The Barnes & Noble Review
Culture, community, and elegant brownstones are just a few of the things featured in Bryan Collier's Uptown. This imaginative book gives readers a very personal tour of Harlem through the eyes of a young boy who lives in the diverse neighborhood.

Travel uptown on the Metro-North train and have a bite to eat -- how about chicken and waffles? The young narrator admits that "it seems like a weird combination, but it works." Strolling on 125th Street results in a cornucopia of shoppers with a vibrant blend of personalities. History also plays a strong part in the fabric of Harlem -- from the roots of jazz to gossip at the barbershop.

The collage illustrations featured in the book are a perfect match for the spare text. Bold colors and watercolor pictures wonderfully illustrate the diverse and wondrous culture in this amazing community. Kids who have heard of Harlem but aren't able to make the visit will find this book particularly enlightening as an ideal introduction and a wonderful journey. Those of us who know of Harlem's wonder will smile contently at Uptown's spectacular vision and praise the heartfelt work of Collier.

--Amy Barkat

…the author leads the reader on a collage and cut-paper tour that captures and celebrates the rhythm of the city.
—Bookbag Magazine

Collier debuts with a set of dazzling paint-and-photo collages paired to a child's tribute to his Harlem neighborhood. From his window the young narrator sees "Uptown" in the Metro North commuter train crawling caterpillar-like over the river; sisters in matching dresses parading to church; weekend shoppers on 125th Street; jazz; Van Der Zee photographs; playground basketball; chicken and waffles served any time of day. ("At first it seems like a weird combination, but it works.") This complex, many-layered vibe is made almost tangible by the kaleidoscopic illustrations. For instance, the row of brownstones "…when you look at them down the block. They look like they're made of chocolate." Indeed, their bricks are photos of chocolate bars. Walter Dean Myers's poem Harlem (1997), illustrated in similar style by Christopher Myers, conveys a deeper sense of the African American community's history, but this makes an engagingly energetic once-over. (Picture book. 7-9)

Collier's evocative watercolor-and-collage illustrations create a unique sense of mood and place. Bold color choices for text as well as background pages complement engagingly detailed pictures of city life.” —School Library Journal

“...both text and art capture a child's sense of perspective and imagination.” —Publishers Weekly