Uptown.

Uptown by Bryan Collier Henry Holt & Co,, June 2000, $15,95, ISBN 0-805-05721-8, Ages 4-8

Harlem brownstones and barber shops are fodder for exploration as Collier's collage illustrations create a truly wonderful sense of adventure through visual observation. Collier, illustrator of These Hands (Jump at the Sun, 1999), continues his growth as an artist by both writing and illustrating this beautiful book.

I was instantly drawn into a familiar story told in a contemporary, upbeat tone. From the subway to chicken and waffle specials, jazz and the Apollo Theater, Uptown takes children on a virtual tour of Harlem with a confident young boy as their tour guide.

"`Uptown' is a song sung by the Boys Choir of Harlem. Each note floats through the air and lands like a butterfly,' says our tour guide, wise beyond his years. Harlem is known throughout the world for its great performers, beautiful architecture and venerable place in African American history. Collier, a Harlem resident, has captured the movement, sounds and vibrantly-colored collage of the neighborhood, leading young readers into an adventure they'll want to embark upon over and over.