Though sincere, this prayer may have the unintended effect of numbing rather than inspiring.
The distinguished naturalist Goodall presents an ecumenical exhortation.
“We pray / to the Great Spiritual Power / in which we live and move / and have our being.” Thus she begins, and she goes on to preach against greed, slave labor, abuse of animals, bullying and torture, harm to the natural world, and all the other grave errors of this time in history. She seems set on cataloging every ill against humankind and animalkind, as well as environmental sins. She offers many strong, heartfelt words, but there is little rhythm or cadence to the sermon, and the almost granular iterations of victimhood threaten to overwhelm. On just one page she cries out against animal experimentation, agribusiness, the fur industry, hunting and trapping, “training for entertainment,” and pet abuse, for instance. The text is set on full-bleed double-page spreads of great beauty. The Iranian artist uses great swathes of clear color and pattern and places birds, animals, flowers, and human figures against them in abstract patterns. Her art gives the words an energy they lack on their own. The book closes with a message from Goodall as the U.N. Messenger of Peace, notes about the Jane Goodall Institute, her Roots & Shoots organization, and a biography of the artist.
Though sincere, this prayer may have the unintended effect of numbing rather than inspiring. (Picture book/homily. 7-12)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-988-8240-49-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2015
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A warm bundle of holiday cheer.
In a funny, feel-good tale, 12-year-old twins separated at birth meet by chance and try to pull off a family switch during the December holidays.
The girls, who are cued white, agree that it would be a delicious prank, but each has a personal motive, too: Aviva Davis, who was adopted by a culturally Jewish mom and a Black dad who was raised Christian, wonders what it’s like to celebrate Christmas. Budding author Holly Martin, who was adopted by a white-presenting single mom, sees a golden opportunity to gather experiences for a school writing assignment about facing her fears. In a plot as sweet as a Hanukkah jelly doughnut and twisty as a Christmas cinnamon roll, the pair just manages to bail one another out of a string of sticky situations—both hilarious and otherwise. They both learn something of the customs and meaning of the two holidays while working through tears and laughter—not to mention conflicts sparked by their very different personalities. Everything culminates in a holiday performance at a local senior center that will have readers rising up to cheer them on. Though their history remains tantalizingly mysterious, for the protagonists, who narrate alternating chapters, it’s mission accomplished and more: Aviva emerges feeling more secure in her Jewish identity, while anxious Holly discovers unexpected depths of courage.
A warm bundle of holiday cheer. (song lyrics) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781250360670
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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