I am headed to New York City this weekend, so I thought it would be fun to find some read alouds that take place in the Big Apple! I found a lot more than I thought I would, so I chose my favorites to share today. Check out these books about New York City!
I’m sharing all of these books on video as well! Check out the Books about New York City on my Youtube channel.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Books about New York City
Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
Balloons Over Broadway tells the story of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons floating in the sky during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She captures the essence of Sarg, a self-taught immigrant with a fascinating imagination. The story takes us through his dedication in seeing this project through. The collage illustrations in this book are so neat!
Click here for the free lesson plan for Balloons Over Broadway!
Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares
Red and Lulu make their nest in a particularly beautiful evergreen tree. It shades them in the hot months and keeps them cozy in the cold months, and once a year the people who live nearby string lights on their tree and sing a special song: O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree.
But one day, something unthinkable happens, and Red and Lulu are separated. It will take a miracle for them to find each other again. Luckily, it’s just the season for miracles. . . .
A heart-tugging story combining the cheer of Christmas, the magic of New York City, and the real meaning of the holiday season: how important it is to be surrounded by love.
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.
The Curious Garden was inspired by the High Line in Manhattan. The High Line is an old train track that has been turned into a beautiful garden and public space.
Click here to grab the FREE lesson for The Curious Garden!
Ida, Always by Caron Levis
Gus lives in a big park in the middle of an even bigger city, and he spends his days with Ida. Ida is right there. Always.
Then one sad day, Gus learns that Ida is very sick, and she isn’t going to get better. The friends help each other face the difficult news with whispers, sniffles, cuddles, and even laughs. Slowly Gus realizes that even after Ida is gone, she will still be with him—through the sounds of their city, and the memories that live in their favorite spots.
Ida, Always is a beautiful story of two best friends—inspired by a real bear friendship—and a gentle, moving, needed reminder that loved ones lost will stay in our hearts, always.
Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing by April Jones Prince
After fourteen years of construction, the Brooklyn Bridge was completed, much to the delight of the sister cities it connected: Brooklyn and New York City.
Fireworks and top hats filled the air in celebration when the magnificent bridge opened in 1883. But some wondered just how much weight the new bridge could hold. Was it truly safe?
One man seized the opportunity to show people in Brooklyn, New York and the world that the Brooklyn Bridge was in fact strong enough to hold even the heaviest of passengers. P. T. Barnum, creator of “The Greatest Show on Earth,” would present a show too big for the Big Top and too wondrous to forget.
Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude by Josh Funk
Lost in the Library is the first picture book about Patience and Fortitude, the two lion statues that faithfully guard the New York Public Library. When Patience goes missing, Fortitude realizes the secret to Patience’s disappearance may be within the Library itself.
This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11 by Sean Rubin
In the 1970s, between the newly completed Twin Towers in New York City, a Callery pear tree was planted. On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree’s home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: the tree had survived.
Dubbed the “Survivor Tree,” it was moved to the Bronx to recover. And the Callery pear was nursed back to health. Almost a decade later, the Survivor Tree returned home and was planted in the 9/11 Memorial to provide beauty and comfort…and also hope.
This is the story of that tree―and of a nation in recovery. Told from the tree’s perspective, This Very Tree is a touching tribute to first responders, the resilience of America, and the restorative power of community.
Click here for the FREE lesson for This Very Tree.
Free Picture Book List
Looking for more books to read aloud with your students? Grab this FREE list of books to teach Social Emotional Learning skills! SEL skills are more important than ever before. This book list of social emotional learning topics will make it so much easier to teach these skills to your students. The titles are split up by SEL skill and competency. This will make it easy for you to teach just one at a time!
Save this Book List
Be sure to save this pin to your favorite read alouds board on Pinterest! You’ll be able to come back to this book list when you are ready to read them aloud with your students.
