Title: A New York City Adventure
Author: Paul Calabrese
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-6641-3449-2
Pages: 16
Genre: Art/Travel
Reviewed by: Beth Adams

Read Book Review

We all have heard the saying “A picture is worth 1,000 words,” well, in Paul Calabrese’s book, A New York City Adventure, within the pages is a collection of pictures totaling 8,175,000 words, which so happens to be the current population of NYC. Yes, it seems as if everyone in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx came out to pose for this amazing artist and illustrator, and to be a part of this amazing book!

The text of the book reads like a tour-guide doing a Circle-S overview of the highly visited iconic places within the 5 Boroughs. From a trip to Coney Island, then up to Grand Central Station, then walking up to Times Square, readers are told about the rich history of New York City, and how it has come into being the center of so many cultural

aspects of our society. Also are drawings of Central Park, City Hall, and just about my favorite, Wall Street, where money does grow on trees. I never knew the story about the buttonwood tree where stock traders came to exchange securities.
Readers can figuratively taste the Nathan’s hot dogs from the famous restaurant in Coney Island, or the Sabrett hot dogs with onions and mustard pulled from the boiling water of a street vendor’s cart in Central Park. The crowd of celebrators during a New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square will rub up on your viewing minds’ eye, or readers will feel the bumping of people squeezing into the Subway or bustling around Grand Central Station, being rushed to catch a train.

Other drawings include Central Park and the South Street Seaport. Each of his pictures uses his techniques so unique in his genre of art, being overly detailed, including comical faces in whimsical settings, showing the vivid and varied personalities of the people – a true original and captivating talent for sharing such diversity of people. In real life, Paul Calabrese has many galleries and even his own website which offers framed prints of these, and many other images, for sale.

I was hoping to see a “self-portrait” of the artist, perhaps standing on the incline ramp of the round galleries of the Guggenheim Museum in front of one of his pictures, arms crossed, with confidence of how humble he can be showcasing his work in a world- famous setting. However, one can buy this collection, recommended of course in the hard-cover version, and place it on your coffee table to enjoy over and over, and showcase this book to other New Yorkers when they visit. As you don’t need to be from New York to admire these works of art, the attitude of New York comes through. You almost can hear the characters in the pictures saying the famous NYC expression, “So, what’s it to ya?”