A strikingly illustrated, innovative story of human evolution at the intersections of science and art.
A love letter to humans, all of whom originated in Africa.
Told in second person by Africa herself, this evolution story opens with images of landscapes as the narrator announces, “I am the mother of all humanity / I have a long history and a longer memory.” What she remembers most of all is “you, / my offspring of all colors / in all corners of the earth.” In beautifully evocative free verse, she reminds us of “our timeless bond,” and as she progresses through time, the illustrations show different landforms and then a hominid sitting in the mouth of a cave. The narrator emphasizes humans’ survival and the things Mother Africa provided that enabled them to live through difficult conditions: caves for shelter, forests for food, intelligence to outwit predators. Lewis’ gorgeous, dreamlike watercolors sharpen as they move closer to contemporary life. The book’s title has a double meaning: In one image, a lioness closes in on a swift-moving herd of gazelles while the narrator articulates her love for these animals, “but,” she says, “you, child, are my pride.” By labeling humans with the collective noun for lions, Africa claims all of us as her family and also makes clear that we are the creation of which she is proudest—an inspired use of wordplay. An appended evolutionary timeline will spark further scientific research. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A strikingly illustrated, innovative story of human evolution at the intersections of science and art. (Informational picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-63592-387-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Astra Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A powerful retrospective glimpse at a key event.
A vibrantly illustrated account of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade through the eyes of a young girl who volunteers to participate.
Morrison’s signature style depicts each black child throughout the book as a distinct individual; on the endpapers, children hold signs that collectively create a “Civil Rights and the Children’s Crusade” timeline, placing the events of the book in the context of the greater movement. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes to speak at her church, a girl and her brother volunteer to march in their parents’ stead. The narrative succinctly explains why the Children’s Crusade was a necessary logistical move, one that children and parents made with careful consideration and despite fear. Lines of text (“Let the children march. / They will lead the way // The path may be long and / troubled, but I’m gonna walk on!”) are placed within the illustrations in bold swoops for emphasis. Morrison’s powerful use of perspective makes his beautiful oil paintings even more dynamic and conveys the intensity of the situations depicted, including the children’s being arrested, hosed, and jailed. The child crusaders, regardless of how badly they’re treated, never lose their dignity, which the art conveys flawlessly. While the children win the day, such details as the Confederate flag subtly connect the struggle to the current day.
A powerful retrospective glimpse at a key event. (timeline, afterword, artist’s statement, quote sources, bibliography) (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-70452-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Warp back in time for a prehistoric spinoff adventure with Geronimo Stilton’s ancestor, Geronimo Stiltonoot, in Old Mouse City.
Readers will find Geronimo Stiltonoot a familiar character, outfitted differently from descendant Stilton yet still running a newspaper and having wild adventures. In this introduction to prehistoric mouse life, someone has stolen the most powerful and important artifact housed by the Old Mouse City Mouseum: the Stone of Fire. It’s up to Stiltonoot and his fellow sleuth and friend, Hercule Poirat, to uncover not only the theft, but a dangerous plot that jeopardizes all of Old Mouse City. As stand-ins for the rest of the Stilton cast, Stiltonoot has in common with Stilton a cousin named Trap, a sister named Thea and a nephew named Benjamin. The slapstick comedy and design, busy with type changes and color, will be familiar for Stilton readers. The world is fictionalized for comedic effect, featuring funny uses for dinosaurs and cheeky references to how far back in time they are, with only the occasional sidebar that presents facts. The story takes a bit long to get started, spending a lot of time reiterating the worldbuilding information laid out before the first chapter. But once it does start, it is an adventure Stilton readers will enjoy. Geronimo Stiltonoot has the right combination of familiarity and newness to satisfy Stilton fans. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-44774-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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