The Twelve Days of New York

Bolden (Finding Family) riffs on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in this tour of New York City, chronicled by a visiting teacher and her students: “On our first day in New York,/ Just guess what we did see.../ The Statue of Liberty.” While Bolden’s verse may not be quite as mellifluous as the original, it still provides a satisfying overview of the city’s highlights as the crew treks to Chinatown for “Six Treats Amazing”; Grand Central Station, where there are “Eight Babes a-Bawling”; and the South Street Seaport to hear 12 drummers drumming. Ford’s (Flying Lessons) mixed-media art features chunky India ink outlines and a broad palette that portrays afternoon, twilight, indoor, and outdoor scenes with equal skill. Better yet, while the venues are recognizable, the adventurous perspectives Ford uses (an extreme close-up of the Statue of Liberty’s face, for instance) give them a welcome freshness. A map on a final spread identifies all the stops in the book and points out other areas of interest. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Mar.)