Harlem

Harlem
a poem by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Christopher Myers. New York: Scholastic. 1997. (0590543407).

Author Website: http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/

Illustrator Website: none

Media: ink, gouache and collage

Awards and Honors: Caldecott Honor Book, 1998; Coretta Scott King Award; Selected title of the White Ravens, 1998; Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Fiction Honor, 1997

Annotation:
A boldly illustrated, vibrant and sophisticated tale of the storied New York neighborhood and the people who moved there for the promise of a better life. 

Personal Response: 
     "Harlem was a promise..." begins Walter Dean Myers' poetic tribute to the community, culture and contributions of Harlem and its people. A hope for a better life drew people to the neighborhood where they created a vibrant new community. Myers has written much about Harlem in his novels for young adults, and he manages to encapsulate the spirit and soul of the neighborhood in this poem. Myers' rhythmic prose, its cadence reminiscent of a preacher's sermon, vividly conveys the sights, sounds, smells and colors of Harlem. Christopher Myers' collage illustrations, rendered in bold warm tones accented with strong indigos focus primarily on the residents, both young and old, engaged in play, worship and social activities. This is a beautiful and lyrical book, which will likely appeal to an older audience. Those older readers already familiar with landmarks like the Apollo and the Cotton Club and figures such as Langston Hughes and W.E.B. Du Bois will get the most out of this poem- its references are too sophisticated for elementary or even most middle school readers.