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OLD PENN STATION

Name: OLD PENN STATION
Author: William Low
ISBN: 0-8050-7925-4

by William Low & illustrated by William Low ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2007

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In celebration of one of New York City’s vanished glories, Low recreates in words and pictures the ornately decorated, girders-and-glass-ceiling wonder that was old Penn Station. In the text, he covers its history, from construction as a depot for the once-mighty Pennsylvania Railroad to its demolition and far less imposing replacement in the mid-1960s; the full-bleed paintings add impressionistic backgrounds, with hazy scenes of commuters lit by sunlight or lamps, passing through or lingering below soaring architectural spaces. Noting that the destruction of this “palace” created such a public backlash that the Landmarks Preservation Commission was formed—in time to save another gem, Grand Central Station—Low closes with the thought that buildings can be powerful symbols, “the heart and soul of all great cities.” Young readers, New York residents or not, will be more likely to look up the next time they’re downtown, and to understand that every structure has a unique story. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)

Pub Date: April 1, 2007

ISBN: 0-8050-7925-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
CLEAR AND BRIGHT
by Teresa Robeson ; illustrated by William Low

- BOOK REVIEW
WELCOME TO CHINATOWN
by William Low ; illustrated by William Low

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SINKING OF THE <i>VASA</i>
by Russell Freedman ; illustrated by William Low

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THE SERPENT CAME TO GLOUCESTER

by M.T. Anderson & illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2005

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To commemorate well-documented old sightings of huge sea serpents gamboling off the New England coast, Ibatoulline paints richly detailed scenes of wide seas and narrow shores, of small boats, monstrous writhing coils and astonished onlookers—to which Anderson pairs an old man’s reminiscence in verse: “The serpent was twirling, just chasing its tail, / And showed all intention of staying. / ‘Is it back in the deep?’ ‘Is it eating our sheep?’ / ‘I think,’ I said, ‘that the serpent is playing.’ ” Young monster lovers will share the wonder of this never-solved mystery, and applaud when a company of sea-hunter’s strenuous efforts to kill the monster yield only a large mackerel. A 19th-century tale presented in grand, 19th-century style. (afterword) (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: June 1, 2005

ISBN: 0-7636-2038-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2005

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
ELF DOG AND OWL HEAD
by M.T. Anderson ; illustrated by Junyi Wu

- BOOK REVIEW
THE DAUGHTERS OF YS
by M.T. Anderson ; illustrated by Jo Rioux

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ASSASSINATION OF BRANGWAIN SPURGE
by M.T. Anderson & Eugene Yelchin ; illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

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HOW PEOPLE LEARNED TO FLY

by Fran Hodgkins & illustrated by Y Kelley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2007

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Hodgkins’s entry in the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series draws a visual timeline from centuries back, when humans’ dreams of flying evolved into reality. The succinct, simplified text cites human efforts to fly like birds and describes the aeronautical physics of gliding using drag force, thrust and lift. Kelley’s breezy illustrations convey a buoyant tone and keep the explanations understandable for curious young minds. Two pages of backmatter provide “Flying Facts” and instructions for making a paper airplane. Lightly touching on everything from the days of imagining the winged Icarus and dreaming of wings to today’s nonchalance about air travel, this is a welcome addition to easy science books about humans and flight. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)