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Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava
CCBC Review:
A photographer finds beauty in the everyday activities of Harlem residents in the 1940s. After work, when Roy DeCarava’s time is his own, he wanders the streets of his neighborhood, “hungry” for fleeting moments that can be captured by his 35mm camera. “SNAP!” Roy captures a photo of a boy making a sidewalk chalk drawing. “SNAP!” A woman taking a photo of her son. “SNAP!” Black and brown boys splashing around in the cool spray of a fire hydrant. Roy’s vision is expansive, creative, and admiring; he sees Harlem itself in the eyes of the people on the streets. “Beauty is not in the camera. Beauty is in the person.” Additional information, including a short account of this Jamaican American artist’s work and a timeline of his life, follows the main text. Watercolor scenes strikingly use light and shadow to bring Roy’s Harlem to life, while the sparse, thoughtful narrative, interspersed with quotations, will inspire readers to slow down and find the beauty in their own surroundings. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
Art and Artists
Biography
Community
Jamaicans and Jamaican Americans
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publishers:
Calkins Creek, Astra
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9781662680557
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 779 Golio