School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--A proud celebration of the streets of the Bronx and the people who live there. The main character, a brown-skinned girl with dark hair, dances and leaps through the streets calling out the things she loves about her neighborhood. Using the refrain "My block looks like," she highlights the sounds, the sights, and the energy of her streets. Morrison paints vibrant spreads with details of the buildings, people, graffiti, and spirit of the Bronx. The poetic text reads like a song and makes for a perfect read-aloud story. While many readers might not be familiar with the streets depicted in the book, they can compare their own neighborhoods and find what they have in common as well as what makes their streets unique. VERDICT A positive and uplifting book that can be appreciated by all readers, no matter where they live.--Heidi Dechief
Publisher's Weekly Review
"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. (Jan.)
Horn Book Review
Harper and Morrison's vibrant picture book focuses on a Black tween girl's trip through her city neighborhood on her way to a dance audition. She leaps -- sometimes exuberantly blowing a pink bubble-gum bubble in the air -- joyfully through scenes that include a subway, a street crossing, a busy playground, and other locations, with a multicultural group of people in the background. The narrator champions her neighborhood as a home to "brilliant minds" and "the birthplace of aerosol masterpieces, lyrical wordplay, and cardboard dance floors." Morrison's illustrations provide rich sensory detail and energy to support the narrator's observations of those who "sparkle under streetlamps." At the same time, words and images work collectively to challenge readers to slow down and pay attention to the wonders of city life that are easy to misunderstand or dismiss, as seen through the narrator's experience. Though the narrator says, "The streets look mean / from a birds-eye view," the text is a counternarrative for those with limited understandings of urban places that veer to the negative or deficit-based, challenging readers to "forget what you heard," look closer, and stay awhile. Harper's block (she hails from the Bronx) is alive, aptly called "my soul," and supported by Morrison's images and warm colors, a refreshing invitation to visit or imagine this memorable place. Kim ParkerMarch/April 2024 p.66 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A Black child's ode to the Bronx. The protagonist, who has golden-brown skin and an expansive curly Afro and wears green camo shorts over black leggings, strolls through a city neighborhood, observing all that unfolds. The sounds and rhythms of hip-hop permeate this tuneful narrative as the protagonist plays in the spray of a fire hydrant, shops at a favorite bodega, eats an Icee from a street vendor, and praises the "aerosol masterpieces" (graffiti) that grace the walls of nearby buildings. Equally comfortable on the basketball court and the dance stage, the young narrator stays in perpetual motion, striding, gliding, and bouncing through the city. When the media reports on the Bronx or when people get a "bird's-eye view" of the "concrete jungle," only the negatives surface, but this child sees the community's cultural wealth. By focusing on the child's active engagement with the neighborhood, Morrison portrays the protagonist's excitement for this space and its people in his graffiti-style art. The artist's careful attention to detail and the shifting visual perspectives in action scenes bring Harper's musical text to life. The narrator argues convincingly for the Bronx as "the coolest place I've ever been," where "dreams rise higher than the smog" and neighbors "sparkle under streetlamps." A culturally rich and beautifully illustrated child's-eye view of home. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This love letter to growing up in the Bronx pays homage to the resilient community spirit of this NYC borough. Told through Morrison's gorgeous paintings, a series of vignettes follows the main character's adventures as they share their favorite neighborhood spots. From subway breakdancing to hanging out with friends on bustling playgrounds to eagerly awaiting delicious summer treats, the best of the Bronx is shared through onomatopoeia-filled lyrical stanzas and a joyful melting pot of young faces. The illustrations capture the fluid movement as the protagonist literally dances through graffiti-art-adorned streets, busy basketball courts, and a concrete jungle that proves warm and welcoming--inspired by Harper's own experiences as an educator and dance teacher. As the character leaves their dance studio, they note that their neighborhood is so much more than people's assumptions or stereotypes. Perhaps most poignant is the book's message that no matter where one goes, their block in the Bronx will always be with them, and it will always be "the coolest place [they've] ever been."
