The Legend of New Amsterdam

by Peter Spier

The Legend of New Amsterdam describes life in bustling 17th-century New Amsterdam and a woman whose seemingly "crazy" behavior raises an interesting question in light of New York's subsequent development.

Genres: History, Picture Books, Childrens

28 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Peter Spier has established himself as one of the most gifted illustrators in this county. His Noah's Ark was the 1978 Caldecott Award winner, while The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night was a Caldecott Honor book in 1962. The firs two books in his widely acclaimed Mother Goose Library, London Bridge Is Falling Down! and To Market! To Market! were winner and runner-up respectively for the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. The Erie Canal and Noah's Ark both won Christopher Awards, while Gobble, Growl, Grunt received Honorable Mention in the first Children's Science Book Award program, sponsored by the New York Academy of Science.

Born and educated in Amsterdam, Mr. Spier came to New York in 1952 after serving in the Royal Dutch Navy and working for a number of years as a reporter for Elsevier's Weekly, Holland's largest magazine. He has illustrated over a hundred books and has contributed a series of murals to the H. F. Du Pont Winterthur Museum in Delaware.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited for this as it's one of the few Peter Spier books I've come across that contain text. The first half of the book is quite good: we learn about the early development of New York City by seeing the sights with a group of children. (Did you know it cost two beaver pelts a year to attend school?) They visit the sawmill, and the ship yards, and occasionally spy a glimpse of Pieter Stuyvesant himself. The second half of the book involves the mockery of a local woman who suffers from mental illness. A bit too much time is devoted to this tale, in my opinion, though her habit of looking at the sky, and muttering "People, stone," does turn out to be quite prophetic.

We're treated to a vision of the city as it looked in 1979 - the last time I visited there. Always a punch in the gut seeing the Twin Towers again.

[MyNameIsTim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful children's book. The story is simple enough for toddlers, but complicated enough for middle schoolers to find it interesting. The map of old New York in the back is fascinating and incredibly detailed - I've searched and searched and haven't found its equal anywhere.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really fun to see illustrations of how New York looked throughout history. My kids recognized the illustrator's style just from the cover.

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"People and stone. People and stone."

Poor, old Annie. 😔

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Spier again delivers a story by using heavily-detailed paintings and accompanying narrative - too much text, especially since the bulk of the account only spans about 1600-1700. The most-emphasized character is Annetje Jans Bogardus, an eccentric widow whose "people and stone" mantra left her referenced (but not remembered) by the insult "crazy as Annie," which long outlived her in usage. The book jumps from the early 18th century to the painting of 1979-vintage Manhattan, which includes the shimmering Twin Towers that are far more noticeable after 9/11/01 for their absence.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This neat children's book tells the history of NY City and has a very hauting, but unintentionally so, ending.