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Five Stories
Five children, from five different cultures and in five different decades, grow up in the same building on the Lower East Side of New York City.
Jenny Weinstein and her family arrive on a steamship from Russia in 1913. Jenny writes letters in Yiddish to her grandmother, while practicing her English in her new neighborhood. By 1933, when Anna Cozzi and her Italian family move into the building, Jenny has become a teacher in Anna’s school. Then Jose Marte moves in during the 1960s, Maria Torres in the 1980s, and Wei Yei in the Lower East Side of today.
Perfect for early elementary students, this cross section of American history celebrates the many diverse cultures that make up our nation—from the food we eat, to the ways we worship, and the families we love.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Jenny Weinstein and her family arrive on a steamship from Russia in 1913. Jenny writes letters in Yiddish to her grandmother, while practicing her English in her new neighborhood. By 1933, when Anna Cozzi and her Italian family move into the building, Jenny has become a teacher in Anna’s school. Then Jose Marte moves in during the 1960s, Maria Torres in the 1980s, and Wei Yei in the Lower East Side of today.
Perfect for early elementary students, this cross section of American history celebrates the many diverse cultures that make up our nation—from the food we eat, to the ways we worship, and the families we love.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
48 pages, Library Binding
Published April 23, 2024
1 person is currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Weinstein
11 books7 followersEllen Weinstein is a New York-based illustrator who has won multiple awards for her work, which appears in magazines, newspapers, books, and advertising including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 19, 2024
One Building. Five Stories. Infinite Possibilities.
Ellen Weinstein’s new place-driven children’s picture book, Five Stories, turns a slice-of-life into a richly layered look at the power of culture, community, and caring. Grounded in her family’s Lower East Side history, the stories expand, taking readers on a journey across diverse cultures and distinct time-periods — all within the structure of a single building and the sidewalks that surround it. We meet the author-illustrator’s grandmother, Jenny Epstein, as a young girl. She is the child of Jewish immigrants from Minsk who, in 1914, escaping persecution, came to call the Lower East Side home.
This is just the first of five stories — five diverse families who, in confronting adversity and pursuing dreams, wind up living in this special New York community — all in the same tenement building, each on a different floor, each arriving in a different decade, ultimately over a century apart. We meet the Cozzis, from Italy, The Martes, from the Dominican Republic, the Toresses from Puerto Rico, and the Yes from China. Weinstein captures the magic of the Lower East Side experience and uses its unique cultural mélange to underscore how very different people, from very different places and perspectives, can share so much in common.
Five Stories is also a visual feast. The artwork is as vibrant and densely populated as the neighborhood itself. From stoop, to roof, to fire escape, to bricks, to storefronts, Weinstein celebrates the importance of the iconic Lower East Side tenement in immigrant life. The building is a character in its own right. Just outside, the streets are alive with skateboards, stick ball, jump rope, open fire hydrants, pickle barrels, yesterday’s pushcarts, today’s food carts, and more. Dynamic and detailed illustrations capture life on the Lower East Side across languages, traditions, and generations.
For those who have never been to New York’s Lower East Side, Five Stories is a heartwarming visit to a part of the city, even a part of the world, that is synonymous with the power of the American dream realized. As a third generation Lower East Sider myself, I was particularly moved by the way Weinstein weaves the five stories together, moving the reader from the early 1900’s to present day, underscoring how each family’s story intersects, their progress celebrating individual and collective achievement as they all contribute to the greater good. I was also delighted to see a number of beloved Lower East Side storefronts like Yonah Shimmel’s Knishes, Katz’s Deli, Moscot’s Glasses, Russ & Daughters and more, all a vital part of the neighborhood for over 100 years.
Weinstein doesn’t rest on her own Lower East Side legacy to tell these inspiring stories. She has conducted research across cultural segments and with influential community leaders to ensure authenticity and accuracy. She leans in on specifics and nuance, avoiding the kind of stereotyping and generalizing all too often found in multicultural narratives. In doing so, she demonstrates how specifics become universal and how five stories are threads running through a much bigger tapestry of lives past, present, and future. It is a moving reminder of how our differences come together in community, strengthening the foundation and the fabric of the places we call home.
Ellen Weinstein’s new place-driven children’s picture book, Five Stories, turns a slice-of-life into a richly layered look at the power of culture, community, and caring. Grounded in her family’s Lower East Side history, the stories expand, taking readers on a journey across diverse cultures and distinct time-periods — all within the structure of a single building and the sidewalks that surround it. We meet the author-illustrator’s grandmother, Jenny Epstein, as a young girl. She is the child of Jewish immigrants from Minsk who, in 1914, escaping persecution, came to call the Lower East Side home.
This is just the first of five stories — five diverse families who, in confronting adversity and pursuing dreams, wind up living in this special New York community — all in the same tenement building, each on a different floor, each arriving in a different decade, ultimately over a century apart. We meet the Cozzis, from Italy, The Martes, from the Dominican Republic, the Toresses from Puerto Rico, and the Yes from China. Weinstein captures the magic of the Lower East Side experience and uses its unique cultural mélange to underscore how very different people, from very different places and perspectives, can share so much in common.
Five Stories is also a visual feast. The artwork is as vibrant and densely populated as the neighborhood itself. From stoop, to roof, to fire escape, to bricks, to storefronts, Weinstein celebrates the importance of the iconic Lower East Side tenement in immigrant life. The building is a character in its own right. Just outside, the streets are alive with skateboards, stick ball, jump rope, open fire hydrants, pickle barrels, yesterday’s pushcarts, today’s food carts, and more. Dynamic and detailed illustrations capture life on the Lower East Side across languages, traditions, and generations.
For those who have never been to New York’s Lower East Side, Five Stories is a heartwarming visit to a part of the city, even a part of the world, that is synonymous with the power of the American dream realized. As a third generation Lower East Sider myself, I was particularly moved by the way Weinstein weaves the five stories together, moving the reader from the early 1900’s to present day, underscoring how each family’s story intersects, their progress celebrating individual and collective achievement as they all contribute to the greater good. I was also delighted to see a number of beloved Lower East Side storefronts like Yonah Shimmel’s Knishes, Katz’s Deli, Moscot’s Glasses, Russ & Daughters and more, all a vital part of the neighborhood for over 100 years.
Weinstein doesn’t rest on her own Lower East Side legacy to tell these inspiring stories. She has conducted research across cultural segments and with influential community leaders to ensure authenticity and accuracy. She leans in on specifics and nuance, avoiding the kind of stereotyping and generalizing all too often found in multicultural narratives. In doing so, she demonstrates how specifics become universal and how five stories are threads running through a much bigger tapestry of lives past, present, and future. It is a moving reminder of how our differences come together in community, strengthening the foundation and the fabric of the places we call home.
May 13, 2024
Well, it's not often that a book makes me want to hug it to my chest and cry happy tears, but this one did. It is a love letter to, a celebration of, a neighborhood (the Lower East Side side), a building, a community, and immigrants. It's a reminder that almost all of us in the US came from somewhere else (well, all of us, if you want to go way, way back).
I love the format and structure, the author took a building in her neighborhood (in which her family has lived for 120 years), and shares the story of five families who have lived there over time, starting with the first floor and family (the Epsteins, who immigrated from Russia in 1914) she then works her way to the fifth floor (the Yes, who immigrated from China in the our current time). The other families are the Cozzis (second floor, who immigrated from Italy in 1932), the Martes (third floor, who immigrated from the Dominican Republic in 1965), and the Torreses (fourth floor, who immigrated from Puerto Rico in 1989).
Throughout the book we not only get to see how people's lifestyles change and their apartment setups and decor, but also how their street changes over time. If you look closely, you can also see how their stories are tied to and indicated by those changes (a store a family owns, one of their names on a billboard promoting an opera, etc.).
You can tell the love for this area the author has by the research and care they put into crafting this book. The first character we encounter, Jenny Epstein, if based on the author's grandmother, and, though the other families aren't strictly based on other occupants of this building, they are "made up from many different people" the author learned about who used to live on the Lower East Side.
If you have a small group and are willing to pass the book around so everyone can look at the first page well (that shows the interior of the building and the families who live there over time), I think this could work well for an upper elementary or middle school storytime.
I love the format and structure, the author took a building in her neighborhood (in which her family has lived for 120 years), and shares the story of five families who have lived there over time, starting with the first floor and family (the Epsteins, who immigrated from Russia in 1914) she then works her way to the fifth floor (the Yes, who immigrated from China in the our current time). The other families are the Cozzis (second floor, who immigrated from Italy in 1932), the Martes (third floor, who immigrated from the Dominican Republic in 1965), and the Torreses (fourth floor, who immigrated from Puerto Rico in 1989).
Throughout the book we not only get to see how people's lifestyles change and their apartment setups and decor, but also how their street changes over time. If you look closely, you can also see how their stories are tied to and indicated by those changes (a store a family owns, one of their names on a billboard promoting an opera, etc.).
You can tell the love for this area the author has by the research and care they put into crafting this book. The first character we encounter, Jenny Epstein, if based on the author's grandmother, and, though the other families aren't strictly based on other occupants of this building, they are "made up from many different people" the author learned about who used to live on the Lower East Side.
If you have a small group and are willing to pass the book around so everyone can look at the first page well (that shows the interior of the building and the families who live there over time), I think this could work well for an upper elementary or middle school storytime.
April 17, 2024
This one is a 3,5 for me. This picture book's clever title, its richly detailed illustrations, and its focus on one Lower East Side building's 100+ year history. provides readers a glimpse into that particular New York City neighborhood through the eyes of five youngsters who lived on different floors during different time periods. While their countries of origin, languages, and cultures may be quite different [Russia, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and China], they share many of the same concerns, hopes and dreams. Beginning in 1910 when Jenny Epstein and her family cross the ocean to live above her uncle's pickled store and concluding with the daily lives of Wei Yei and his family, the book packs in quite a lot of experiences, including how each family brought rich flavors and their own influences to their new neighborhood as well as how the youngsters communicate with the relatives they left back home. It's interesting to note how the neighborhood changes over time and pay attention to snippets of current events or preoccupations as highlighted by the front pages of newspapers placed in the bottom corner of the pages. Arguably, this is a romanticized version of the immigration experience, and while it has value, it should not be read as the definitive story of coming to the United States. While it's somewhat questionable that there would be so many connections from one generation to the next [for instance, one child has her neighbor for a teacher], this particular tale and journey may prompt introspection about what all of us have in common as well as possibly inspiring young readers to interview their own family members about their journeys, stories, and what mattered most to them. The illustrations, created with gouache and Photoshop, are striking and quite detailed, necessitating more than a quick glance. It will fit well in a collection of immigration or family history stories.
May 2, 2024
First sentence: Buildings are like people: each one has a story. This building is over a hundred years old and holds thousands of stories about the people who have lived here on New York's Lower East Side. Lots of families have come to the Lower East Side from different parts of the world and made it their home. And though their reasons for being here are different, they still share many of the same questions, fears, hopes, and dreams. And each generation contributes tastes, stories, and sounds to the neighborhood.
Premise/plot: Five Stories tells the story of five immigrant families--five decades/generations, five cultures, one apartment building in one neighborhood. The Epsteins (1914), The Cozzis (1932), The Martes (1965), The Torresses (1989), and The Yes (present day). Each story has a child at the center: Jenny Epstein, Anna Cozzi, Jose Marte, Maria Torres, and Wei Yei. Their narratives give a slice of life view to their times and culture. There are plenty of similarities--for example--though the means of communication with loved ones change, all families want to hold onto and remember the loved ones left behind when they immigrated.
My thoughts: This is a picture book for older readers. Definitely a good fit for elementary school students. I don't think it would be as good a fit for younger readers. I definitely liked this one. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE if this idea had been a chapter book so we could follow the families more--longer. The concept was good. The author's note reveals she is a descendant of Jenny Epstein.
Premise/plot: Five Stories tells the story of five immigrant families--five decades/generations, five cultures, one apartment building in one neighborhood. The Epsteins (1914), The Cozzis (1932), The Martes (1965), The Torresses (1989), and The Yes (present day). Each story has a child at the center: Jenny Epstein, Anna Cozzi, Jose Marte, Maria Torres, and Wei Yei. Their narratives give a slice of life view to their times and culture. There are plenty of similarities--for example--though the means of communication with loved ones change, all families want to hold onto and remember the loved ones left behind when they immigrated.
My thoughts: This is a picture book for older readers. Definitely a good fit for elementary school students. I don't think it would be as good a fit for younger readers. I definitely liked this one. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE if this idea had been a chapter book so we could follow the families more--longer. The concept was good. The author's note reveals she is a descendant of Jenny Epstein.
May 1, 2024
History is beautifully captured in this highly readable story. FIVE STORIES shows how one neighborhood has changed over time by sharing five families that have lived in one building. It is based on the building the author's grandmother lived in and the real people who have lived in it since. From 1914 to the modern day, New York's Lower East Side has transformed dramatically. Zeroing in on one building and specific families personalizes the history to deepen the reader's connection and understanding. What I love most as you read through the stories of these immigrant families is that although their cultures differ and the world has modernized, the experiences at their heart are much the same. Each family is hopeful about a new life, each family works hard, each family has left behind loved ones. It is their commonalities that sing from these pages amongst the vibrant diversity. A beautiful tribute to a building, a city, immigrants and a must read explanation of the history that connects us all.
October 26, 2024
The quintessential story of the Lower East Side, of New York City, of the United States of America. The reasons people have come here are different, but they all contribute to the rich tapestry. Weinstein knits the family stories together in a lovely way, and her story isn't fiction - this is what has really happened in LES and many other NYC neighborhoods. Weinstein uses images of the actual storefronts of the past, and you can watch them change as time goes by, as do the people: a child grows up to become a teacher and another is running for office as an adult. By the end, there's all kinds of storefronts and all kinds of foods to try. Weinstein's illustrations look flat but grab expression and movement in 3D and living color. For those who want the different parts of our land to support each other and grow, there's no better blueprint.
January 15, 2025
Picture book. New York City's lower east side has been a destination for immigrants trying to find new opportunities in America for over 100 years. This book tells 5 stories within one-- five families of different countries and different decades who ended up in the same apartment building. The more things change, the more they stay the same as various children share bedrooms with siblings, eat multicultural street food, and try to stay connected to family left behind. The families featured are a 1914 family from Russia (based on the author's own ancestors), a 1932 family from Italy, a 1965 family from the Dominican Republic, a 1989 family from Puerto Rico, and a present day family from China. The various stories connect throughout, showing how we are all interconnected with our neighbors and community.
January 20, 2025
This picture book for older readers has a homonym for it's title. It follows the stories of 5 immigrant families in one building on New York's Lower East Side.
It was interesting to study the illustrations and see the changes in the neighborhood over 5 generations.
A map is lacking. What young reader outside NYC knows the location of the Lower East Side? Picture book readers outside NYC only know of it as the biggest city on the east coast--if they even know that. Much less where certain NYC neighborhoods are.
This is also a bit of a romanticized immigration story. It makes it seem that people from around the world can immigrate to the US at will because they are looking for better jobs. That is simply not the case.
It was interesting to study the illustrations and see the changes in the neighborhood over 5 generations.
A map is lacking. What young reader outside NYC knows the location of the Lower East Side? Picture book readers outside NYC only know of it as the biggest city on the east coast--if they even know that. Much less where certain NYC neighborhoods are.
This is also a bit of a romanticized immigration story. It makes it seem that people from around the world can immigrate to the US at will because they are looking for better jobs. That is simply not the case.
January 2, 2025
3.5 Stars!
This was fun and I loved how Weinstein not only attempted to connect the stories of all the families, but also tried to pull from a wide variety of backgrounds/cultures/places. I would like to point out that this should be used a primer for the immigrant experience and will work well for a younger audience. It doesn't address the entire experiences of the groups and paints a lot of it through rose colored glasses. Like I stated, this is a great entry point for a younger group, but can be detrimental to older groups that are ready for a more historically accurate picture of the immigration experience.
This was fun and I loved how Weinstein not only attempted to connect the stories of all the families, but also tried to pull from a wide variety of backgrounds/cultures/places. I would like to point out that this should be used a primer for the immigrant experience and will work well for a younger audience. It doesn't address the entire experiences of the groups and paints a lot of it through rose colored glasses. Like I stated, this is a great entry point for a younger group, but can be detrimental to older groups that are ready for a more historically accurate picture of the immigration experience.
March 12, 2025
This is my kind of picture book. I have always loved history, learning about how people lived in the past, old buildings, and as an adult, I love researching family history. I love how this book connects generations of people. I loved looking at the city scape from one family story to the next to see how things had changed. I was able to visit the Tenement Museum a couple years ago, and loved to see that research was done there, because that's the vibe I got while poring over the pages of this book. And I loved spying Katz's Deli evolve in the background. Just a fun picture book that pays homage to immigrants, history, and the connections we share.
April 10, 2024
The story of five families who over the years inhabit the same apartment building in New York. Each family came for a special dream. Their customs, daily living patterns, etc are presented and careful readers will note a connection from family to family. Delightful illustrations add to the sense of life, joy and purpose for each family. A wonderful book about hopes and dreams across ethnicities.
January 13, 2025
I have to say the illustrations in this book our top notch. The contrast of colors between buildings, and the outfits people wore. It was really appealing to my eye. I loved how the author was able to convey points with images. For instance, "With election of new President, there is hope" then you see in the left hand corner someone reading a newspaper with FDR on the cover. This story traces the tale of five different immigrant families trying to make it in New York.
June 10, 2025
What a beautiful book and the story! Loved the detailed illustrations and the stories of five migrant families through the years in NYC, Lower East Side. With all the political tension and an almost hatred towards minorities at this time in the USA, it refreshing to read the healing story. It is posible to live in harmony with our differences, not in spite of them. Great book for whole families.
March 11, 2026
Wow! This touched my emotional core! It's such a great book to share. I love the double meaning of stories - those told and those in an apartment building. I love how the lives of the families over the years intertwined. A great book of immigrants achieving and making a positive difference in the world.
January 2, 2025
I love books that showcase apartment life. It is the living arrangement for so many kids
And seeing five different families, five different cultures, all holding space in one apartment building. It's the melting pot of America that I love
And seeing five different families, five different cultures, all holding space in one apartment building. It's the melting pot of America that I love
February 5, 2025
Five linked stories of five generations of unique immigrant families on New York's East Side are told through the device of an apartment building and its five different stories. Great for slightly older children (school-age).
February 15, 2025
This story gives kids a glimpse of the history and varied families who live(d) in the Lower East Side. The pictures show how the neighborhood changed over the years - what buildings stayed, changed, left and returned.
October 9, 2025
A great story rich with history and ideas of how generations are different. As a teacher you could focus on the difference in generations or the difference in the families and their cultures. Great book with lots of uses as a teacher.
January 1, 2024
Great generational story about a 100 year old home and the families that live & lived there.
April 30, 2024
I liked how the stories were all connected in some way for each family. Make sure to read the authors note!
May 5, 2024
Important reminder that we are more connected than we often realize.
May 18, 2024
The title's double meaning, the concept, and the historical references appealed to me more than the actual story.
July 1, 2024
Rounded up because I liked the similarity of the variety of immigrant stories over the century, and the positive impact they have.
August 2, 2024
For anyone interested in researching generations of immigrants to the US and how the passage of time changes the community. Back matter gives a peek to the work involved in this type of book.
August 8, 2024
Five families, one for each floor of the building, relate their immigration story and the evolution of the building and the neighborhood.
August 13, 2024
A wonderful story to talk about immigration.
February 6, 2025
This book was so cute! I loved how you could flip between each time period to see the changes to the neighborhood.
May 26, 2025
SIX WORD REVIEW: Read with son and for work.
June 10, 2025
A current Ellie fave. A really cool concept.
August 8, 2025
Such a touching story about a five story building, holding within a five stories of immigration
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews