Publisher Story Summary: In this new edition, the artist has added several of the city's unforgettable holiday scenes, including the Fourth of July fireworks over the harbor, the halloween parade in Greenwich Village, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square. Dramatic foldout pages, a map of all the sights, plus fun facts and reader challenges at the end make this book both informative and entertaining.

Kathy Jakobsen's richly detailed paintings are alive with activity, just like the city itself. Her unusual childlike perspective and exuberant enthusiasm for New York make this book a glorious celebration of the city that never sleeps

Publisher Story Summary - Holiday Edition: Readers are introduced to the thrill of riding your own special horse on Central Park's colorful carousel, the magic of seeing the spectacular Fourth of July firewords explode over the New York skyline, and much, much more. Oversized fold-out pages of the Empire State Building, the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History, the Chrysler buidling, and Rockefeller Center at Christmastime add to the fun, while a map in the front and fun facts in the back make a helpful guide. With paintings by a premier American folk artist, this is a visual celebration of one of the world's most fabled cities, sure to be treasured by young and old.

LESSON: MY NEW YORK

Lesson Summary

Identify public goods and services as you take a tour of the sites and sounds of New York City – from the towering Empire State Building to Central Park and the Sixth Avenue Flea Market. The artwork by author Kathy Jakobsen is especially striking, with color foldout pages of key sites.

Concept: Goods and Services (focus on public goods and services)

Definition: A good is an object people want that they can touch or hold. A service is an action that a person does for someone else.

A public good or service is provided by government using taxes collected from citizens. An example of a public service provided by the federal government is national defense. Public services often provided by local and state governments are roads, police and fire protection, and education. Certain services, such as water, can be provided by government or by private companies.

Comprehension Questions:

What is the difference between a good and a service?
Both are things people want; however, a good is something you can touch. A service is something someone does for you.

What is a public good or service?
A good or service provided by government using taxes collected from citizens

What are taxes?
Taxes are payments to government by individuals or businesses. Taxes are typically paid on income (e.g. income tax), consumption (e.g. sales tax), and wealth (e.g. inheritance tax).

What are some examples of goods and services in the story that could be provided by government.
(Note: services such as power, buses, parks, and water are sometimes provided by private companies.)

• First page view of apartment building: roads/sidewalks, buses
• Sixth Avenue Flea Market: roads/sidewalks, buses, lights
• Underground New York: roads/sidewalks, subway, water mains (if city water), sewage system
• Empire State Building: roads/sidewalks
• Foldout view of New York: bridges, Central Park
• Central Park Zoo: the zoo (if supported by some public tax dollars)
• Carousel: carousel if operated by Central Park, trash can/removal (probably part of park costs)
• Plaza Hotel: roads/sidewalks, city lights, park, police (on horseback and in police car!)
• Marathon: roads/sidewalks, bridge, police
• Chinatown: roads/sidewalks
• Baby Watson Cheesecake: roads/sidewalks
• Hudson River: aircraft carrier, fighter jets, submarine
• South Seaport: bridge
• View from Staten Island Ferry: roads, Ellis Island monument, Statue of Liberty monument
• Fireworks: Statue of Liberty monument, fireworks (a government sponsored event!), roads, Ellis Island monument

  Good and Services   

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