A name, a life, and a cause to be long remembered.
A South African woman boldly spoke out.
Ruth First (1925-1982) was born in South Africa, the granddaughter of Jewish Eastern European immigrants who had experienced prejudice. From a young age, she was deeply troubled by her country’s apartheid system. In time, she met other activists, including a young Nelson Mandela, and worked tirelessly as an investigative journalist, exposing brutal conditions faced by Black workers; she also publicized the ideas of Black activists whose work was ignored. The government enacted laws to quell apartheid resistance, but she continued to work on her banned paper illegally. Eventually, Ruth became the first white woman to be arrested under the new edicts. Forced to leave South Africa upon her release, Ruth and her family moved to Britain, where she continued her activism. Thirteen years later, she became a university professor in Mozambique. Tragically, Ruth First was killed when a bomb exploded in her office. This is a warmly written account of a determined woman who is a role model for young readers and whose important work commands respect and wide recognition. The book closes with a timeline and information on Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and other leaders in the anti-apartheid movement. Ruth and family present white; friends and fellow activists are racially diverse.
A name, a life, and a cause to be long remembered. (Informational picture book. 7-11)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781728460284
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sincere but unsuccessful effort.
A collection of 52 Bible stories that focuses on God’s love and portrays people with skin tones typical of the regions in which the stories took place.
This work, with illustrations that correct modern Western misrepresentations of Jesus as someone with “white skin, blue eyes, and blond hair,” is divided into two sections—“Old Testament Stories” and “New Testament Stories.” In the first half, readers will encounter the tales of Joseph, who forgave his jealous brothers for selling him into slavery; Moses, who led the Hebrews out of Egypt; and the daughters of Zelophehad, who fought to inherit their father’s land, among others. The second section, which focuses on Jesus’ message to “love God, neighbor, and self,” covers events including his baptism, crucifixion, and resurrection, as well as the Pentecost and the Revelation of John. While the book does a great job of emphasizing that God’s love is for everyone, the manner of delivery, which is heavily explanatory, robs the narrative of much interest. The audience is also unclear: Younger children may grow restless with the long passages of text and struggle to read the small font independently, while older readers may find that the overall design and appearance feel aimed at younger kids. Although this volume represents a noble attempt to portray brown and Black people in the Bible, the illustrations are uninspired and simplistic.
A sincere but unsuccessful effort. (authors’ notes, publisher’s note) (Nonfiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781506487182
Page Count: 295
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
A pivotal moment in a child’s life, at once stirring and authentically personal.
Before growing up to become a major figure in the civil rights movement, a boy finds a role model.
Buffing up a childhood tale told by her renowned father, Young Shelton describes how young Andrew saw scary men marching in his New Orleans neighborhood (“It sounded like they were yelling ‘Hi, Hitler!’ ”). In response to his questions, his father took him to see a newsreel of Jesse Owens (“a runner who looked like me”) triumphing in the 1936 Olympics. “Racism is a sickness,” his father tells him. “We’ve got to help folks like that.” How? “Well, you can start by just being the best person you can be,” his father replies. “It’s what you do that counts.” In James’ hazy chalk pastels, Andrew joins racially diverse playmates (including a White child with an Irish accent proudly displaying the nickel he got from his aunt as a bribe to stop playing with “those Colored boys”) in tag and other games, playing catch with his dad, sitting in the midst of a cheering crowd in the local theater’s segregated balcony, and finally visualizing himself pelting down a track alongside his new hero—“head up, back straight, eyes focused,” as a thematically repeated line has it, on the finish line. An afterword by Young Shelton explains that she retold this story, told to her many times growing up, drawing from conversations with Young and from her own research; family photos are also included. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A pivotal moment in a child’s life, at once stirring and authentically personal. (illustrator’s note) (Autobiographical picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-545-55465-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
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