The Block [Hardcover]

Langston Hughes (Author), Romare Bearden (Illustrator), Bill Cosby (Introduction)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Thirteen poems about the New York City neighborhood of Harlem are teamed with the collage painting, The Block, a celebration of the bustle of Harlem, from the corner grocery store to the local Baptist church.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bearden's (1911-1988) extraordinary six-panel collage The Block, now housed at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is the raison d'etre of this elegant book, its selection of Hughes's poems notwithstanding. Details of Bearden's multi-layered work, which jazzily recreate the life of a busy Harlem block, are paired with soulful poems about Harlem or the African American experience. The poems are not always Hughes's best, but Bearden's art unmistakably captures the energy and pulsing rhythms of the street. In his collages black angels hover above a coffin; two haunting faces stare from a window; tiny figures dance with abandon in front of a barber shop. Both text and art are shown to advantage by the clean, angular design, which complements the tone and mood of the book as a whole. Page-long biographical sketches of Bearden and Hughes appear at the end, and are implicitly addressed to adult readers. Perhaps more suitable as a coffee table book than a work for children, the volume's strength is in its ability to convey the vitality and inventiveness of Bearden's art. All ages.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up?These 12 poems coupled with images from a large, six-panel collage convey the complexity of the modern African American urban experience. Some celebrate the commonplace, even things that sometimes seem only glaring and ugly. The collage, created in 1971 and seen in its entirety on the title page, shows an evening street scene in Harlem. Faded black-and-white photographs and colored paper cut in angular shapes create an emotional piece, evoking feelings of struggle and joy, despair and hopefulness. In "Juke Box Love Song," the narrator offers to "Take the neon lights and make a crown" for his beloved. The accompanying image shows a Romeo and Juliet variation, a boy leaning out an apartment window talking to a girl on the street below. To the left of them is a primitive, yet fairly traditional Annunciation scene, an example of the artist's highly original vision. In fact, one of the most compatible things about Hughes and Bearden is their spirituality. Most of the poem/picture pairings are successful, although one or two do not seem as well matched (the two children pictured with "To Be Somebody" look more resigned than aspiring, though that may be exactly the point). Hughes is an accessible poet whose work can be appreciated by adolescents. The art may be more complex and multilayered than the poems, while the book's layout and typefaces are playful, contemporary, and imaginative.?Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art; 1st edition (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067086501X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670865017
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book, September 6, 2008

By 

S. Sims (Stockton California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Block (Hardcover)

I bought this book after seeing the interactive website on The Block, and this is a wonderful addition to any lesson on Romare Bearden. It breaks the piece up into panels and Langston Hughes wrote a poem for each section. It is very engaging to my students and has sparked much discussion about both men and their works.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vibrant!, August 8, 2001

By 

"gwenbe" (burbank, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Block (Hardcover)

An incredibly vibrant combination of words and images. Excellent poetry choices that emphasize the exhuberant and the life-affirming in Hughes' poetry without ignoring the hardships he was so brilliant at expressing. The collages are a perfect counter-point to the words--bringing to life the feelings and thoughts expressed in the verses.