★★★★
Synopsis: A musical note sets out on a spree. And flies through New York to see what it can see. The music's so sweet and the lights are so pretty. Come along and enjoy all the sounds of the city!
First off, let’s all take a minute and swoon at these lasercuts. When I received this book, I spent a good twenty minutes just looking at them one by one to take in all the detail. The black-white-blue colour scheme (with some touches of gold) is very effective, as the story mostly takes place during the night. (A fitting setting for the ‘City That Never Sleeps’). Needless to say, these illustrations are phenomenal. They really help make the reading experience extra special.
In terms of the story itself, I’ve often found that in picture books where the illustrator is also the writer, the story can end up being written to fit the illustrations. In cases like that the story can suffer and become very vague. However, that is definitely not the case here. In the story, you follow a music note across New York, and encounter a few landmarks along the way, such as Central Park. The writing is lyrical and the story flows well.
“Broadway is twinkling with bright lights galore. The note spots a jazz club and sneaks through the door”
The only downfall of the book is that the lasercuts are incredibly delicate, so I wouldn’t trust a child to read the book on their own, unless you’re okay with a few rips or bent piano keys! Personally, I’d read it together and keep it on the top shelf so they cannot reach for it themselves.
Overall, this is a beautiful picture book, with writing that is equally as enchanting as the visuals that go with it. I wasn’t aware there were more books in this series, but there are two more, one set in Paris, and another in London (the latter features Mary Poppins as the guide!). But now that I know, I am definitely going to get the other two, because I adored this one.
If you would like to buy your own copy of New York Melody, you can do so at Book Depository.*
*Please note that I'm a Book Depository affiliate, so I might make a small profit if you use the link above
I would like to thank Thames & Hudson for sending me a review copy.
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