An uplifting, #ownvoices vision for what could have been and what we are responsible for now.
How might Indigenous and European people have connected if non-Native explorers had visited First Nations territories instead of colonizing them?
Shared humanity is at the center of this Indigenous author and illustrator team’s alternative history. Fisher, an Indigenous person with rich brown skin and long black hair, notices a stranger rowing into the bay—Sailor, a white-skinned redhead who “came from away” in search of “unknown lands.” Quickly challenging this settler narrative that frames Europeans as discovering Indigenous territories, Sailor spots Fisher from a distance and shifts his thinking: “Perhaps these lands are not so new.” Fisher and Sailor’s ensuing friendship is tender but brief, as Sailor’s excursion to Fisher’s homeland ends in his eventual “journey home.” Under the affirming gaze of nearby animals, who emphasize Fisher and Sailor’s similarities through their anthropomorphic commentary, Fisher and Sailor observe their differences respectfully. Luby’s (Anishinaabe) creative reimagining of historical events is brought to life by Goade’s (Tlingit) vibrant multimedia illustrations, which weave Fisher and Sailor brilliantly into their jewel-toned surroundings. Encounter’s most valuable aspect is its backmatter: Both an author’s reflection and a historical note offer crucial context to this spirited revision. “This peaceful encounter does not forgive…violent actions,” Luby notes. “Instead, it reminds us…that everyday people, like Sailor, can participate in systems that hurt others.” Without this addendum, this story runs the risk of obscuring legacies of violence rather than “learn[ing] from our history and tak[ing] the opportunity to map a better future.”
An uplifting, #ownvoices vision for what could have been and what we are responsible for now. (Picture book. 6-11)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-316-44918-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level.
A young white girl writes and illustrates a story, which is critiqued by the narrator as it is created.
The girl begins her story by drawing a Hero. Then she thinks maybe a Heroine would be better. Then she decides both will work. She places them in “a good town, filled with good people, called our Setting.” The narrator, an unseen editor who lurks over the artist’s shoulder, tells the storyteller she needs to put in some Conflict, make the Evil Overlord scarier, and give it better action. This tongue-in-cheek way of delivering the rules of creative writing is clever, and paired with Le Huche’s earnest, childlike illustrations, it seems to be aimed at giving helpful direction to aspiring young creators (although the illustrations are not critiqued). But the question needs to be asked: do very young writers really need to know the rules of writing as determined by adults? While the story appears to be about helping young readers learn writing—there is “A Friendly List of Words Used in this Book” at the end with such words as “protagonist” and “antagonist” (glossed as “Hero and Heroine” and “Evil Overlord,” respectively)—it also has a decidedly unhelpful whiff of judgment. Rules, the text seems to say, must be followed for the story to be a Good one. Ouch.
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2935-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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