Perfect for an adult old-movie buff to share with a younger friend.
The team behind A Is for Audra (2019) returns with an alphabet book devoted to female movie stars from Hollywood’s golden age.
“A is for Audrey, a sudden sensation / when she played a princess in Rome on vacation.” The opening lines of this work are accompanied by an image of a fresh-faced Audrey Hepburn smiling from a Vespa, muted scenes of the city in the background. Pages of rhythmic, rhyming accolades follow as Allman introduces performers such as Carmen Miranda, Hattie McDaniel, and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Some letters refer to several actors (“D is for Debbie and Donna and Doris, / the dynamite Dorothy, and dazzling Dolores”). Most subjects are depicted wearing costumes from famous film roles. The colorful, stylized art achieves likeness without ever resorting to caricature. Each woman’s full name, a movie role, and that movie’s date appear in a small font toward the bottom of the page. Cleverly, the letter X refers to behind-the-scenes “eXperts,” such as editor Barbara McLean and costume designer Edith Head. Endnotes offer more information but not enough for a 21st-century child reading this alone. Kids will likely have questions. Just for starters: Who was Alfred Hitchcock? What is Grauman’s Chinese Theatre? Nonetheless, it’s a slick, enjoyable package. Kudos to Allman for rhyming aquatic with hypnotic to describe swimmer-turned-actor Esther Williams. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Perfect for an adult old-movie buff to share with a younger friend. (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780593565186
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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