Walking in the City with Jane: A Story of Jane Jacobs

Gr 1-3--New Yorkers should know and revere the name of Jane Jacobs, the city's own David, who fought and won against construction Goliath Robert Moses. Jacobs is best remembered in New York for her successful preservation of Washington Square Park in her beloved Greenwich Village neighborhood. This fictionalized picture book biography portrays Jacobs's life as an imaginative child, as well as a dedicated citizen who championed communities and parks over highways and commerce. Boivin's art brings the subject's world to life and excels at portraying the expressiveness and vivacity of Jacobs over the many years. Unfortunately, narrative and content choices limit the strength of this work. The book begins with Jacobs on a stroll alongside historic leaders, blurring the line between fiction and biography. Also, depicting her refusal to brush her teeth as a child is a puzzling choice to portray the basis of her future resistance. Although Jacobs had considerable triumphs in resisting highways and preserving green spaces in both New York and Canada, these are not listed with precise detail with regards to dates and exact locations, a missed opportunity. VERDICT This picture book biography tackles a very important figure but lacks in execution. An additional purchase for larger collections.--Maria Alegre, The Dalton School, New York

In this fictionalized approach to the life of journalist and activist Jane Jacobs, readers meet the subject as a child who is inquisitive and practical minded--traits that Jacobs carries into adulthood. After moving to New York City, Jacobs observes the ways that a city's diverse components function in harmony: "She knew that animals, plants, rivers, sunshine and rain all worked together as part of a healthy ecosystem. 'But a city is also an ecosystem, ' she realized." When proposals from city planner Robert Moses threaten her neighborhood, Jacobs leads her community in protest, resulting in the city canceling plans for the development. For illustrations that express Jacobs's vision of a healthy city, Boivin works in muted jewel tones; in contrast, the high-rises proposed by Moses and other planners are putty colored and prisonlike. Hughes offers a compelling overview of Jacobs's contributions to urban planning while introducing readers to a new way of seeing their own city environments. An author's note provides a photograph of Jacobs and brief biographical details. Ages 6-9. (Apr.)