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sducharme's review against another edition
3.0
An ode to Harlem with dramatic cut-paper illustrations.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
5.0
After reading this book the first time, I knew I was going to have to tackle it differently than just reading a picture book. I wanted to make sense of it and I knew that I didn't have the background knowledge and I know that the power of all of the words had not sunk in yet. So, I typed up the poem in Google Drive and begun doing my very own close reading of the poem. I started with research of terms and names that I didn't know building my knowledge of the culture and history of Harlem. Through this build up of knowledge, I began to understand the beauty behind Myers's poem. The voice of this poem is one of heartbreak, but strength; proud of not only what he has become, but where he came from. This poem is a celebration of the history of Harlem and its citizens- a celebration of its religion, music, poets, authors, and everything that made/makes it a hub for the civil rights movement and African America culture.
While doing my research, I found an amazing website that I will definitely use when teaching this poetry book- Harlem: A Visual Interpretative Analysis- which takes an excerpt of the poem and an accompanied collage and takes the reader through an analysis of the excerpt and artwork. Fascinating!
This book would be a great one to use across many different subject areas- history, literature, and art.
http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=2129
While doing my research, I found an amazing website that I will definitely use when teaching this poetry book- Harlem: A Visual Interpretative Analysis- which takes an excerpt of the poem and an accompanied collage and takes the reader through an analysis of the excerpt and artwork. Fascinating!
This book would be a great one to use across many different subject areas- history, literature, and art.
http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=2129
beths0103's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautiful tribute to Harlem. The nuance and liveliness. The heartbreak and joy. It is a mix of emotions, but it manages to show the character and depth of this place in such a way that I've never read. While this is a book for young children, I still would be proud to have it in my 6th grade classroom as well. In fact, I think that older children and teenagers might be able to appreciate the nuance and allusions much better than young children.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
I've read a lot of picture books in the last year. And many are the same-ish. They have the same target audience, parents reading to their small children. And some are quite different - they are picture books but not exactly books for small children. And just being different doesn't make a book good.
This book is different and good. It is a poem, which for me usually means irritating unbearable dreck, but in this case quite readable. It has a sophisticated eye in its art and its words. It aims to capture an experience and a time of a place. It manages to pull you in, whether you are the target or not. For me, one page's reference to stick-ball and ring-a-levio brought me back to childhood in suburban Northern New Jersey. It ended up feeling inclusive, nostalgic.
But definitely this is one for an odd target, an older child who reads picture books.
This book is different and good. It is a poem, which for me usually means irritating unbearable dreck, but in this case quite readable. It has a sophisticated eye in its art and its words. It aims to capture an experience and a time of a place. It manages to pull you in, whether you are the target or not. For me, one page's reference to stick-ball and ring-a-levio brought me back to childhood in suburban Northern New Jersey. It ended up feeling inclusive, nostalgic.
But definitely this is one for an odd target, an older child who reads picture books.
kwbat12's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. The poem has a nice rhythm, the story paints lots of emotions, and the artwork is incredible.
martinelovesboks's review against another edition
4.0
I am not one for poetry, though I often find myself gravitating towards it. Actually, I didn’t even know that this was poetry when I picked it up(which might speak to how attentive I am). I was simply drawn in by the title “Harlem” as I’d been interesting in the topic lately. When I saw that it was a poem, I was disappointed. I thought, “what is a poem going to teach me about Harlem?” It was a biased thought and I was proved wrong.
I enjoy children’s books and I appreciate how informative and educational they are. While the poem itself did a wonderful job at providing an insight into the atmosphere of Harlem. I was pulled in by the illustrations. I absolutely loved Christopher Myer’s art style and the way he illustrated the author’s words. His art did an amazing job at showing readers what Harlem was like. You got a sense of the the culture of Harlem and what it meant to black people.
I enjoy children’s books and I appreciate how informative and educational they are. While the poem itself did a wonderful job at providing an insight into the atmosphere of Harlem. I was pulled in by the illustrations. I absolutely loved Christopher Myer’s art style and the way he illustrated the author’s words. His art did an amazing job at showing readers what Harlem was like. You got a sense of the the culture of Harlem and what it meant to black people.
sam_fielder_137's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.75
Cute little picture book. Really brought me into the culture of, not only the people of Harlem, but where they come from too.
jdyschmdt's review against another edition
I love the rhythm of this poem and the feelings that it evokes.
elizabethlk's review against another edition
4.0
Harlem is a perfect bit of Poetry to tell stories from Harlem to small children through poetry. The language is lovely for read-alouds. I read this one to my infant niece and she seemed to really enjoy it too. The vibrant illustrations are beautiful to look at, and my niece adored the bright and beautiful colours used throughout as well.
I recommend this one for anyone looking for a good read-aloud picture book.
I recommend this one for anyone looking for a good read-aloud picture book.
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
I love the artwork in this book. Everything cobbled together feeling like motion and life. Each page has a poem on it; an ode to Harlem and what it meant to its people. It’s a place of freedom where people of color can feel equal and have a chance. It’s an idea for certain. This blend of poetry and art together make for a very powerful idea.
The niece thought this was good. She enjoyed the verse and was curious about this place. She gave it 3 stars. The nephew didn’t get into this story. He doesn’t have a whole lot of patience and he said this was at least a fast story, but still boring. He gave it 2 stars.
The niece thought this was good. She enjoyed the verse and was curious about this place. She gave it 3 stars. The nephew didn’t get into this story. He doesn’t have a whole lot of patience and he said this was at least a fast story, but still boring. He gave it 2 stars.