The Great New York Subway Map
by Emiliano Ponzi

Nearly 6 million riders use the New York City subway every day. How do you make a map that helps all of them get to where they are going? The Great New York Subway Map, written and illustrated by Emiliano Ponzi and published by The Museum of Modern Art, in association with the New York Transit Museum, tells the fascinating story of the map’s creation in 1972 by the great Italian designer Massimo Vignelli and his team, and introduces young readers to the idea of graphic design as a way to solve problems and shape our world.

"Bravissimo! (...) Ponzi’s hard-edged, contemporary drawings are just the perfect look for a young audience and fit neatly into the groove of today’s graphic style."
Design Observer

"Italian commercial artist Emiliano Ponzi believes in introducing children to the idea of graphic design as a means of pictorial communication and as a way to solve problems."
The Globe and Mail

"You might not think most kids would be interested in a biography of the industrial designer Massimo Vignelli. But the writer and illustrator Emiliano Ponzi has created something magical in “The Great New York Subway Map”. [...] It’s a beautiful picture book, with text ideal for a first or second grader, though kids both older and younger will love poring over the illustrations. This is another #MariaRecommends from our children’s books editor, Maria Russo."
New York Times Books

"Vignelli e il suo team hanno lottato con le difficoltà di raffigurare il sistema metropolitano e di trasformare le tante informazioni in una mappa facile da usare. (...) Le loro lotte e risultati introducono i giovani lettori all'idea di design grafico come un modo per risolvere problemi, comunicare in modo efficace ed elegante e creare oggetti che modellano il nostro mondo.
Domus

"Emiliano Ponzi’s The Great New York Subway Map displays how graphic design can turn chaos to order": read an interview with the author on It's Nice That

"The Great New York Subway Map follows not just the creation of the 1972 map but also delves into Vignelli’s career, using it to explain the impact of design, and more specifically how graphic design is integral to everyday life."
Creative Review

Awards:

★ Motovun Group of International Publishers "Gold" Award in the children category and "Best of the Best" Award

Rights sold:

World: MoMA

For foreign rights inquiries, please contact MoMA Publications.

Other Books by Emiliano Ponzi: