Welcome to metomi.com, your online source of great reads and activities for preschoolers! We have decided to pay tribute to a city we absolutely love. For people-watching city goers, New York City is a feast for the senses - vibrant, gritty, sparkling, noisy, romantic, edgy, human. Here we are recommending a couple of our favorite books that take place in this bustling city of about 8 million people...Happy Reading and if you're looking for some great printables, please check out our Fun Stuff!
Title: Abuela
Author:Arthur Dorros; Illustrator: Elisa Kleven
A beautiful rendition of New York City is the backdrop to this loving story about a girl and her grandmother. Both ladies are explorers at heart, who see the city as an endless source of adventures. We take flight with them as they soar through the skies over the city, stopping to glance at the Statue of Liberty standing bold and beautiful, the colourful and busy loading docks, the active office towers, and (extra)ordinary people going about their everyday lives. The illustrations are striking and have a wonderful sense of motion to them...they match New York City to a T. Yet the text reads sweet and soft, gentle and soothing to our ears. There is a sequel called Isla but we like this one best. The stories are available in English and Spanish.
Title: Lyle Lyle Crocodile
Author/Illustrator: Bernard Waber
A recent discovery of a classic! Bernard Waber created this lovable green fellow several decades ago and we know why this book continues to captivate. We meet Lyle the Crocodile long after he has given up his travelling roadshow days, now living quite happily with a nice family in New York City. Everyone enjoys Lyle's company ... except for the next door neighbour Mr. Grumps and his cat Loretta. We willingly tag along with Lyle on his adventures, and are pleased when Mr. Grumps and Loretta finally realize they have misjudged their green neighbour. The expressions on the characters are a treat. There are also other stories about Lyle that we look forward to reading!
Title: The Adventures of Taxi Dog
Author: Debra and Sal Barracca
Illustrator: Mark Buehner
Easy rhyming text and vibrant illustrations take readers on a whirl through Manhattan through the eyes of a stray dog. The dog lives a bleak and dreary existence until the day a taxi driver befriends him and decides to adopt him. The authors were inspired to write this story after meeting a taxi driver who took his dog along with him on trips, and dedicates the book to strays everywhere. It's lovely in so many ways. We especially like the part where the riders are tipping a little extra, all due to the friendly antics of our dog friend (the groucho marx-ish glasses and mustache with nose is a preschooler essential!).
Title: Knuffle Bunny Too / A Case of Mistaken Identity
Author/Illustrator: Mo Willems
Here's a charming book that combines a clever story with fun cartoons and lovely photos of Brooklyn. A little girl brings her favourite stuffed animal to school, hoping to proudly show her off, only to find that another classmate has also brought an identical creature to class. The two girls start off as adversaries of course but ultimately resolve their differences toward the end and become friends (with a teeny bit of help from the storyteller). Mo Willems has written and illustrated a number of books; we liked his Edwina the Dinosaur book very much (see Library under Dinosaurs). This one is a cute story told in a manner that grownups will enjoy reading too!
Title: Bad Cat
Author/Illustrator: Tracy-Lee McGuinness-Kelly
We have read Bad Cat many many times since it arrived at our home about 3 years ago. Our 2-year old is now enjoying it! We are invited to follow the "Bad Cat" on his antics through a city called "The Big Stinky". The Bad Cat does a number of things that are construed as naughty, but interestingly enough each antic turns what appears to be an angry victim into a satisfied customer. Is the Bad Cat really naughty or just misunderstood? A clever question that readers are left with as Bad Cat heads off to another adventure in the Big Stinky. What we like about it is that the story seems to resonate with us - parents sometimes misinterpreting our children's actions. City lovers, don't be fooled by the name of the city - the Big Stinky is a hip and happening place! Reminded us of New York so we contacted the author who confirmed that the book was written while the author was living in Brooklyn...we'll take the Big Stinky over the Tidy and Bland anyday!
Great Aunt Tina brought this over as a present one year for the kids, and we all love it. The title track is all about a duck who finds itself in New York City. All the songs are wonderful, we find ourselves humming them even when the kids aren't around (is that a good thing?)
