nyc #2
Next up is a book by Maira Kalman (illustrator, author, designer, fellow lover of found objects, and a personal hero of mine): Next Stop Grand Central.
"There is a place in New York City that is the busiest, fastest, biggest place there is. It is a train station. This place is called Grand Central.. It's not called grand for nothing!"
Ms. Kalman takes us behind the scenes of Grand Central station, showing all the people that work there. Ed changes the light bulbs, Etha delivers the mail, Marino makes oyster stew at the Oyster Bar, and Dave makes sure the trains are on time.
So many people going so many places. Ms. Kalman writes, "Trains are trips. And trips are adventures. And adventures are new ideas and romance and you can't ever know what in the world will happen which is exactly why you are going."
The endpapers show the mural of constellations which makes up the ceiling over the grand concourse. I used to sit and stare at this as long as I could before rushing off to catch my train. A magical place indeed.
11.18.2008
Reader Comments (12)
I've only been to NYC once and now I'm convinced I need to go back. These books are cute.
I read more of your blog and now I know why I like it so much, you used to work for Martha Stewart! Martha Stewart Kids and the Baby issues are my absolute favorite magazines. I read a ton of magazines and save some, but I'm obsessive about keeping all my MS Kids. I was so bummed when it ended!
My son LOVES another great Maira Kalman book, Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey. Heroic indeed! What a great way of telling an important story about New York. The city is also a piece of my history I would love to share with my kids. Even though we are only on Long Island now, life here is much different... Thanks for sharing these books!
Ah, I love Maira Kalman! Have you seen Jessie Hartland's work, and Laura Carlin's? Two other favourites (among many). I'm looking forward to the rest of your children's book posts!
I think I'll email the link to your posts for this week to relatives for holiday gift ideas...such great finds!
Hello,
The story of your experience living in, and moving from NYC is very touching...also seeing a presentation of Maira Kalman's (one of my favorite New Yorkers) book is nice too. Wonderful blog - I will be back :)
What an absolutely charming book! I'm one of those grown-ups that could sit and read children's books for hours, and this looks like a must-read. Makes me miss New York, and makes me excited to have kiddos one day so I can take them to Grand Central and show them the crazy city where Mommy and Daddy used to live!
I love this post! The Sasek series is a personal favorite, but this one is new to me, yay. Can't wait to get it and delve in with my little guys. By the way, your blog is wonderful, thanks for sharing!
Every one of these book posts make me miss the city of my dreams (and for ten years, my reality) so very much. i hope to introduce it to my kids the same way someday...
Oooh, I love Maira Kalman, especially "The Principles of Uncertainty". Thanks for all the wonderful book recommendations--it's amazing how much you learn about your home city once you've grown and moved away (and had kids!). I echo Holly's comments about the now defunct MSL Kids--such a great publication! Now that I've read a bit of your blog, I can definitely see your hand in its lovely design.
I love Maira Kalman so much! I have loved her since long, long before I had children and I bought a copy of the book Stay Up Late... the Talking Heads song with her illustrations. It's long out of print, I don't have the book anymore, and every now and then I check on it on Amazon and think of buying it. But it's so expensive, and just keeps getting expensiver. And I read my kids What Pete Ate from A to Z tonight... LOVE it! Can't get enough Kalman!
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