Nelly Takes New York: A Little Girl's Adventures in the Big Apple

by Allison Pataki, Marya Myers, Kristi Valiant (Illustrator)

Overview

The Big Apple may be hiding in the place you least expect it in this spunky introduction to the best parts of New York.

Nelly lives in New York, the greatest city in the world.

Every morning, she wakes up to the rumble of the subways and the honking of cars.
Every morning, she can smell the food cart downstairs and hear the rat-a-tat-tat of the street musicians outside.
Every morning, she goes outside to be in the city she knows like the back of her hand—or does she?

One morning, Nelly and her dog Bagel decide to find out what New York is really about—or more specifically, why a city that has nothing to do with apples is the Biggest Apple of them all. Could there really be a giant apple somewhere in New York? And where is it hiding?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534425040
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	05/14/2019
Series:	Big City Adventures
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	568,779
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 12.20(h) x 1.50(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Allison Pataki is the New York Times bestselling author of five adult fiction novels, one nonfiction memoir, and two children’s books, Nelly Takes New York and Poppy Takes Paris. Allison’s books have been translated into more than twenty languages. A former news writer and producer, Allison graduated cum laude from Yale University with a major in English. An avid traveler and reader, Allison lives in New York with her husband, children, and rescue pup. To learn more and connect with Allison, please visit AllisonPataki.com.

Marya Myers is an early literacy author and editor. Having worked with children in a broad capacity from teaching, coaching, tutoring, and developing curricula for classrooms across the country, she became inspired to combine her passion for traveling and teaching into storytelling. She graduated from Yale University with a major in history and received her Master’s degree in early childhood education and special education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and child.

Kristi Valiant is the illustrator of Pretty Minnie in Paris, Pretty Minnie in Hollywood, the Little Wings chapter book series, and Penguin Cha-Cha, which she wrote and illustrated. She graduated magna cum laude from Columbus College of Art & Design. Kristi lives (and dances!) in Indiana with her husband and daughters. Visit Kristi online KristiValiant.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/11/2019

Nelly is a New York girl: she “wakes up to all the sounds of her home.... The subway rumbles. A musician rat-tat-tats his drum.” But when Nelly hears a street vendor use the term “the Big Apple,” she’s thoroughly perplexed and sets out from her West Village neighborhood, her dog Bagel in tow, in search of the giant fruit. Her quest takes her to some major landmarks, including the American Museum of Natural History (Bagel almost wrecks a dinosaur skeleton) and the 9/11 Memorial, where, debut children’s authors Pataki and Myers write, “people walk around, holding the hands of their loved ones.” Finally, Nelly arrives at the top of the Empire State Building, and as the city glitters beneath her—Myers (Feel the Beat) contributes two impressive twilight panoramas—Nelly thinks about all the people who have helped her during the day and realizes, “The Big Apple is all of us—the Big Apple IS New York City!” New Yorkers will likely start shaking their heads in disbelief from the very first pages. (What young New Yorker has never heard the phrase “the Big Apple”? And what’s this kid’s secret to getting around town so fast, even by train?) But for those who live in environs beyond, it’s a wide-ranging, if flatly narrated, fantasy tour—a kind of junior “On the Town.” Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"A delicious introduction to one of the world’s greatest cities that is perfect for storytime or one-on-one sharing." - School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2019

PreS-Gr 2—Nelly and her pudgy beagle, Bagel, live in the West Village in Manhattan. When Mr. Patel, who operates the local coffee cart tells her, "The Big Apple is tons of fun!" the little New Yorker takes him literally, and she and her pet spend the day searching for a giant red apple. She expects to find it at the farmer's market at Union Square, but, while she finds many varieties of apples there, none are big enough. Tourists and natives all have different ideas of where she should go, so Nelly and Bagel travel on foot and by subway to the 9/11 Memorial, American Museum of Natural History, and Central Park.The day is filled with fun and excitement, but Nelly is not satisfied. Finally, toward evening, a taxi driver takes her to the Empire State Building, which affords a breathtaking bird's-eye view of the city all alight. The driver explains, "The Big Apple isn't something you can hold or eat. The Big Apple is all of us—the Big Apple IS New York City!" The bright, crowded illustrations were created with photos and paintings in Photoshop offering readers a colorful view of the busy city inhabitants, streets, and buildings. Bagel provides comic relief on every spread—balancing a croissant on his snout at the market, chasing pigeons, licking a child's ice cream, and gnawing on a Triceratops horn at the museum. The endpapers are covered with sketches of landmark buildings, bridges, and statues. VERDICT A delicious introduction to one of the world's greatest cities that is perfect for storytime or one-on-one sharing.—Barbara Auerbach, Cairo Public Library, NY

School Library Journal