Uptown
         Readers are taken through a very visual tour of the city of Harlem in this book by Bryan Collier. With the use of different types of materials, he creates wonderful collages in order to bring his words to life.  He uses materials such as pieces of fabric, newspaper scraps, magazine cutouts, actual photographs, and even chocolate bars. A picture of a chocolate bar is used to create and describe the row of brownstones found in the narrator�s neighborhood. If one looks closely, on this same page, a man is seen walking by a big mailbox which is actually a piece of denim.  The text is quite amusing, providing a variety of metaphors such as, �Uptown is a caterpillar�.  Several of these examples are provided throughout the text, and similes such as, �each
note floats through the air and lands like a butterfly� are also a joy to read.  The way the words are arranged also add a sense of poetry to the text. For example, on the opening page, the author writes, �Uptown is a caterpillar� and the words are arranged in a wavy shape to represent a worm.  In the part where the narrator describes the brownstones, �Uptown is a row of brownstones,� is typed in a straight, but slanted line on top of the illustration of the row of apartments.  When we are taken into a neighborhood barbershop, we see a variety of actual photographs displayed on the wall.
          Despite the fact that there is no definite plot in this book, the author presents a book which is pleasurable to read and which provides a deep look at the narrator�s surroundings in New York.  Readers may also learn about Van Der Zee photographs and their value in the African American culture. The author makes a small reference to them, but readers who may not be aware might question what such a photograph is, providing for a quick research on them.  Both the author and narrator�s feelings are clearly portrayed in the last short sentences of the book: �Uptown is Harlem...Harlem world, my world. Uptown is home.� The narrator seems to feel that there is no better place than Harlem, and readers might find the urge to learn more about such a place after reading this book.  This book holds the 2001 Coretta Scott King Award, and it is easy to see why.  The rich mix of culture, color, and life with which the author puts it all together allows for an unforgettable and truly enjoyable reading experience.  Young readers will appreciated the color and creativity of the illustrations, and adults will enjoy the descriptive writing and lyrical contents of the book.  In the author's debut as both writer and illustrator of a children's book, he has surely proven to be strong in both areas.

Collier, Bryan. 2000. Uptown. New York: Henry Holt & Company, LCC. ISBN 0-8050-5721-8.
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