Full-color reproductions from Romare Bearden's 1971 mural "The Block" are accompanied by twelve poems by Langston Hughes. In his introduction to the elegant, almost cinematic volume measuring 12 1/4 x 9 1/4", Bill Cosby relates how the mural reflects the people and events of a busy, exciting Harlem neighborhood. He comments that "it is also a universal place, a recognizable and familiar environment for many people from around the world," pointing out that while "Bearden shows us the sights, Hughes gives us the sounds." A full-page biography of each man with his photograph completes this singular book. (Age 11-adult)

For both Langston Hughes and Romare Bearden, the New York City neighborhood of Harlem was a source of inspiration, and its sights and sounds are reflected in the art that each created. Now 13 of Hughes's most beloved poems are paired with Bearden's painting, The Block, in a dazzling celebration of city life.