A stunning picture book comprising two incredible stories—the first part chronicles the adventures of a four-year-old Black girl named Harlem, while the second part describes the history of Harlem the neighborhood. From a New York Times bestselling author and a critically acclaimed illustrator.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

In this beautiful picture book in two parts, meet Harlem: the girl and the neighborhood. Part one follows the adventures of a little girl named Harlem and her single father as they go on a museum “playdate” with painters Romare Bearden and Jean-Michel Basquiat, listen to John Coltrane records, and conduct science experiments in their apartment ("The volcano erupts /Red lava on Valentine’s Day!").

Part two takes us back to the fourth year of the twentieth century in Harlem the neighborhood. Here, we are introduced to Philip A. Payton Jr., aka Papa Payton, whose Afro-American Realty Company gave birth to the Black housing explosion, helping to start America's Great Black Migration. Because of Papa Peyton, Black families—like Harlem and her father a century later—could move to Harlem and thrive and flourish.

This is a completely unique, absolutely gorgeous picture book by a New York Times bestselling author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator that weaves together the lives of a modern Black family and a historically Black neighborhood in New York City.
Michael Datcher is a poet and critically acclaimed journalist who has written for the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Baltimore Sun, and has appeared as a guest analyst on numerous television and radio shows, including Nightline and Dateline. He lives in Los Angeles, where he is the director of literary programs at the World Stage Writers' Workshop. View titles by Michael Datcher

Educator Guide for Harlem at Four

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

"Datcher’s illuminating verse, spare yet sweeping, offers readers snapshots of the community’s history." —The New York Times

★ "This book is a beautiful celebration of ­Harlem’s history and a loving relationship between a father and daughter." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "This is a loving ode to Black fatherhood, art in all its forms, and a neighborhood bound together by culture and community." —The Bulletin, starred review

"Fans of Cherry and Harrison's Hair Love (also centering a father and daughter) will enjoy this love letter to a neighborhood, family, and Black history." —The Horn Book

"Datcher’s affectionate lines and Morrison’s luminous portraiture result in a loving past-and-present look at two Harlems." —Publishers Weekly
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additional book photo
additional book photo

About

A stunning picture book comprising two incredible stories—the first part chronicles the adventures of a four-year-old Black girl named Harlem, while the second part describes the history of Harlem the neighborhood. From a New York Times bestselling author and a critically acclaimed illustrator.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

In this beautiful picture book in two parts, meet Harlem: the girl and the neighborhood. Part one follows the adventures of a little girl named Harlem and her single father as they go on a museum “playdate” with painters Romare Bearden and Jean-Michel Basquiat, listen to John Coltrane records, and conduct science experiments in their apartment ("The volcano erupts /Red lava on Valentine’s Day!").

Part two takes us back to the fourth year of the twentieth century in Harlem the neighborhood. Here, we are introduced to Philip A. Payton Jr., aka Papa Payton, whose Afro-American Realty Company gave birth to the Black housing explosion, helping to start America's Great Black Migration. Because of Papa Peyton, Black families—like Harlem and her father a century later—could move to Harlem and thrive and flourish.

This is a completely unique, absolutely gorgeous picture book by a New York Times bestselling author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator that weaves together the lives of a modern Black family and a historically Black neighborhood in New York City.

Author

Michael Datcher is a poet and critically acclaimed journalist who has written for the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Baltimore Sun, and has appeared as a guest analyst on numerous television and radio shows, including Nightline and Dateline. He lives in Los Angeles, where he is the director of literary programs at the World Stage Writers' Workshop. View titles by Michael Datcher

Guides

Educator Guide for Harlem at Four

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Praise

"Datcher’s illuminating verse, spare yet sweeping, offers readers snapshots of the community’s history." —The New York Times

★ "This book is a beautiful celebration of ­Harlem’s history and a loving relationship between a father and daughter." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "This is a loving ode to Black fatherhood, art in all its forms, and a neighborhood bound together by culture and community." —The Bulletin, starred review

"Fans of Cherry and Harrison's Hair Love (also centering a father and daughter) will enjoy this love letter to a neighborhood, family, and Black history." —The Horn Book

"Datcher’s affectionate lines and Morrison’s luminous portraiture result in a loving past-and-present look at two Harlems." —Publishers Weekly

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

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