A personal interpretation of the Virgin Mary’s girlhood, illustrated with luminous reproductions of fine art by Giotto, Fra Fillipo Lippi, Rossetti, Georges de La Tour, and others. Mayer (Pegasus, p. 498, etc.) bases her readable narrative on Apocryphal materials, stories she heard as a girl, and Gospel text; Mary is characterized as an uncommonly wise, gentle, and courageous child. Mayer opens not with the more familiar annunciation, but with an earlier angelic annunciation involving Mary’s mother, who had despaired of conceiving a child. Later, another sign from God points to Joseph as the suitor of choice. Before the couple wed, Gabriel comes and asks Mary if she will consent to bearing the son of God. The accompanying illustration by Rossetti shows all of Mary’s uncertainty in her expression, and the text’s emphasis on Mary’s choice and will is refreshing. The final illustration of mother and child by La Tour glows with the warmth and light of love. Particularly good reproductions of the artwork coupled with a well-written story make this an appealing, empowering volume. (Picture book. 7-11)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-688-14061-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
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
A sincere but unsuccessful effort.
A collection of 52 Bible stories that focuses on God’s love and portrays people with skin tones typical of the regions in which the stories took place.
This work, with illustrations that correct modern Western misrepresentations of Jesus as someone with “white skin, blue eyes, and blond hair,” is divided into two sections—“Old Testament Stories” and “New Testament Stories.” In the first half, readers will encounter the tales of Joseph, who forgave his jealous brothers for selling him into slavery; Moses, who led the Hebrews out of Egypt; and the daughters of Zelophehad, who fought to inherit their father’s land, among others. The second section, which focuses on Jesus’ message to “love God, neighbor, and self,” covers events including his baptism, crucifixion, and resurrection, as well as the Pentecost and the Revelation of John. While the book does a great job of emphasizing that God’s love is for everyone, the manner of delivery, which is heavily explanatory, robs the narrative of much interest. The audience is also unclear: Younger children may grow restless with the long passages of text and struggle to read the small font independently, while older readers may find that the overall design and appearance feel aimed at younger kids. Although this volume represents a noble attempt to portray brown and Black people in the Bible, the illustrations are uninspired and simplistic.
A sincere but unsuccessful effort. (authors’ notes, publisher’s note) (Nonfiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781506487182
Page Count: 295
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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