An empowering tale about a resolute young person and how our present is shaped by our past.
A young Jewish girl longs to learn to read.
Rochel-Leah’s problem? She lives in a shtetl in the 1830s, a time when girls aren’t permitted to read. Only boys learn to read Hebrew in the Jewish school so they can study the Torah, a tradition going back generations; they also learn languages such as Yiddish and Russian. Her three brothers teach her a few letters, then chase her away so they can study. Rochel-Leah appeals to the rabbi: “Rules can be broken…or changed.” Fiercely persistent, she peeks through the school window, observing the lessons, even sitting on her father’s ladder for a better view. The rabbi notices her—and, amazingly, allows her to enter, admitting that rules “can be bent a little.” He accepts that it must be divine will for a girl to want “to read this much.” Rochel-Leah eventually learns to read and becomes a teacher. Yolen reveals in an author’s note that this “true(ish)” tale about one of her relatives, passed down through generations, is part of her family’s lore. This warm offering about a determined young person demonstrates how families are enriched by stories from their past; it's a testament to the importance of preserving the memories of those who have preceded us, for our identities are determined by our histories. The earthy digital illustrations, made by combining paper texture and digital brushes, expertly capture the setting.
An empowering tale about a resolute young person and how our present is shaped by our past. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781681156392
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965) upgrades to The Mice and the Rolls-Royce.
In Windsor Castle there sits a “dollhouse like no other,” replete with working plumbing, electricity, and even a full library of real, tiny books. Called Queen Mary’s Dollhouse, it also plays host to the Whiskers family, a clan of mice that has maintained the house for generations. Henry Whiskers and his cousin Jeremy get up to the usual high jinks young mice get up to, but when Henry’s little sister Isabel goes missing at the same time that the humans decide to clean the house up, the usually bookish big brother goes on the adventure of his life. Now Henry is driving cars, avoiding cats, escaping rats, and all before the upcoming mouse Masquerade. Like an extended version of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904), Priebe keeps this short chapter book constantly moving, with Duncan’s peppy art a cute capper. Oddly, the dollhouse itself plays only the smallest of roles in this story, and no factual information on the real Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is included at the tale’s end (an opportunity lost).
Innocuous adventuring on the smallest of scales. (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6575-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
A life devoted to freedom and dignity, worthy of praise and remembrance.
With the words of Massachusetts colonial rebels ringing in her ears, a slave determines to win her freedom.
In 1780, Mumbet heard the words of the new Massachusetts constitution, including its declaration of freedom and equality. With the help of a young lawyer, she went to court and the following year, won her freedom, becoming Elizabeth Freeman. Slavery was declared illegal and subsequently outlawed in the state. Woelfle writes with fervor as she describes Mumbet’s life in the household of John Ashley, a rich landowner and businessman who hosted protest meetings against British taxation. His wife was abrasive and abusive, striking out with a coal shovel at a young girl, possibly Mumbet’s daughter. Mumbet deflected the blow and regarded the wound as “her badge of bravery.” Ironically, the lawyer who took her case, Theodore Sedgwick, had attended John Ashley’s meetings. Delinois’ full-bleed paintings are heroic in scale, richly textured and vibrant. Typography becomes part of the page design as the font increases when the text mentions freedom. Another slave in the Ashley household was named in the court case, but Woelfle, keeping her young audience in mind, keeps it simple, wisely focusing on Mumbet.
A life devoted to freedom and dignity, worthy of praise and remembrance. (author’s note, selected bibliography, further reading) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7613-6589-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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