What do you think?
Rate this book
A City Is
A city is
streets crossing,
fire trucks,
bridges,
sirens,
great towers of stone,
and
one red geranium
on a windowsill.
A tribute to New York City for the very young by a distinguished poet
In this evocative collection of poems about the uniqueness and diversity of the city of New York, savor the beauty of Manhattan from spring through winter. Visit the pocket parks, the sky-high buildings, the bustling streets and celebrate the Fourth of July on the banks of the rivers that surround the city. This tribute by a talented poet and playwright is brought to life in detailed, vibrant illustrations.
streets crossing,
fire trucks,
bridges,
sirens,
great towers of stone,
and
one red geranium
on a windowsill.
A tribute to New York City for the very young by a distinguished poet
In this evocative collection of poems about the uniqueness and diversity of the city of New York, savor the beauty of Manhattan from spring through winter. Visit the pocket parks, the sky-high buildings, the bustling streets and celebrate the Fourth of July on the banks of the rivers that surround the city. This tribute by a talented poet and playwright is brought to life in detailed, vibrant illustrations.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2004
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 13, 2023
This book is a fun collection of different poems that describe New York City. The illustrations are beautiful and I think it would be a great book to introduce students to different states!
Read
April 26, 2016Title: A City Is
Author: Norman Rosten
Illustrator: Melanie Hope Greenberg
Genre: Poetry
Theme(s): City, Family, Rivers Bridges, Mapmaking, Seasons
Opening line/sentence: A city is/streets crossing,/fire trucks,/ bridges,/sirens,/great towers of stone,/and/one red geranium/on a windowsill.
Brief Book Summary: The book is about a big city and everything in it. It talks about what happens to the city in different seasons, as well as things that people can do. It also talks about 4th of July and the fireworks, as well as boats traveling around Manhattan.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 13))
While buildings sleep / the moon is drifting / like a toy balloon / over Brooklyn Bridge." True to American poetic tradition, these very simple poems by the late Rosten, the first poet laureate of Brooklyn, celebrate both the big picture and the close-up, tiny detail. The streets are crowded with traffic beneath the great towers of stone--and there's a red geranium on a windowsill. Greenberg's clear, collage-style gouache illustrations on watercolor paper show the city through the day and night and through the seasons, especially as they occur in New York. The park is busy with people playing ball and chess, and working out in Tai Chi groups, while a kite sails in the sky. The diversity of the neighborhood is part of the story, and children will enjoy the view of people they know in a busy, magical place in both sunshine and snow. Category: Books for the Young--Nonfiction. 2004, Holt, $16.95. PreS-Gr. 2.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2004.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature)
The free verse and the artwork celebrate the essence of New York City. There is great child appeal here with red fire trucks charging down a city street, a boat-filled harbor and a park full of children playing. The seasonal changes are represented, too, by springtime kite flying ("Look! It just broke away! Hope it lands on a soft place/ like a pillow, or cloud."); a sudden summer shower ("The birds sing while taking a bath/in puddles and wet grass."); the squirrels gathering nuts in the autumn ("burying nuts against the frost,/ closing storm windows/ wherever their secret houses are..."); and snow falling in winter ("Snow makes the city very quiet-/ you can even whisper and be heard."). A child and his mother are pictured in many of the two-page spreads, adding even more interest to each illustration. While it should be read for its pure enjoyment, this is also a great title to use in the curriculum on city themes, rivers and bridges, mapmaking, and seasons. 2004, Henry Holt, $16.95. Ages 5 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2004.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews talk about the pictures and how bright and colorful they are, which draws students in. They also both talk about the great free verses and they all about New York City. The first review talks about the diversity of the neighborhood as a big part of the story. The second review talks about how great of a title this is to use in a curriculum on city themes, rivers, bridges, mapmaking, and seasons.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This is a great book to talk about free verse because this does not have any specific rhyme scheme. It is also a good book to talk about descriptions of the different seasons and what happens in each season. It talks about the weather in that season, as well as what people and animals do in it. It also talks about rivers and bridges, which could be used to talk about different landmarks. It also mentions 4th of July, which could be used to talk about the holidays throughout the year.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
For this book, I would talk about the four seasons, asking what the weather is and what the students would wear in that season. I would have the students draw a picture of their favorite season with lots of different colors. I would also talk about famous rivers and bridges around the world and what type of transportation they would need to get around it. Lastly, I would talk about different holidays that happen throughout the year and what happens during each holiday.
Author: Norman Rosten
Illustrator: Melanie Hope Greenberg
Genre: Poetry
Theme(s): City, Family, Rivers Bridges, Mapmaking, Seasons
Opening line/sentence: A city is/streets crossing,/fire trucks,/ bridges,/sirens,/great towers of stone,/and/one red geranium/on a windowsill.
Brief Book Summary: The book is about a big city and everything in it. It talks about what happens to the city in different seasons, as well as things that people can do. It also talks about 4th of July and the fireworks, as well as boats traveling around Manhattan.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 13))
While buildings sleep / the moon is drifting / like a toy balloon / over Brooklyn Bridge." True to American poetic tradition, these very simple poems by the late Rosten, the first poet laureate of Brooklyn, celebrate both the big picture and the close-up, tiny detail. The streets are crowded with traffic beneath the great towers of stone--and there's a red geranium on a windowsill. Greenberg's clear, collage-style gouache illustrations on watercolor paper show the city through the day and night and through the seasons, especially as they occur in New York. The park is busy with people playing ball and chess, and working out in Tai Chi groups, while a kite sails in the sky. The diversity of the neighborhood is part of the story, and children will enjoy the view of people they know in a busy, magical place in both sunshine and snow. Category: Books for the Young--Nonfiction. 2004, Holt, $16.95. PreS-Gr. 2.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2004.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature)
The free verse and the artwork celebrate the essence of New York City. There is great child appeal here with red fire trucks charging down a city street, a boat-filled harbor and a park full of children playing. The seasonal changes are represented, too, by springtime kite flying ("Look! It just broke away! Hope it lands on a soft place/ like a pillow, or cloud."); a sudden summer shower ("The birds sing while taking a bath/in puddles and wet grass."); the squirrels gathering nuts in the autumn ("burying nuts against the frost,/ closing storm windows/ wherever their secret houses are..."); and snow falling in winter ("Snow makes the city very quiet-/ you can even whisper and be heard."). A child and his mother are pictured in many of the two-page spreads, adding even more interest to each illustration. While it should be read for its pure enjoyment, this is also a great title to use in the curriculum on city themes, rivers and bridges, mapmaking, and seasons. 2004, Henry Holt, $16.95. Ages 5 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt (New York:), PUBLISHED: c2004.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews talk about the pictures and how bright and colorful they are, which draws students in. They also both talk about the great free verses and they all about New York City. The first review talks about the diversity of the neighborhood as a big part of the story. The second review talks about how great of a title this is to use in a curriculum on city themes, rivers, bridges, mapmaking, and seasons.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This is a great book to talk about free verse because this does not have any specific rhyme scheme. It is also a good book to talk about descriptions of the different seasons and what happens in each season. It talks about the weather in that season, as well as what people and animals do in it. It also talks about rivers and bridges, which could be used to talk about different landmarks. It also mentions 4th of July, which could be used to talk about the holidays throughout the year.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
For this book, I would talk about the four seasons, asking what the weather is and what the students would wear in that season. I would have the students draw a picture of their favorite season with lots of different colors. I would also talk about famous rivers and bridges around the world and what type of transportation they would need to get around it. Lastly, I would talk about different holidays that happen throughout the year and what happens during each holiday.
August 7, 2013
"A City Is" is a collection of poems about life in New York City throughout the year. Some are charming and resonate well, even with non-city dwellers; others are very New York City-centric. All, however, are just the right length for reading to pre-schoolers.
Melanie Hope Greenberg's illustrations have a joyful playfulness that seems to mark her work, and I just love it. She was an excellent choice of illustrator for this book because she can make all the poems in this collection relatable to everyone.
Melanie Hope Greenberg's illustrations have a joyful playfulness that seems to mark her work, and I just love it. She was an excellent choice of illustrator for this book because she can make all the poems in this collection relatable to everyone.
April 4, 2012
This book showed poetry from a non-rhyming perspective, which I think is important to share with children so they know that all poetry doesn't have to rhyme. I likes that it was based upon the elements of the city, as it discussed all of the different elements and seasons. It was cute, but nothing too special.
February 14, 2017
This book of poems was a fun read but many of the poems would only be relatable to students who were familiar with New York City. I probably wouldn't use this in my classroom.
March 12, 2013
All about NYC. W really liked it and I think he learned a lot, too.
340-read
April 2, 2019This is all the different kinds of parts of the city so the roads, the ports, and shopping centers.
picture book
picture book
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews