A Walk in New York

It often takes a visitor to point out a city's treasures, and London artist Rubbino does just that in his debut, taking readers on a lively armchair tour of Manhattan sights as seen through the eyes of a day-tripping boy and his dad. First stop: bustling Grand Central Terminal, awash in sunlight that streams through the station's massive windows and onto “so many people—all in a hurry.” The book's large trim size and the illustrator's perspective provide an entertaining and palpable sense of scale as the small boy marvels at skyscrapers and landmarks like the Flatiron Building and the main New York Public Library building. Design highlights include a vertical foldout of the Empire State Building; the subsequent spread offers a downtown view from its 86th-floor observatory. Each busy scene features exuberant narration from the boy (“This department store is called Macy's. Dad says that you can buy anything from a dishrag to a diamond inside”), as well as smaller captions of geographical or historical significance. Neophytes and jaded residents alike will embrace this vibrant and enticing slice of the Big Apple. Ages 4–up. (Apr.)