travel bucket list, check out these 10 Awesome Kids Books – New York City.
10 Awesome Kids Books – New York City
1) 123 New York: A Cool Counting Book by Puck. Perfect for babies and toddlers, this little board book is a great introduction to NYC landmarks. The book is all numbers and pictures so it “reads” in any language you’d like. Uno Statue of Liberty… Dos baseballs…Tres Brooklyn Bridges…they’ll be counting up to ten in no time.
2) This is New York by Miroslav Sasek (ages three and up). I have loved this book for years. The classic storybook shows many details of city life with cartoon characters and colorful illustrations. It may seem a bit dated but it still captures the spirit of New York.
3) Larry Gets Lost in New York City (ages three – seven). Lovable puppy Larry is always getting lost. Follow Larry’s escapades around Manhattan while he visits the city’s many landmarks and attractions.
4) A Walk in New York by Salvatore Rubbino (ages four – eight). Another favorite, this gorgeous book features a father and son’s New York City explorations. Bits of trivia mix with the drawings so kids learn all sorts of interesting NYC facts like the names of the marble lions outside the New York Public Library…aka Patience and Fortitude.
5) Little Kid, Big City (ages five+). Written by a popular NYC blogger, this book is full of first-hand tips for visiting a slew of Big Apple sights and attractions. Kids “choose” their own adventure as they read by deciding “where to go” and flipping through the gorgeously illustrated pages. The fold-out map is super handy for little navigators.
6) My Subway Ride by Paul DuBois Jacobs (ages four – eight). This colorful book depicts the sounds and sights of the NYC subway system. Girls and boys will both enjoy this one.
7) Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet (ages five – ten). If your family loves New York City’s famed Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, this book is sure to become an immediate favorite. The story tells the true story of how the famous floats came to creation with gorgeous graphics and a bit of STEM education along the way.
8) You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline Press Weitzman (ages five-eight). This wordless picture book follows a yellow balloon as it floats all around Manhattan. Kids will recognize famous landmarks as well as paintings and sculptures as they use their imaginations to “read.”
9) Eloise: The Ultimate Edition by Kay Thompson (ages five-ten). For girls who love, love, love Eloise, this treasury will be a big hit. This is a great choice for young travelers since it features Eloise in Moscow and Eloise in Paris as well as Eloise at Christmastime and the original Eloise story and scrapbook.
10) The New York Times: 36 Hours USA & Canada by Barbara Ireland (Kids eight and up). Bigger kids can plan family adventures with this coffee table book filled with travel itineraries and suggestions for trips to New York City (and beyond).
Books make great birthday, baby shower and holiday gifts and these are all sure to please globetrotting kids and parents alike. Planning a New York-themed baby nursery? Just stock a bookshelf with these and you’re halfway there.
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The books all look so charming. I remember reading “you can’t take a balloon to a museum. Love all the colorful illustrations.