This switchback book, bound in a unique Z format that opens in two directions, pictures the Manhattan skyline from the Hudson and East Rivers. Pericoli initially created two 37-foot scrolls, reproduced in the accordion-folded Manhattan unfurled
; in this meticulous, affectionate version (his first book for young people), manageable double-page spreads preserve his detailed pen-and-ink renderings of architecture, trees and choppy water. Part one, "The West Side," navigates from the northernmost point "where the Bronx ends" to Manhattan's southern tip circa 2000; the Twin Towers' still presence haunts the pages and suggests mutability ("One day, new buildings will be built and the skyline will, once again, be different"). Readers flip the book for part two, "The East Side," depicting the Brooklyn Bridge, U.N. and other landmarks. Pericoli began his work by taking "hundreds of photographs" on a boat tour, and he sets his horizon line low on the page. White negative space above the tall buildings serves as the open sky and as a canvas for offhand remarks. Penciled-in arrows point to neighborhoods and sites such as "The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum (on a ship!)." Pericoli marvels at what he once took for granted ("Another water tower!") and at the project's rigors ("From here to here, I drew 2,215 windows"). In an unobtrusive narrative along the bottom margin, he reflects that "drawing is learning" and invites readers along, "Try and you'll find out.... You may think, 'I already know this view very well,' since you see it every day. But you'll be surprised to find out just how many things you... never noticed before." Like David Macaulay, Pericoli dazzles with his style and conveys warm appreciation of that which seems ordinary. Ages 6-10. (Aug.)
