Uptown

Uptown is a short story of a young black boys perspective of Harlem, NY. Many times throughout the book Harlem "Uptown" is metaphorically described as something. Uptown is a song, the metro train is a caterpillar, and the brownstones resemble chocolate. I personally appreciate the fact that the words and the art come together to describe not only someone's neighborhood but their culture. The mentioning of chicken and waffles, the discussions that occur in the barbershops, the little sisters dressed in their yellow Sundays best are all apart of black culture in America. Bryan Collier did a fantastic job with the illustrations. The style seems to be a collage, but it could also be mixed media due to the different textile prints, magazine show more clippings, and drawings that were spotted throughout the book. I think the best part of the illustrations was the drawing on the very last page of a little black boy - his skin wasn't just one shade, his lips weren't largely exaggerated and his demeanor was friendly! It was very refreshing to see a good representation of African American people for once. show less

I can relate to the chicken and waffles statement- it does seem like a strange combination, but if homemade and well made, they are delicious together. Bryan Collier makes a story about Harlem, and specific places throughout 'uptown' relatable even if a person does not live anywhere near New York. The text has a certain cadence and the font along with the text flows through the illustrations, created with Collier's signature watercolor and collage style.

I enjoyed this book because it is told through the point of view of a young boy telling the audience about his home of Harlem, New York. The story was enjoyable because the author uses metaphors and similes all throughout the story. My favorite comparison is, "Uptown is Chicken and Waffles." The author uses unusual comparisons to show the uniqueness of his city. I also enjoyed the illustrations because it shows how the author sees Harlem. The big idea is that Harlem is a unique city with many attributes that make it special to the young boy telling the story.

There is something about this book that I love. Through a young boy's eyes we get a brief, personal tour of Harlem. As you are reading this book you can tell how much this boy adores his town, culture, and people. His pride for Harlem radiates through out the whole book. The narrator starts every page with, "Uptown is...," and with this unique introduction to every page we get to see all of the great things Harlem has to offer. From chicken and waffles, to jazz, all the way to the Hudson river, this boy gives the readers a perfect insight of Harlem's culture and everyday life. The narrator end this book with my favorite line. "Uptown is my home." Above all things that Harlem has to offer, it is his home. A home he loves and appreciates show more for everything that it is.
This book's illustrations are phenomenal. Before this book, I barely had a visual in my head of what Harlem looked like. Bryan Collier did an amazing job getting readers to truly visualize Harlem for what it is. The paintings are vivid and so detailed that it almost has the illusion of real pictures on some pages. The illustrator was able to do that because of the lighting placement he added to the pages, the value of the illustrations makes the pictures so realistic.The best part of the book is that they are many qualities that can compare to New Orleans. While the narrator was talking about his home, it reminded me of my home. A perfect example of how books can bring you back in time. show less

I liked this book because this story was a told through the eyes of a young boy and it was a depiction of how the young boy saw his city. This book can be very relatable for children who live in cities, especially Harlem, New York and also because it's told through the child's perspective. The illustrations in the book were abstract and very intriguing. They made out of what looked to be clippings from a magazine, but the pieces created one large picture. The child describes his uptown as "uptown is a row of brownstones." and then goes into describing how all of the houses look like chocolate. He continues throughout the book describing all of the places and things that makes Harlem his home. The big idea of this novel is that everyone show more has their home and all the little things that are special to them are what make up their home. show less

I think this book is suited for primary or intermediate readers (1-5).

This book explores a little boy's home city in Uptown. He shares his favorite places and the things that make it feel and look like home. It shows his connection to where he lives and the people and places around him.

I think this is a cool book to use to get students thinking about their homes and hometowns. It might get students sharing and connecting with others. This book specifically does raise some culture stereotypes, so the idea of this book is good, but there might be others that are more helpful.

I liked this book for a few reasons. Uptown is about a young African American boy who narrates the story as if he was taking someone on a tour of the sights and sounds of the neighborhood, Harlem, which happens to be his hometown. One reason I enjoyed this story is because of the amazing illustrations that enhance the story. Bryan Collier, the author, made collages by blending cut up paper and watercolor. These illustrations portray the people going about their lives in the neighborhood of Harlem. For example, there is a page that says, “Uptown is the weekend shopping on 125th street” and the beautiful illustrations clearly depict people shopping on 125th street. Another reason I liked this book is because the writing flows so show more smoothly. For example, on every page it says, “Uptown is…” and then it follows with new information about what Uptown is. For example, “Uptown is [a caterpillar, chicken and waffles, a row of brownstones, etc.]” Lastly, I enjoyed this book because of the first-person point of view. For example, the narrator says, “I like the way they come together when you look at them down the block” and “My grandfather says, “jazz and Harlem are a perfect match—just like chicken and waffles.” I like how the point of view is in first person because as the reader, we have the opportunity to see/understand what this young boy thinks of his hometown, Harlem. I think the big, overall message of this book is that there are places and aspects that make every neighborhood special. show less