An unadorned telling of an artist deserving of additional praise.
The creator of the world’s oldest surviving full-length animated film is celebrated in this straightforward biography.
Born in 1899, Lotte Reiniger was enthralled by the cinema and would tell her own stories to other children by creating tales with cut-paper silhouettes. That skill turned out to have big benefits when she caught the attention of director Paul Wegener. Soon she was designing and directing short films of her own. It was when she was offered the daunting proposal to try her hand at a full-length animated feature film—The Adventures of Prince Achmed—that she invented the tricktisch, a wooden tower that would allow her to film scenes with multiple panes of glass, aka the first multiplane camera. Winters keeps the storytelling crisp and to the point, avoiding any mention of Achmed’s racial stereotyping. Schu’s art, meanwhile, brings the magic of Reiniger’s cut paper technique to life on these pages, integrating the silhouettes with her trials and triumphs. The book is not without its charms but sadly lacks the originality that made Reiniger the master of visual arts as we remember her today. Pairing this book with Fiona Robinson’s Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie (2022) could allow for a more rounded look at this pioneering artist’s life. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An unadorned telling of an artist deserving of additional praise. (timeline, author’s note, sources, glossary) (Picture-book biography. 5-10)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-06-306739-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A work whose lyrical and artistic genius only becomes more apparent upon rereads.
A journey through American music history as shaped by Black artists and traditions.
Fittingly, given the U.S.’s long and complicated racial history, this work takes its title from the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace,” written by a slave trader turned abolitionist. The book begins on the African plains: “Listen to the fireside chorus / of the motherland / to the talking drums / dancing beneath the gold sun / that beat a bold tapestry / of yesterday’s stories / and tomorrow’s dreams.” Likewise, the author has created a beautiful tapestry, woven with song titles and musical references. With each introduction to a different genre, he implores readers to “listen.” Laced with powerful imagery, alliteration, and onomatopoeia (“BUM-DUN! BUM-DUN!”), his verse begs to be sung. Taking a comprehensive approach, Alexander explores regional styles such as go-go alongside internationally known genres, including gospel, jazz, and hip-hop. Palmer’s distinctive illustrations offer the perfect accompaniment. Bold colors set the mood, while his brush strokes evoke movement and convey strong emotion as he depicts everything from enslaved people joyfully dancing in New Orleans’ Congo Square to fists raised high for Black power to performances by Chuck Berry, Prince, Lauryn Hill, and other musicians. Detailed backmatter defines terms and explains the significance of the music referenced.
A work whose lyrical and artistic genius only becomes more apparent upon rereads. (Informational picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9780316442497
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
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