A Bank Street Best Book 2025
★ “With skillful use of line, light, and depth, Lewis transports readers and conveys the vision of an artist honoring the city he loves. Golio’s understated text makes judicious use of profound quotes from DeCarava himself on beauty and truth. Present-tense narration carries the energy of a vibrant neighborhood as seen through the attentive eyes of a brilliant visionary, while artistic details connote the period-specific portrait DeCarava drew of mid-20th-century Harlem. This memorable offering is one readers will return to for moments of inspiration.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “In an image-centered picture book that summons the senses, the creators navigate Harlem through the lens of photographer Roy DeCarava (1919–2009)…DeCarava captures it all—and so too do Golio and Lewis—in this luminous tribute.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “[A]n artful picture book that is a loving snapshot of photographer Roy DeCarava…Golio has penned an elegant ode to a notable photographer, filling his narrative with sensory details and enriching it with quotations from Roy himself. Lewis’s stunning watercolor art showcases the people and the neighborhood, offering a variety of perspectives to reflect the vision and work of DeCarava.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review
★ “This joyful, exuberant picture book biography of Roy DeCarava does exactly what he strove to do through his photography: capture the beauty of Harlem…The text is quiet and brief, relying heavily on quotes from DeCarava himself and trusting the art to tell most of the story. And it does so with ease, as Lewis’ exceptional watercolors bring a celebratory vibe, evoking the permanence and intangibility of catching single instances using a medium that is inherently fragile. Much like a photo, each page is a fully realized artistic vision of a moment in a world that moves on just beyond the borders of what can be seen…An inspired audience will certainly go online to find DeCarava’s exceptional photography, and it is to Golio and Lewis’ significant credit that young readers can see more nuance and wonder in those photos having been given the context this book provides.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
“A spare, poetic text emphasizes his love for the neighborhood where [DeCarava] grew up, which was the subject of his long, prolific career…watercolors create a fluid, dreamy world where DeCarava could quietly snap away while walking the streets of Harlem on a warm, sunny afternoon. The pictures portray a neighborhood in motion, oblivious to the artist who spent a lifetime reflecting the vibrancy of a place and people.” —The Horn Book
“Lewis gives a selection of DeCarava’s subjects, such as a close-up of a crushed can, longer views of Harlem street scenes, and an isolated figure in wedding whites, original treatments that focus more on atmosphere than documentation and so make suitable companions for Golio’s impressionistic profile… the author captures both his titular theme and his subject’s sensibility in well-chosen direct quotes, and along with adding a brief overview of DeCarava’s career, closes by urging readers to ‘look slowly,’ as he did, to discover ‘what you love where you live.'” —Booklist
“Veteran creators and collaborators Golio and Lewis… spotlight the experience and perspective of Harlem artist Roy DeCarava…. Golio’s prose is swift… (and) each element of this book is beautiful and skillfully executed… (a) love letter to an incredible artist.” —School Library Journal
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