Manhattan
Mapping the Story of an Island
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Told in dazzling maps and informative sidebars, critically acclaimed author-illustrator Jennifer Thermes’s Manhattan explores the 400+ year history of Manhattan Island.
From before its earliest settlement to the vibrant metropolis that exists today, the island of Manhattan has always been a place of struggle, growth, and radical transformation. Humans, history, and natural events have shaped this tiny sliver of land for more than 400 years.
In Manhattan, travel back in time to discover how a small rodent began an era of rapid change for the island. Learn about immigration, the slave trade, and the people who built New York City. See how a street plan projected the city’s future, and how epic fires and storms led to major feats of engineering above and below ground.
Through dramatic illustrations, informative sidebars, and detailed maps inspired by historic archives, Manhattan explores the rich history that still draws people from all around the world to the island’s shores today. From The Battery downtown up to Inwood, every inch of the island has a story to tell.
“Thermes, also a map illustrator, shows off her skills with detailed maps that reveal the origins of Broadway, Wall Street, and other landmarks . . . This slice of American history is a gem.” —Booklist (Starred Review)
“A fascinating account of New York City’s development from the time of the Lenape people to the present day.” —Shelf Awareness (Starred Review)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The latest cartographic picture book from Thermes (Charles Darwin's Around-the-World Adventure) maps Manhattan Island's evolution from a glacially carved, flora- and fauna-rich wilderness into a bustling New York City borough. Full-page pictorial maps befitting the book's large trim size document Manhattan's south-to-north transformation. Ink-and-watercolor illustrations in soft hues depict the progression from villages of the Native Lenape people (who called the island Mannahatta) to colonial Dutch and British settlements and, finally, to a dense, diverse, skyscraper-filled city. Stylized birds fly banners with straightforward spread titles while sidebars frankly delineate the detrimental practices and impacts that its growth wrought on Native, African-American, and immigrant populations: spreads about Central Park and its many amenities are preceded by one recounting how African-American Seneca Village was demolished to make way for it. Also covered are some of Manhattan's other notable stories: how the city got its street grid and famous subway; memorable natural disasters that befell it; and vignettes of how prominent skyscrapers and bridges were built. Like Manhattan itself, much is packed into this handsomely illustrated history. Back matter includes an extensive timeline and selected source list, while endpapers show a complete map of the modern city. Ages 8 12.
