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ONE MOMENT IN TIME

Ably illustrating the concept of time zones, this will start conversations about geography.

Children from around the world enjoy their everyday activities as the narration explains that these daily events happen simultaneously.

Javier eats his corn tortillas and beans at 7 a.m. in Mexico, while Kayla prepares for school at 8 a.m. in New York City, and Lucas sits in a colorful wheelchair in a racially diverse Brazilian classroom at 9 a.m. The subject is math, and the text makes the point: “The time zones might change as you travel around the world, but the times tables don’t!” Before every page turn, the refrain reads: “And at exactly the same time…” and in the next scene a new child in a different country takes center stage. At noon, Esther eats her outdoor school lunch in Ghana; James gets his guitar lesson in Scotland at 1 p.m.; Yusuf checks a book out from a library in Turkey at 3 p.m. Other places visited include Dubai, Thailand, and Australia. Each double-page spread invites readers to look closely at the places, objects, and people pictured. The text engages kids in considering questions like “Do you have a special place where you like reading?” Vibrant illustrations teem with playful details and portray the contemporary world. The unlabeled world map on the last spread includes small pictures of each child, but it does not delineate the time zones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Ably illustrating the concept of time zones, this will start conversations about geography. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-7112-6353-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Happy Yak

Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021

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WORST OF FRIENDS

THOMAS JEFFERSON, JOHN ADAMS, AND THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMERICAN FEUD

A pleasingly lucid look at a complicated relationship, it should prove revelatory to an audience unaccustomed to such nuance.

Though John Adams and Thomas Jefferson “...were as different as pickles and ice cream,” they were able to work together to fight for America’s independence—for a while.

In the late 1770s, they developed conflicting ideas about government and aligned with opposing political parties. When John Adams was elected as the second U.S. president, Jefferson was elected vice president. This exacerbated their rocky relationship, and when Jefferson was ultimately elected president over Adams, their friendship ended. Over a decade would pass before they spoke again. The team that created George Did It (2005) now brings to light both the trials and tribulations of these two notable leaders and the turbulence of early American politics. Energetic watercolor-and-pencil drawings accurately represent the late 18th century, showing the dress, style and architecture of the period. Feisty narration paired with amusing illustrations makes light of sticky situations, as when Jefferson physically restrains an angry Adams from assaulting King George and Adams moves himself out of the White House in the dead of night. Although quotations are not specifically sourced, the selected bibliography reveals a wealth of research, including several primary sources.

A pleasingly lucid look at a complicated relationship, it should prove revelatory to an audience unaccustomed to such nuance. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-525-47903-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011

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WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S JOB?

A sunny opener for more-nuanced overviews like Judith St. George and David Small’s classic So You Want to Be President...

A starter volume for newly independent readers curious about what presidents of the U.S. are supposed to do.

Singer presents both the basic responsibilities—meeting foreign leaders, working with Congress to pass laws, being in charge of the armed forces that “keep Americans safe”—and steady rounds of public appearances and speeches. She also lays out presidential qualifications (the Constitutional sort, anyway: “You must be at least 35 years old. No kids allowed!”), explains how election campaigns and voting work, and offers quick tours of Washington, D.C., and the White House. Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and a few other presidents from the distant past make cameos, but most of the big, bright photos feature Barack Obama and his immediate predecessors. A quiz and an invitation to presidential wannabes to answer the question “What would you do for the country?” close this presidential primer.

A sunny opener for more-nuanced overviews like Judith St. George and David Small’s classic So You Want to Be President (2000) or the newest edition of Eyewitness: Presidents (2017). (index, reading guide for parents) (Informational early reader. 6-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4654-5749-3

Page Count: 48

Publisher: DK Publishing

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016

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