Review of HARLEM

Myers, Walter Dean. 1997. HARLEM. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590543407.

PLOT SUMMARY
Walter Dean Myers takes readers on a poetic journey through Harlem, the center of the African American Renaissance in New York City. Accompanied by his son’s vivid collages, Christopher Myers, the essence of Harlem is boldly portrayed throughout this picture book presentation. Music, language, dress, religion, food, art, entertainment, culture, sorrow, and celebration all combine to show the unique experience of being African American in the United States.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Cultural markers take center stage in this emotional book blending poetry and art. Both artists rejoice in what it means to be an African American. Poetic descriptions of “bright yellow shirts on burnt umber bodies demanding to be heard, seen” are accompanied by visually stunning and culturally accurate illustrations. The voice and style of the artists clearly express their passion for Harlem and its people. This Caldecott Honor book authentically portrays this unique setting and describes how our society has impacted this cultural group.

The flowing poetry scales a range of emotions, from bitterness to joy. Woven throughout the images, the reader is given an insight into the lives of children “waiting to sing their own sweet songs.” Universal themes of religion, entertainment, and food are seen through the African American perspective. The author mentions many Harlem landmarks and institutions by name, such as Abyssinian Baptist, the Cotton Club, and the Apollo. Myers also makes references to several key figures from African American history and the Civil Rights Movement. Langston, Du Bois, and Malcolm X all are featured in the haunting poetry.

Christopher Myers’ bold collages give vibrant life to the poetry. The interaction between poetry and illustrations is so well balanced, the reader can appreciate how this book won a Caldecott Honor award. Myers’ illustrations succeed on many levels. He definitely portrays the Harlem African American experience, while creating individuals as well, using varying skin tones, hair styles, and clothing in the collages.
Myers’s pictures depict both sorrow and hope in an older woman’s eyes as she listens to radio accounts of African American heroes like Sugar Ray trying to succeed in the dominant culture. On the facing page, Myers shows jubilant children dancing in the water from a broken fire hydrant. Throughout the illustrations, a complex and authentic range of images and emotions share the struggles and triumphs of African Americans with the reader.

Both artists have created an emotionally moving representation of Harlem and what it means to be an African American. This book would be a welcome addition in libraries and classroom. The only concern is the intended audience. African American children would recognize more of the references than other cultures, so background information would need to be given before reading.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Kirkus Reviews writes, “the text is rich with allusion. The imagery springs to life at once: ``Ring-a-levio warriors/Stickball heroes''; ``a full lipped, full hipped/Saint washing collard greens . . . Backing up Lady Day on the radio.'' A strong series of images of ink and gouache capture the beauty of faces, from the very old to very young, from golden to blue- black. Christopher Myers sets his scenes to match the streets, fire escapes, jazz clubs, and kitchens of Harlem, and makes them by turns starkly stylized as an Egyptian mask or sweet as a stained glass window.”

Booklist raves, “The two Myerses--author and artist, father and son--celebrate Harlem, which they perceive both as a city and a "promise of a better life," in quite different but wonderfully complementary ways… In a text that is as much song as poem, the author offers his impressionistic appreciation for a culture that is predominantly music-based, with its roots in "calls and songs and shouts" "first heard in the villages of Ghana/Mali/Senegal." In his hotly vibrant ink, gouache, and collage images, the artist shows us the textures of the city streets, the colors of "sun yellow shirts on burnt umber bodies," and even, it seems, the sounds the words themselves evoke. The very look of metaphorical moments is well served by the text, but it is Harlem as a visual experience that YAs will return to again and again, to admire and wonder at what is realized with truly extraordinary grace and power by this young artist of such wonderful promise.”

Reviews accessed at:
http://www.amazon.com/Harlem-Picture-Books-Walter-Myers/dp/0590543415

CONNECTIONS
Other books written and illustrated by Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers:
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MY DEAD BROTHER. ISBN 0060582936
BLUES JOURNEY. ISBN 0823420795
JAZZ. ISBN 0823415457
SHADOW OF THE RED MOON. ISBN 0590458957
TIME TO LOVE: STORIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. ISBN 0439220009


Submitted by Kim