Sweet Music in Harlem (PB) (2004)

Book of the Week, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Children's Book Award Notable, International Reading Association (IRA)
Original Art Show, Society of Illustrators
Youth List, Collaborative Summer Library Program

Searching his Harlem neighborhood for his uncle's missing hat, an energetic African American boy unintentionally creates an exuberant gathering of the neighborhood's jazz musicians for a magazine photograph; a fictional story inspired by Art Kane's historic photograph of jazz greats, Harlem 1958.

C. J. needs to act fast. A photographer from Highnote magazine is on his way to photograph Uncle Click, a well-known jazz musician, but Uncle Click's signature hat is missing. Now it's up to C. J. to hunt down the hat in time for the photo shoot. Little does C. J. know that his whirlwind search through Harlem sets in motion the making of a magical moment of friendship and music.

Illustrated with exuberance by fine artist Frank Morrison, Sweet Music in Harlem is an action-packed romp inspired by an historic photograph from Harlem's jazz heyday. Readers everywhere will rejoice in the power of music to bring people together in wonderful, fun-filled ways.