Nana in the City

A young boy loves his Nana but dislikes her urban home in this beautiful and endearing picture-book from author/artist Lauren Castillo. He finds the city busy and loud, and thinks that it is full of scary things. His Nana assures him that the city is wonderful: bustling and booming, and full of wonderful things, and on his visit to her, she shows him just what she means.

Awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2015, Nana in the City is a heartwarming tale that invites the young reader/listener to consider different perspectives, when pondering a given issue. The young boy-narrator comes to visit his Nana with a certain mindset, and everything he sees and hears, from the graffiti on the walls to the roar of the subway, seems to confirm his view that show more the city is no place for a Nana to live. But his wise grandmother, after outfitting him with a red cape to give him courage, shows him how the very things that cause him to dislike the city, also make it wonderful. She shows him a busy Central Park, she lets him listen to street musicians - in short, she shows him that the city is indeed a place for a Nana to live, and for him to visit. The watercolor artwork here is perfectly in tune with the story, using darker, more overwhelming shades - charcoal gray in the subway, for instance - when the boy is frightened; more open, white backgrounds - as when he is trying on the red cape - when he feels more secure; and warmer, brighter tones - the yellow of the leaves in the park - when he is discovering a new perspective. Castillo blends text and image here perfectly, making the marriage of the two seem effortless and natural. I enjoyed the story, thought the artwork was lovely, and appreciated the New York setting. In sum: Nana In the City is a picture-book that I highly recommend! show less

I enjoyed reading this book for three reasons. The first reason was because the illustrations were all very colorful and exciting. Lauren Castillo uses very rich shades of red, orange and yellow to bring the city to life. I liked how all the drawings were very simple and quaint. Castillo spent a lot of time picking the right colors for her illustrations instead of focusing on creating elaborate illustrations and I found that very interesting.
The second reason I enjoyed this book was because it was so simple and straight to the point. The main character talks about how her grandmother lives in the city and how she goes to visit her. I thought its simplicity was cute, charming and definitely relatable for young children who live in show more cities or urban areas.
The third reason I enjoyed this book was because it was unconventional. The main character's grandmother lived in a bustling city, as opposed to the stereotype that grandmothers live on a mountain or in assisted living. The character's grandmother was active and showed the main character all the great things the city has to offer. By writing this story, the author shows that not all grandparents are elderly and inactive, which helps break the stereotype that elderly people can't participate in every day activities. Personally I have a very active grandmother who would not appreciate being represented as elderly or immobile, therefore I enjoyed this book because it showed how everyone can enjoy a stroll through the city at any age! show less

I really like Lauren Castillo's books. It's funny how much harder it is to review titles that you like though. It all seems to devolve into vague mumbling about "fantastic" and "wonderful" but I will do my best.

A little boy goes to stay with his nana at her new home in the city. At first, he's unhappy. The city is noisy and busy and scary; how can Nana be happy here? But then she makes him a superhero cape and shows him how wonderful the city is. She shows him a park, live music and friendly dogs. They give a pretzel to a homeless man and he smiles at them, and the city lights up at night. The little boy is delighted to discover that "The city is busy, the city is loud, and it is the absolute perfect place for a nana to live."

Castillo's show more illustrations have bold colors and broad lines. Bright red accents make Nana stand out against the sometimes drab city background. At the beginning, when the little boy is frightening, the city looms over them and the busy streets are full of faceless people. As he gets to know the city, color explodes across the urban landscape and people come into focus.

Verdict: This is a unique and wonderful celebration of trying new things. It's definitely a different take on the typical grandparent picture book, which usually involves them visiting their grandkids and entertaining them. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780544104433; Published 2014 by Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Purchased for the library show less

I would say that this is a diverse book, because it shows that the elderly can be perfectly capable and fun. This one about a little boy visiting his Nana living in a big city. He is initially scared and apprehensive about the busy city filled with strange noises and sights, but after his Nana makes him a special cape, he becomes very brave! Castillo deservedly wins the Caldecott Medal for this book.

Summary:

When a little boy goes to visit his Nana in the big city, he is scared by all the loud noises and unfamiliar sights. Nana knits him a special red cape to keep him safe during their adventure the next day, and the two have a marvelous time exploring the urban jungle. When he leaves, he gifts her the magic cape to keep her safe.

Personal commentary / Reflection:

This is a perfect book for a Nana to read to her new grandson, an adorable tale highlighting how new things are often scary to little ones. I loved the illustrations! The two of them explored the music scene in NYC, seeing street performers and bikers ride through Central Park. I like the realism aspect to that! I also really liked how Nana bought the homeless man a pretzel show more towards the end :) To be perfectly honest, the first time I visited NYC when I was 18 years old, it scared me a little too! I prefer Portland much more. This would be a good book for younger, more withdraw or shy readers as it touches on how things can be scary at first, but that's only because they are unfamiliar! Once you get to know things and give the situation a chance, there's a good chance you will like what you see! Especially if you have a Nana with a magic red cape :) show less

A little boy goes to visit his Nana in the big city, but he worries about her with all the noise, all the people, and being alone. She knits him a "super hero cape" overnight (talk about fast knitting!), and they walk through the city, and she shows him what the noises are, who the people are and what they are doing, and he is reassured that his Nana is safe in the big city. Good book for littles!

I really liked this book. The watercolor illustrations are magnificent and really bring the city to life! Between the subway tunnels, skyscrapers, street artists, and all of the construction with even a bit of graffiti thrown in, it all perfectly depicted a big city like New York! I could relate to the boys dislikes about the city, too. I've only visited New York city once for a week and although I had a lot of fun there, I would not want to live there due to all of the bustle, noise and the large number of people in such a small amount of space. I liked the idea of the cape his nana made for him, helping him feel more brave in the city. The illustrations of Central Park were beautiful and appeared to be during the Fall with all of the show more orange foliage. I liked that the boys attitude changed by the end of the story and he declared that the city was "the absolute perfect place for a nana to live. And for me to visit!" Those would be my sentiments as well. This is a fun book to read to children. This book can help a child grow a better imagination of city life if they are not familiar with it already. show less