by Alex Prud’homme ; illustrated by Sarah Green ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 8, 2022
Readers will salivate over this scrumptious and inspiring picture-book biography.
Julia “The French Chef” Child’s fascinating life, lovingly remembered by her grandnephew.
She stood 6 feet, 2 inches tall and wore size 12 shoes. In other words, Julia Child, nee McWilliams, was hard to miss. During World War II, she worked for the Office of Strategic Services, met her husband, and cooked shark-repellent cakes that protected Allied naval officers working in shark-infested waters. Later, while living in Paris, Julia discovered French food, and the rest is history. Prud’homme successfully drills home the fact that Child did not start out as a great cook but rather came into her talent through hard work and pure doggedness. The book’s unabashed celebration of Child’s love of food and of her pure hunger for knowledge about cooking is joyous. Ample backmatter takes a slightly more in-depth dive into Julia’s life and includes lists of pertinent books, TV shows, podcasts, websites, and exhibits. Caregivers conscious about instilling healthy eating habits in children may appreciate the appended recipe for oeufs brouillés (scrambled eggs), refreshingly different from the sweet snacks that usually constitute picture-book recipes. The colorful digital illustrations work in perfect tandem with the text, lavishly depicting the foods that seduced Child toward a life of cooking. By the story’s end, there is no mystery left as to what made her beloved by so many around the world. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Readers will salivate over this scrumptious and inspiring picture-book biography. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63592-323-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
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by Lawrence Roberts & Sally-Ann Roberts ; illustrated by Jestenia Southerland ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 20, 2025
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song.
Through the power of music, Lucimarian Tolliver is reminded of what’s important.
Lucy is one of the only children of African descent on her block—called Lucy Street—in 1930s Akron, Ohio, but all her neighbors share one commonality: poverty. Lucy’s carefree spirit is dampened when her family’s furniture is repossessed one day. She visits her grandfather, who comforts her by singing the folk standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Grandpa tells Lucy that she’s destined for greatness and that she should never stop singing, even through life’s toughest moments. Back at home, Lucy’s father scolds her for singing at the dinner table, so she quickly finishes eating and wanders outside and sings into the night. Her voice reaches her family and neighbors, who are all touched by her song. Digital illustrations evoke the time period in muted tones, featuring endearing characters with simple yet expressive features. The visual subject matter is repetitive from page to page, as are the incorporated lyrics of “This Little Light of Mine.” Based on Lucimarian Tolliver’s experiences growing up during the Depression, the text contains an epilogue but lacks backmatter detailing historical context or more information about Lucy’s life. Though the themes of optimism and the importance of family, faith, and music shine through the text, readers may be left with more questions than answers.
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780063222540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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by Lisbeth Kaiser ; illustrated by Marta Antelo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 7, 2017
It’s a bit sketchy of historical detail, but it’s coherent, inspirational, and engaging without indulging in rapturous...
A first introduction to the iconic civil rights activist.
“She was very little and very brave, and she always tried to do what was right.” Without many names or any dates, Kaiser traces Parks’ life and career from childhood to later fights for “fair schools, jobs, and houses for black people” as well as “voting rights, women’s rights and the rights of people in prison.” Though her refusal to change seats and the ensuing bus boycott are misleadingly presented as spontaneous acts of protest, young readers will come away with a clear picture of her worth as a role model. Though recognizable thanks to the large wire-rimmed glasses Parks sports from the outset as she marches confidently through Antelo’s stylized illustrations, she looks childlike throughout (as characteristic of this series), and her skin is unrealistically darkened to match the most common shade visible on other African-American figures. In her co-published Emmeline Pankhurst (illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo), Kaiser likewise simplistically implies that Great Britain led the way in granting universal women’s suffrage but highlights her subject’s courageous quest for justice, and Isabel Sánchez Vegara caps her profile of Audrey Hepburn (illustrated by Amaia Arrazola) with the moot but laudable claim that “helping people across the globe” (all of whom in the pictures are dark-skinned children) made Hepburn “happier than acting or dancing ever had.” All three titles end with photographs and timelines over more-detailed recaps plus at least one lead to further information.
It’s a bit sketchy of historical detail, but it’s coherent, inspirational, and engaging without indulging in rapturous flights of hyperbole. (Picture book/biography. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78603-018-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
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