Best metro books for kids 2021

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Like many kids growing up in the city, my little boy, Augie, is simply obsessed with the subway (and all things vehicle-related). He loves nothing more than swiping the MetroCard, going through the turnstiles and riding the train for as long as possible. Covid makes it difficult to constantly ride the rails, so when he can’t, he just calls stations on walks and trips, plays with his toy subway cars, and read books on the subway. . We only own three Metro-themed books, but they are some of her favorites to read at night before bed, and I’m always on the lookout for more volumes to add to her library. Below are the three books in our bedtime rotation and a few more that I saved in my basket, which are sure to delight the subway obsessed youngster in your life. Oh, and for a recommendation other than a book, Sarah meyer, MTA’s chief clientele and mother of two, suggests getting “a real New York subway map,” which, as she notes, is free. “I’ve spent countless hours with my older ones, plotting routes, showing her where people live, where we’ve been and where she wants to go,” Meyer said.

It was Augie’s first subway book, and it’s the perfect introduction to the underground system. With vibrant artwork and a diverse cast of characters in equally stylish outfits, it follows a mother and young daughter on a hectic train ride up the city, complete with a transfer. Yellow taxis, food carts, iconic red subway lights and green station markers, and, of course, trains, all of which imply we’re in New York without explicitly saying so, but there are plenty of them. that will be familiar to your little city dweller. The language is simple, rhythmic and repetitive, which makes it a book you will come back to often. There’s even a tiny dog ​​in a small purse that’s fun to follow throughout the story.

Here’s a nifty little book whose illustrations are a bit more abstract but the content is clearly on the MTA (and a bit more advanced than the one above). Written and illustrated by award-winning author Christoph Niemann, it tells the story of two boys and their father as they spend a rainy day traveling underground on as many metro lines as possible. They take the A and set up all the stations, “from Harlem to Brooklyn and Jamaica Bay, then to Far Rockaway beach”, then end up at 42nd Street, where the 7 comes to meet all “his friends”. Augie loves showing off the different trains and saying, “I took the Q train! I took the F train! He loves the “bugs,” aka rats, that are popping up, especially the one that found a downed MetroCard in the tracks. Alas, the journey must come to an end and the two children must be brought back to street level – an experience that Augie can fully relate to.

Augie picked him from the bookstore because he can spot any vehicle-related object within a mile and a half. It’s definitely on the too old side for it (it’s historical and rich in text), but the illustrations are beautiful and graphic and adults learn a lot too. Published in collaboration with MoMA and the New York Transit Museum, it introduces us to the famous Italian designer Massimo Vignelli and traces how he came to design the modern MTA subway map. (This also touches on his many other iconic designs, including American Airlines, Bloomingdales, and Knoll logos, which are of interest to adult readers.) The designer had an “a-ha” moment. Aimed at ages 8 to 12, the book will (hopefully) be the one Augie comes back to when he’s older.

'Trainstop', by Barbara Lehman

This wordless picture book unleashes your child’s imagination as they follow the journey of a little girl taking the train to new landscapes. While not necessarily New York City specific, there are still a few markers that will be familiar to your little one. I love the simple yet graphic imagery and the fact that its author worked for the NYC Transit Authority “to make books about using the subway to get to school,” according to the cover copy.

Take a multicultural, multi-borough hike through the city – from Yankee Stadium to Coney Island – following the jazzy rhythms of text and spellbinding artwork, which is surreal enough to keep readers on their toes. This one feels closest to the spirit of New York, and the opening line should give you an idea of ​​what to expect: “The city is the body, / the subway is the blood, / who crosses / veins of the tunnel. “

This one is definitely for when Augie can read on his own, but I like the idea of ​​a ‘lost in the subway’ adventure for kids – especially as a graphic novel. Pablo is the new kid at school who is unfortunately separated from his classmates on his first school trip to town. But with the help of a friend – and NYC itself – he eventually found his way home. The book contains actual MTA maps, archival photos and facts, so it’s a learning experience as much for your reader as it is for our intrepid protagonist.

While a book on a city’s infrastructure might seem a bit boring, it’s the technical stuff like roads, tunnels, construction sites, and engineering feats that put my little one in a spin. . This classic book by David Macaulay is about a city’s underground network, including subways, yes, but also sewers, power lines, building foundations, and water pipes, illustrated and explained by line drawings. complexes of exposed sectional sections of a square between two intersections. Aimed at older readers, it’s certainly more of a textbook than a storybook, but it’s a book that fascinates both children and adults alike.

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About Karren Campbell

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