Handsomely designed, this is a beautiful tribute to America and Americana.
What better way to make this patriotic song meaningful to kids than with these lively illustrations by 10 different illustrators?
Each spread portrays a line or phrase from the song with a sidebar quote from a president (cherry-picking from Washington to Obama). For “For amber waves of grain,” Mary GrandPré depicts three kids and a dog pretending to be sailing on a boat that’s a dead tree amid a field of wheat; this is paired with a quote from Thomas Jefferson: “I believe…that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another.” An interior spread (“with brotherhood”) by LeUyen Pham repeats the cover, picturing kids wearing red-and-white striped outfits representing the flag’s stripes and kids in blue sweaters with stars completing the flag. The quote is from Theodore Roosevelt: “Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.” The other illustrators are Diane Goode, Jon J Muth, Yuyi Morales, John Hendrix, Bryan Collier, Chris Soentpiet, Raúl Colon and Sonia Lynn Sadler.
Handsomely designed, this is a beautiful tribute to America and Americana. (selected national landmarks and symbols, biographical note, song lyrics, definition of democracy) (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-49207-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 30, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Utterly compelling.
The authors of Fatty Legs (2010) distill that moving memoir of an Inuit child’s residential school experience into an even more powerful picture book.
“Brave, clever, and as unyielding” as the sharpening stone for which she’s named, Olemaun convinces her father to send her from their far-north village to the “outsiders’ school.” There, the 8-year-old receives particularly vicious treatment from one of the nuns, who cuts her hair, assigns her endless chores, locks her in a dark basement and gives her ugly red socks that make her the object of other children’s taunts. In her first-person narration, she compares the nun to the Queen in Alice in Wonderland, a story she has heard from her sister and longs to read for herself, subtly reminding readers of the power of literature to help face real life. Grimard portrays this black-cloaked nun with a scowl and a hooked nose, the image of a witch. Her paintings stretch across the gutter and sometimes fill the spreads. Varying perspectives and angles, she brings readers into this unfamiliar world. Opening with a spread showing the child’s home in a vast, frozen landscape, she proceeds to hone in on the painful school details. A final spread shows the triumphant child and her book: “[N]ow I could read.”
Utterly compelling. (Picture book/memoir. 5-9)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-55451-490-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
A stirring tale that fosters respect for Native peoples.
Anishinaabe creators Fairbanks and George encourage young people to consider the history behind the land they live on.
At home, surrounded by family, a white-presenting child with long red hair contemplates the past. “Before us, another family lived here. Before that, another family lived here, too. And another. And another.” The unnamed narrator recounts how European colonizers expelled Native Americans from their homes and forced them onto reservations. An Anishinaabe boy named TJ, who’s friends with the protagonist, and his grandmother Noko have taught the young narrator to honor Indigenous peoples’ connection to the land. They remind the protagonist that “Indigenous people have always been here, and they’re still here, wherever we go.” The child reflects on these principles often: “Now, whenever my family goes somewhere, I ask, ‘Who lived here before the people who live here now?’” Thoughtful backmatter urges readers to take land acknowledgments seriously and to find ways to act beyond merely cultivating awareness. Though the book’s lessons will resonate more with non-Native audiences, many young Native readers will appreciate the reverence shown to Indigenous people (past and present). Accompanied by engaging, comic-style artwork, this is a gentle, age-appropriate introduction to Indigenous history and cultures.
A stirring tale that fosters respect for Native peoples. (discussion questions, learn more about Indigenous people in your area) (Picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9780593651445
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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