Harlem: A Poem (by Walter Dean Myers)

Harlem was a promise ... Myers's vivid poem creates a kaleidoscopic journey through Harlem's past and present. Staccato verses and brilliant collages stir the senses, calling forth a tumultuous burst of sights, sounds, and images. Famous names and events fill the verses, raising questions for readers unfamiliar with black history. But this glittering work reaches across racial and social boundaries.

 

This remarkable work shimmers with emotions: alternately spiritual, humorous, jazzy, and, at times, full of the blues. They shine with a reverence for what Harlem promised and produced, tempered with keen observations of its disappointments. The uptown, upbeat, ragtime tempo of this poem makes for a lively read-aloud, even for older readers. Add to this the scope of the poem's content and it's a treasure -- both for those who have lived the Harlem experience and those who are curious about it.

Christopher Myers's artwork enhances his father's poem. Each illustration is a fascinating collage of tiny pieces of papers, drawings, and photographs, divided and reassembled to create a new whole. Martin Luther King Jr., the Apollo Theater, girls skipping rope -- all come to life in pages filled to the edges with color and texture. Rhythm and image, color and texture, all combine to create Harlem's celebration song.

Author: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrator: Christopher Myers
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication date: January 1, 1997
Number of pages: 32
Hardcover price: $16.95