Walking in the City with Jane: A Story of Jane Jacobs is a non fiction picturebook written by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Valerie Boivin. From the time she was a young girl, Jane Jacobs' curious mind made her a keen observer of everything around her. When she grew up, she moved to New York City, a place full of new wonders for her to explore. It was there she realized that, just like in nature, a city is an ecosystem. So, when city planner Robert Moses proposed creating highways through the city that would destroy neighborhoods and much of what made New York great, Jane decided she couldn't let it happen. She stood up to the officials and rallied her neighbors to stop the plans and even got arrested! Jane's bravery and ideas had a huge influence on urban planning that is still being felt today.
Walking in the City with Jane: A Story of Jane Jacobs is an engaging informational picture book, offering readers a fictionalized story of the life of Jane Jacobs, one of the world's greatest urban thinkers and activists. I think the stylized art gives a feel for the time and location, it is interesting and enjoyable to look at. I found the story to be well told and interesting. I think young readers that love cities, streets, and exploring will fully enjoy the read. I think those that get bored easily in school, and are always looking to explore, will relate to Jane and her story. Nature loves and those interested in ecosystems and how cities and the world in general work will also be captivated by the story. I am not sure that it will be interesting to all readers, but it was well done and engaging in my opinion. At the end of the book there is a brief biography of Jane Jacobs to further inform or inspire readers.
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