When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy's Fight for an American Icon

by Natasha Wing, Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)

Overview

Before she was an iconic First Lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy was a born-and-raised New Yorker. She loved everything about her city, from the natural beauty of the parks to the architectural history of the buildings. So when the owners of Grand Central wanted to build a skyscraper on top of the famous train station, Jackie knew they had to be stopped. She helped inspire thousands of people to come together and fight to protect the historic landmark. From letter-writing campaigns all the way to the Supreme Court, this little-known story celebrates winning in the face of immeasurable odds and how one person can make a big difference.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547449210
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/07/2017
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Natasha Wing is the author of many fiction and nonfiction picture books, including the popular Night Before series. She lives in Colorado. www.natashawing.com

Alexandra Boiger grew up in Munich, Germany. She has illustrated many picture and chapter books, including five popular books about ballerina Tallulah and She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton. She lives in Northern California. Visit her online at alexandraboiger.com and on Instagram @Alexandra_Boiger.

Editorial Reviews

"What a great idea for a book!... an offering as charming as it is informative." —Booklist, starred review "...an inspiring historical episode that also makes a strong case for the general value of preserving our country's architectural treasures. Grand, in several ways."  —Kirkus, starred review —

From the Publisher

06/01/2017
Gr 1–5—Beginning with a few pages of background about Jackie Kennedy and the work she put into restoring the White House, this book then delves into the history and cultural significance of New York City's Grand Central Station. For the most part, the author uses the diminutive "Jackie," depicting the former first lady as a determined but approachable figure who made preserving Grand Central a personal mission, participating in press conferences, fund-raising, lobbying, and demonstrations. Wing does an admirable job of describing a complex situation, making it understandable for a young audience and conveying the amount of time and effort required of Kennedy and many others to achieve the ultimate victory. The illustrations—rendered in watercolor, gouache, and ink, with spot colors and hand lettering added digitally—employ a variety of perspectives that give the book a cinematic quality. Whether using extreme close-ups, large-scale landscapes, or multi-illustration pages suggesting the passage of time, the visuals are energetic and multidimensional. In an artistic choice that may be puzzling to readers, Kennedy and other female characters often have sticklike legs that end in points rather than feet, while male figures are presented proportionally. Even the cover image portrays Kennedy more as a paper doll than human, which is strange in a book about a powerful woman who used her influence for the greater good. VERDICT While the text makes this title a great addition to nonfiction shelves, some of the illustrations may distract from the message.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

School Library Journal

★ 2017-02-04
An account of the former first lady's impassioned campaign to save one of New York's iconic buildings.Wing and Boiger rightly acknowledge that it wasn't just Jackie Onassis' campaign, but here she stands at its center in both narrative and art—particularly in the latter, where she positively shines in a stylish red coat, whether fronting a protest march or striking a gracefully defiant pose before the U.S. Supreme Court. The author begins with her subject's renovation of the Kennedy-era White House and then, following quick looks at Grand Central's history and use, describes how the prospect of that magnificent, if somewhat seedy, landmark's demolition motivated Onassis to enlist the mayor, the city, and the nation in a protracted, ultimately successful battle. Next up: the building's $200 million restoration, which she helped to start but did not live to see completed in 1998. The author's repeated use of "cerulean" to describe Grand Central's ceiling, along with the footless, pipestem legs of Jackie and other figures in the diverse if generalized crowd scenes, does strike a twee note. Nonetheless, it's an inspiring historical episode that also makes a strong case for the general value of preserving our country's architectural treasures. Grand, in several ways. (author's & illustrator's notes, sources) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews