Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!

by Andrea J. Loney, Keith Mallett (Illustrator)

Overview

NAACP Image Awards Nominee - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

A biography of James Van Der Zee, innovative and celebrated African American photographer of the Harlem Renaissance.

James VanDerZee was just a young boy when he saved enough money to buy his first camera. He took photos of his family, classmates, and anyone who would sit still for a portrait. By the fifth grade, James was the school photographer and unofficial town photographer.

Eventually he outgrew his small town and moved to the exciting, fast-paced world of New York City. After being told by his boss that no one would want his or her photo taken "by a black man," James opened his own portrait studio in Harlem. He took photographs of legendary figures of the Harlem Renaissance-politicians such as Marcus Garvey, performers including Florence Mills, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and Mamie Smith-and ordinary folks in the neighborhood too. Everyone wanted fancy portraits by James VanDerZee.

Winner of Lee & Low's New Voices Award, Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! tells the story of a groundbreaking artist who chronicled an important era in Harlem and showed the beauty and pride of its people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620142608
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	07/24/2017
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	624,568
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Andrea Loney is a screenwriter with an MFA in dramatic writing from New York University. She won the 2014 Lee & Low New Voices Award for Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee!. Loney lives in California.

Keith Mallett has been drawing and painting for as long as he can remember. As an artist and designer, he has created posters and fine art prints for more than thirty years. He had the pleasure of attending the original James VanDerZee exhibit, "Harlem on my Mind", at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was delighted to work on this biography. Mallett lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and their German Shepherd.

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/05/2017
In an absorbing picture book biography, Loney introduces African-American photographer VanDerZee, who moved from Massachusetts to Harlem at age 18 with a dream and a camera: “He saw what was special in everyone and captured each person’s story on film.” Mallett’s lush acrylic paintings glow with a golden light in several scenes, treating his subject (and the Harlem Renaissance movement he documented) with the same reverence VanDerZee brought to his work. Loney closes on a triumphant note with VanDerZee’s photographs on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. An extensive afterword features several of VanDerZee’s photographs and additional insights into his life and work. Ages 7–11. Author’s agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Agency. (June)Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated the book was the author's debut.

Publishers Weekly

* "An absorbing debut... Mallett's lush acrylic paintings glow with a golden light in several scenes, treating his subject... with the same reverence VanDerZee brought to his work." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "The vibrant illustrations paired with the lively text make Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! a picture book biography that truly shares the beauty VanDerZee saw in his heart." — Shelf Awareness, starred review

"The art will help readers to visualize this iconic setting and imbues a sense of pride in one of Harlem's unsung heroes. A fascinating addition to the picture-book biography shelf." — Booklist

"A fascinating look at the development of early photography, the life of an African-American artist, and the world of the Harlem Renaissance." — Kirkus Reviews

"Vivid visuals and comprehensive text combine for an excellent resource for biography collections." — School Library Journal

NAACP Image Awards Nominee - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award - California Reading Association
Junior Library Guild Selection

From the Publisher

06/01/2017
Gr 1–3—James VanDerZee (1886–1983) was a prolific photographer who used his camera to capture the beauty and dignity of his subjects. This picture book biography not only introduces readers to VanDerZee's life but also provides a glimpse into the Harlem Renaissance and highlights some techniques used in early photography. As a young man, VanDerZee was the second person to own a camera in his small town of Lenox, MA. His love of his family and neighbors fueled his passion. The evenly paced narrative describes how VanDerZee moved to New York City and became a successful photographer, despite racism. Although he took pictures of a wide array of people, he focused mainly on the black middle class and occasionally on celebrities, such as Joe Louis and later Jean-Michel Basquiat. The refrain, "Take a picture of me, James VanDerZee!" echoes throughout. Through photography, VanDerZee was able to create a nuanced depiction of life in Harlem in the 20th century. The attractive illustrations, acrylic on canvas, skillfully convey the expressions and sentiments of the images that inspired them, with some original photographs included in the afterword. VERDICT Vivid visuals and comprehensive text combine for an excellent resource for biography collections.—Jamie Jensen, Coy Miller Elementary School, Little Elm, TX

School Library Journal

2017-04-17
It happened with a click!As a young boy in Lenox, Massachusetts, James VanDerZee is introduced to a new device—the camera—that changes his life. Glowing acrylics shot with light show James as he saves up for his first camera and begins to experiment and grow as an artist, while straightforward prose focuses on notable and interesting aspects of his life. Ready for adventure, James moves to Harlem at age 18 and, after working a series of odd jobs, is able to establish himself as a studio and street photographer, depicting other African-Americans in Harlem, from politicians to musicians to sports heroes and from the middle class as well as the more commonly photographed rich and poor. When cameras become readily available to consumers, VanDerZee's skills fall from favor, and it is not until years later, when an exhibition called "Harlem on My Mind" presents his collected work, that he receives the recognition he deserves. Children will be drawn in by VanDerZee's struggles, inspirations, and achievements as well as the idea that photographs can be both works of art and enduring historical records—and that they can be taken by devices other than phones. Backmatter includes an afterword, a bibliography, and a selection of VanDerZee's photographs. A fascinating look at the development of early photography, the life of an African-American artist, and the world of the Harlem Renaissance. (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews