Keeping the City Going

The author/illustrator created a tribute to New York City at the same time he teaches the intended audience of 4 and up how many people are considered “essential” to keep life going in times of trouble, like during the COVID lock-downs.

He shows people outside of their homes, all of whom are wearing masks, making and delivering food, driving buses, delivering mail, operating trash trucks, working on keeping the water, gas, and electricity flowing, and saving lives in ambulances and in hospitals. Each double-page spread is filled with details. Watching over the streets are members of a family who “miss our friends and neighbors, and we miss the voice of the city.” But, they say, “we see the people still out on the streets, and show more whether they’re family, friends, or strangers, we see the work they’re doing.” He also has the family participating in the ritual celebration of those people performed by New Yorkers every evening during the worst of the pandemic, when they showed their appreciation by cheering, banging on pots and pans, and ringing bells. He concludes: “Thanks to the people keeping our city going.”

In an Author’s Note, Floca explains how the idea for the book came about, writing that “it feels both meaningful and fraught to make a book about this difficult moment…”

Floca’s watercolor, ink, acrylic, and gouache art features soft colors and a virtual catalog of the many vehicles one might see in the city.

Evaluation: This is a great opportunity to point out to kids how many people make sacrifices even during the most dangerous times to help their lives run smoothly. show less

Will Caldecott judges consider a Covid19 themed book? In my opinion they should because this book is absolutely beautiful. This is a well done representation of the pandemic and pays homage to those who could not stay inside those beginning days.

It's text heavy. It's a lap read and not a storytime read (which, sidebar, I loved that there was a mention of virtual storytimes....I did those!!) But Caldecott criteria is not on the words; it is on the pictures. In typical Brian Floca fashion, the artwork is the dominant driving force. There is diversity in the healthcare and delivery workers. The homages to the toilet paper and obscene about of packages people bought.....I loved those because the relevancy is spot on.

Even when many things shut down for COVID-19, the cities couldn't come to a complete stand still. This tale shows many of the different people and things which still carried on, while kids and some of their parents sheltered in place

Young listeners will enjoy gazing at the various things, which happen in the city. From garbage trucks to doctors and more, each page is filled with the hustle and bustle of life. There are tons of details, which make it a lovely book to pick up and peer at again and again. Especially those who are too young to read on their own, will still enjoy flipping through and discovering things or pointing objects out. This aspect alone makes it a winner for the age group.

The text is age appropriate and for those, show more who have a little more patience to sit and listen. It discloses the various things that went on despite the lock-downs and pays tribute to the people, who worked hard to keep things going where needed. Listeners who live in cities will enjoy this one and recognize the problems on that end, while those who live outside won't feel quite as spoken to. Also, this one might have been more potent had it come out earlier, but even now, it's important not to forget those who continued to work hard and kept things going as well as they could.

I can see young listeners enjoying flipping through this one quite a bit.

I received a complimentary copy and found it well done. show less

This stellar book is a tribute to all the workers who kept New York City alive during the time of the Covid Pandemic.

While those who lived in the city were quaranteed inside, and this book highlights some of those who kept the city going such as, the garbage collectors, the nurses, doctors and staff of the hospitals, those who delivered food to the stores, the technicians that kept the cell phone system working, the cleaners who kept the city free of a lot of debre, the bus, taxi and train workers who transported those who had necessary jobs and could not stay at home, the electricians, telephone maintenance, water supply personnel and many unsung heros who deserve a lot of credit!

Illustrations are what we expect from Floca, beautiful & detailed. The pictures are more interesting then the text, which is boring and a bit redundant. Great pictures of trucks would interest the small truck loving kids, but the text would probably not be something to read over ad over to those little buddies.

Another picture book memorializing the early days of COVID-19. This one honors the essential workers who kept working and taking care of infrastructure, public safety, transportation, moving of goods, and many sick patients. Taken all together, it upholds how very crucial our essential workers are to a functioning society.

Love the art!!!