An unabashedly reverent paean to the 26th president is light on biographical detail but heavy on inspiration. Wimmer’s gorgeously lit, heroic oils are the perfect complement to Keating’s narrative, in which TR addresses the reader in a series of declarative statements that sum up his accomplishments, of which the Presidency appears as just one of many: “I worked hard....I was the father of six children....I was a soldier....I was a builder....That was the life I lived.” This narrative choice results in TR’s quoting himself, a rather odd device that may well confuse some readers unclear on the narrator’s state of being: “ ‘The best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing,’ I believed.” “Believed”? Not anymore? An author’s note delivers a swiftly conventional biographical sketch but unfortunately neglects to list other titles for interested readers—a shame, given that its aim is so clearly to ignite such an interest. As homage, its success is unquestionable; as biography, its achievement is a little more dubious. (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-689-86532-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
In first-person voice, Aldrin highlights points from his childhood that led to his dream of being an astronaut and making the historic moon landing. Coincidental details like his mother’s maiden name, “Moon,” and his favorite movie hero, the “Lone Ranger,” suggest clues to his destiny. After West Point, he joined the Air Force because “he wanted to fly more than anything.” Minor’s usual beautiful and realistic illustrations effectively convey spatial perspectives and movement, adding depth to the narrative. However, the cover design and type layout are confusing, indicative of a biography instead of an autobiography—a brief intro could have clarified it. Aldrin’s message in an author’s note avows, “If you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed.” Pair this with Don Brown’s One Giant Step for a child’s-eye view on space exploration. (Flight/space exploration chronology) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-055445-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spinning lively invented details around skimpy historical records, Taylor profiles the 19th-century chef credited with inventing the potato chip. Crum, thought to be of mixed Native-American and African-American ancestry, was a lover of the outdoors, who turned cooking skills learned from a French hunter into a kitchen job at an upscale resort in New York state. As the story goes, he fried up the first batch of chips in a fit of pique after a diner complained that his French fries were cut too thickly. Morrison’s schoolroom, kitchen and restaurant scenes seem a little more integrated than would have been likely in the 1850s, but his sinuous figures slide through them with exaggerated elegance, adding a theatrical energy as delicious as the snack food they celebrate. The author leaves Crum presiding over a restaurant (also integrated) of his own, closes with a note separating fact from fiction and also lists her sources. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-58430-255-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2006
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