An important story that we still have a lot to learn from, but this telling of it at times feels emotionally disconnected.
Larry Doby was an athletic phenom.
Often overshadowed by Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in the National League, Doby deserves his due as the first Black person to play in the American League. As a boy growing up in the 1920s, young Larry dreamed of playing professional baseball long before such opportunities were open to Black people. In his unsegregated South Carolina neighborhood, sports played an important role, bringing families and people of different races together. In high school, Doby flourished athletically and was afforded a spot in the Negro Leagues; nevertheless, he did not see a long-term career in professional baseball as a possibility. After graduating, while serving in the Navy in 1947, Doby changed his mind after learning of the historic signing of Jackie Robinson to the major leagues. The story goes on to describe Doby’s pioneering accomplishments as a sportsman as well as the racial discrimination he endured. Chapman’s textured digital art effectively makes use of interesting perspectives to create striking visuals, but the text fails at capturing the extent of the racial prejudice Doby had to overcome both on and off the field. The idea that “Change never stops” is a repeated motif, yet the references to social change feel a bit superficial since the book neglects to mention the decadelong campaign Black and White journalists and activists waged to desegregate baseball.
An important story that we still have a lot to learn from, but this telling of it at times feels emotionally disconnected. (author’s note, selected bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-328-48297-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.
Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.
Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781683693864
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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