My Block Looks Like
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A love letter to the hustle, the bustle, the joy, and the grit of city life by debut author and Bronx native, Janelle Harper, and two-time Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner, Frank Morrison.
"My block looks like
a collision of cultures
a melting pot of cool
a burst of life
my favorite groove
. . .No matter what happens
I’ve seen it for myself
my block looks like
the coolest place
I’ve ever been."
A lyrical and proud picture book that recognizes the beauty of the bodegas, subways, and playgrounds that characterize everyday life in the Bronx and pays homage to the ways that its residents have shaped pop culture through music, visual art, and dance. Perfect for fans of I Am Every Good Thing and Last Stop on Market Street, My Block Looks Like offers kids a reaffirming message to celebrate and uplift their communities in an energetic text that begs to be read aloud.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"The hustle and bustle/ the heartbeat of the city/ the quick, the slick, the grit, the wit/ the coolest place I've ever been." Employing the refrain "my block looks like," debut author Harper embodies the demeanor of this picture book's charismatic protagonist, a child with dark brown skin and an Afro, as they travel through the Bronx. Along the way, they watch "fancy footwork and death-defying stunts" on the subway, engage with art that "soars across the world," and encounter "brilliant minds/ politicking and debating" life's great mysteries: top emcee, best rap record, and more. Their ever-present bubblegum popping, the protagonist heads to a dance studio, en route engaging in the dynamic movement of city life. Kinetic, portrait-filled art from Morrison (Breaking to the Beat!) reveals the neighborhood's sights (double Dutch, the Icee man, pickup games), vibrantly conveying the essence of the protagonist's home: "my city/ my hood/ my block. My home/ my village/ my family/ my friends/ my soul." Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Lindsay Auld, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words.
Customer Reviews
EXCELLENT
This is my real story.
I lived on this block and in this neighborhood when I was eight years old.
It was my home,
My neighborhood,
My family ,My playground.
This is the BEST STORY,
Do Read this fabulous novel and stand up and be proud of it.
Geneva
Freeport New York
March5, 2024