This is My Eye: A New York Story

Vaswani, Neela. This is my eye: A New York story. Candlewick, 08/2018. 56pp. $16.99. 978-0-7636-7616-2.
Preschool - Grade 3

View the world through the lens of a young New York City girl. Colorful, full page photographs capture the essence of urban living as seen through the eyes of a child. Buildings, bridges, flowers, street art, produce, and people are celebrated in this unique collection of images bursting with positive energy. A bi-racial girl narrates the compelling flow of photos with insightful commentary. We are introduced to her African American father and her Asian American mother, whom our character photographs laughing together. Large, simple text - just a few words per page - captions the images and invites discussion. An image of raindrops on a window-pane is accompanied by “Rainy days have polkadots”. A photo of bright green plants pushing through cracks in dull gray pavement is supported by “Little things grow in little spaces”. Though the book portrays New York City, the images are evocative of life in any city. An author’s note encourages readers to capture their own story through photographs. The book would make a unique addition to storytime.