Dinah Johnson

This is a lovely, almost "coffee table"-style book covering many of the sights and sounds of Harlem, from famous streets to jazz music, while paying homage to the people and places that make up the neighborhood's history.

Overall, this book is very nice for giving an overview of Harlem's many historic and cultural touchpoints. Using the alphabet to do so seems clever, but it results in many stretches, such as "M" being for Studio Museum, which is fact starts with an "S." However, I did really love the final words of the book: "H is for history. H is for a heart still beating strong. H is for Harlem, forever, whether you visit or call it home.

The illustrations are certainly colorful and eye-catching, although I thought the people looked a little too much like caricatures. Also, the very bright backgrounds made readability a bit of a challenge, so I wasn't a huge fan of that.… (more)