Nana in the City
Visiting Nana is always fun, but the city can be overwhelming, loud, and sometimes a little scary. Luckily, Nana has just the thing – a red cape to help her grandson build his bravery. With his red cape snugly tied in place, our brave hero navigates the city with savvy, stylish Nana, and finds that there is lots to see and enjoy in the busy metropolis! Castillo's warm, detailed watercolors and spare text make the city come to life, and show how a supportive caregiver can make just the difference in confronting a child's fears.
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
After reading, discuss with the children aspects of the story that might relate to their own experiences. Have they visited relatives who live in another place? Are there things that they were afraid to do when they tried them? Have they been afraid when they went someplace or they’ve tried something new? Did someone help them when they felt afraid?
Discuss some of the city experiences detailed in this book. What were some of the different things that the boy saw and did in the city with his Nana? Together, draw and/or list some of the things that make your town or city different and special. Are there quiet things in your town or city? Are there loud things? Are there extraordinary things? Are there ordinary things? How is your town or city different from or similar to Nana’s city? Every city is different. This book lends itself to pointing out the importance of reading various forms of print in different environments (i.e. environmental print) in early literacy. The illustrations in this book contain a number of instances of environmental print, e.g. subway signs, numbered train cars. Remind parents that it is important to read the signs in the illustrations as well as the text. Discuss that this will prompt children to read and recognize print in their own environment.