A picture-book portrait that’s beautiful as well as admiring.
With a jewel cutter’s precision of image and a like economy of language, Demi tells the story of the 16th U.S. president.
She succeeds particularly well at conveying the iconic stories associated with Lincoln: birth in the one-room log cabin; the early death of his mother and the arrival of a gifted and loving stepmother; the fierce self-education; the debates against his Senate opponent, Stephen Douglas, which Lincoln lost but which brought him wide attention. Almost every page or double-page spread holds a quote from Lincoln set on a small scroll, reflecting the primary narrative. The Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and his assassination continue the story. Demi includes child-friendly details such as Lincoln’s love of animals and his creation of the Thanksgiving holiday while also conveying the larger sweep of history in his Gettysburg Address and the participation of thousands of African-Americans as soldiers for the Union cause. The figures look almost like porcelain miniatures, each tiny and detailed, using bits of collage and a color scheme with a great deal of red, white, and blue. While there are no footnotes, the backmatter includes a map of the United States in 1861, the full text of the Gettysburg Address, a timeline of Lincoln’s life, and further quotes.
A picture-book portrait that’s beautiful as well as admiring. (Picture book/biography. 5-10)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-937786-50-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Wisdom Tales
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Absolutely wonderful in every way.
A long-forgotten chapter in New York City history is brilliantly illuminated.
In mid-19th-century New York, horses and horse-drawn vehicles were the only means of transportation, and the din created by wheels as they rumbled on the cobblestones was deafening. The congestion at intersections threatened the lives of drivers and pedestrians alike. Many solutions were bandied about, but nothing was ever done. Enter Alfred Ely Beach, an admirer of “newfangled notions.” Working in secret, he created an underground train powered by an enormous fan in a pneumatic tube. He built a tunnel lined with brick and concrete and a sumptuously decorated waiting room for passenger comfort. It brought a curious public rushing to use it and became a great though short-lived success, ending when the corrupt politician Boss Tweed used his influence to kill the whole project. Here is science, history, suspense, secrecy, and skulduggery in action. Corey’s narrative is brisk, chatty, and highly descriptive, vividly presenting all the salient facts and making the events accessible and fascinating to modern readers. The incredibly inventive multimedia illustrations match the text perfectly and add detail, dimension, and pizazz. Located on the inside of the book jacket is a step-by-step guide to the creative process behind these remarkable illustrations.
Absolutely wonderful in every way. (author’s note, bibliography, Web resources) (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-375-87071-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
A beautifully designed book that will resonate with children and the adults who wisely share it with them.
An inspirational ode to the life of the great South African leader by an award-winning author and illustrator.
Mandela’s has been a monumental life, a fact made clear on the front cover, which features an imposing, full-page portrait. The title is on the rear cover. His family gave him the Xhosa name Rolihlahla, but his schoolteacher called him Nelson. Later, he was sent to study with village elders who told him stories about his beautiful and fertile land, which was conquered by European settlers with more powerful weapons. Then came apartheid, and his protests, rallies and legal work for the cause of racial equality led to nearly 30 years of imprisonment followed at last by freedom for Mandela and for all South Africans. “The ancestors, / The people, / The world, / Celebrated.” Nelson’s writing is spare, poetic, and grounded in empathy and admiration. His oil paintings on birch plywood are muscular and powerful. Dramatic moments are captured in shifting perspectives; a whites-only beach is seen through a wide-angle lens, while faces behind bars and faces beaming in final victory are masterfully portrayed in close-up.
A beautifully designed book that will resonate with children and the adults who wisely share it with them. (author’s note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-178374-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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