My Washington, DC

August 8, 2016
More than 20 years after My New York, folk artist Jakobsen returns to explore the American capital as a girl named Becky recounts her whirlwind visit to Washington, D.C. Jakobsen depicts Washington attractions in intricately detailed oil paintings, including a cross-section of the White House, a look inside the National Museum of Natural History, and an especially striking foldout image of the Washington Monument, the sky above ablaze with fireworks. Crowded scenes invite close inspection (and readers are invited to locate particular items in the pictures), while ornate border artwork adds further visual dimension. Though Becky’s conversational narrative is primarily concerned with providing information about the city and its history, as opposed to a storyline, the rich illustrations provide a gratifying and grand tour of the nation’s capital. Ages 6–9.

July 1, 2016
From Union Station to the Lincoln Memorial, Jakobsen's double-page spreads depict the monuments and structures in Washington, D.C., that are highest in child appeal.Readers are invited to search each diverse, Where's Waldo-esque crowd for two white tourists named Becky and Martin, a cat, and a total of 40 eagles and 300 stars. It is the oil paintings, however, that make this book memorable. The artist captures the grandeur of the city's classical marble columns and ornamentation as found inside the Capitol and the Library of Congress. Cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin and fireworks behind the Washington Monument are enlivened through vivid patches of pointillism; a gatefold opening offers scale regarding the obelisk. Jakobsen mentions selected items from three of the most popular museums and, in a current detail, includes a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. She wisely chooses not to portray a particular president (thus immediately dating the presentation) but employs a folk-art style to squeeze an enormous quantity of presidential pets on the White House grounds. The narrative combines a rather contrived, first-person-plural travelogue with facts and legends; the seams show. It is also highly unlikely that two kids would visit 12 sites in one day, much less alone. Nevertheless, the visuals and rather challenging hide-and-seek component will make this a popular introduction to or souvenir from the nation's capital. (map, facts, websites, artist's note) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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June 1, 2016

Gr 1-3-Jakobsen takes readers on a whimsical, whirlwind tour of our nation's capital in this nonfiction picture book. Beginning at Union Station, characters Becky and her friend Martin make their way around many of the sights of Washington, DC. Most locations are treated to highly detailed spreads, while some, such as the Supreme Court, merit a single page, and others, like the White House, receive multiple spreads. The Washington Monument gets a fold-out treatment as befits its height. Each illustration is accompanied by a brief paragraph of description, which necessarily limits the amount of information that Jakobsen is able to impart; what she includes is as much fun trivia as it is vital facts. A few commonly repeated inaccuracies appear here, such as the idea that "Lincoln freed the slaves," but these are more oversimplifications than errors. Martin Luther King Jr.'s monument is the only edifice to commemorate a non-president that is featured, but Jakobsen fails to mention King's African American heritage, which is an omission that some will find odd. As readers pore over these illustrations of monuments, seats of government, and museums, they are also encouraged to search for eagles, stars, and a cat hidden in each picture, adding to the book's interactive nature. An illustrated map highlighting each site visited as well as other prominent locations graces the endpapers, allowing readers to revisit their journey. VERDICT This merry work is a good choice for young readers who are curious about our capital as well as educators who want to introduce Washington, DC, before a trip or lesson.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2016
Grades K-4 *Starred Review* A companion volume to Jakobsen's My New York (1993), this handsome book follows a girl and her friend as they visit notable sites in Washington, D.C. The girl narrates, sharing her reactions and some historical anecdotes she hears along the way. Rather than listing all the highlights at each location, the narrator recalls her favorites, such as touching a moon rock at the National Air and Space Museum. She challenges readers to find the eagles and stars in the pictures, which were purportedly painted by her mother. And what pictures they are! Grand in scale, minutely detailed, and peopled with a multicultural cast of figures enjoying the capital, the well-composed folk art oil paintings glow with color. The book's visual climax is a three-page foldout scene of the Washington Monument surrounded by crowds of people and backlit by a fireworks display. Even children too young to read the text can get lost in these illustrations and become engrossed in searching for the three travelers as well as the cat that can be found in each scene. Appended pages offer more fun facts, and the endpapers carry a map showing major buildings, monuments, and parks in the city's central area. A star-spangled introduction to the nation's capital.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)