City by Numbers

This is a wonderful book - especially for the kids who just have started learning alphabet.

I loved the idea of this number book but unlike Alphabet City, the numbers were often difficult to see. Disappointing.

Used this with my students.

This book is a companion to Johnson's Caldecott Honor book, "Alphabet City", although it is a bit darker and more somber. Johnson has created photo-realistic paintings of New York City scenes that feature the numerals one through twenty-one, with some, (like the Figure 8 on the cover), being obvious and some, (like a number 6 created from cogs, gears and shadows), resembling those figures used in eye/brain recognition tests.My first encounter with this book was when my five year old grandson pulled it from its shelf at the Children's Library. He plopped down on the floor and I plopped down right next to him and we poured over the paintings. Once we figured out the pictures were in order from one to twenty-one, and that there weren't going to be any words, we went to town playing number search. He got a lot of them on his own, and enjoyed getting the rest with some hints and suggestions. We both had a good time, and it was very rewarding to watch the little kid gears turning in his head as he searched the paintings.Of course, this is all about shapes and numbers, but as Kirkus noted, it is also about visual literacy. We talked about photo-realist painting and about composition. And we had fun.So, this is a game, a sophisticated introduction to composition, a bit of art instruction, and an all around happy book experience.

i have the alphabet city , this is just as great!

This book has received 5 stars on all of it's reviews on Amazon, and it is easy to see why! Stephen T. Johnson has done it again!*"City by Numbers" reflects Mr. Johsnon's continued attraction to cities for their wealth of visual possibilities. Mr. Johnson's idea for this number book evolved naturally as he was looking for letters for his (Caldecott Honor!) book, "Alphabet City."*Mr. Johnson includes a very interesting "Author's Note" inside this book. I think it is an extra blessing to get to know the author behind the book, so I am especially thankful that he includes these personal notes in his books. These notes have allowed us to get to know him better and therefore, we appreciate him and his work even more!*This treasure of a book is dedicated to the memory of Stephen T. Johnson's grandfather, John Theodore Johnson....whom he knew only through his beautiful drawings and paintings, which in turn nurtured his passion for art.*Add this one to your home library along with it's companion, "Alphabet City." You'll never out grow them!

City by Numbers is another volume in the spirit of  Alphabet City . Conceived at the same time as a natural outgrowth of the alphabet book (which won a Caldecott Honor in 1996), this is an excellent companion to it. It's also an excellent choice both for prereaders, aspiring artists, or just those who enjoy a chance to see the world from a new perspective.

CITY BY NUMBERS is one of those rare educational childrens books that is as enjoyable for the adult as the child. This is because Stephen T. Johnson's illustrations are so very well done. The book teaches one to count to twenty by hiding each number in a well thought out illustration, simultaneously helping the child develop critical thinking skills. What makes CITY BY NUMBERS stand out is the exceptional quality of the illustrations, each of which is detailed, interesting, and fits easily into the city motif.

All good :)

Great book. Purchased for classroom use. Inspiring with beautiful artwork. Purchased for classroom use and as a gift for friends.

Ein kleines Buch mit ausdruckstarken Bildern! Der Künstler Stephen Johnson hat in seiner urbanen Umwelt überall Zahlen entdeckt und in Form von hyperrealistischen Pastellen dargestellt. Ein "Lehr-Bilderbuch" der besonderen Art und eine tolle Anregung für unsere Vor- und Grundschüler, selber auf Entdeckungsreise in ihrer Umwelt zu gehen. Vor allem aber auch ein Genuss für erwachsene Kunstliebhaber.