This impeccably designed introduction to spiritual practices around the world provides a superb way to show children that there are many means of expressing religious faith. The authors concentrate on what people of disparate faiths have in common by focusing on the mutual “elements of faith” that most religions share, such as praying, reading holy books, participating in cleansing rituals, visiting holy places and helping others. The exceptionally thoughtful design uses just a few sentences of text set in large type against backgrounds of deep, saturated color. Each spread shows multiple photographs of children from many different cultures engaging in their own religious activities, with simple captions identifying the activity and the particular country and/or faith. Noteworthy care was taken in the choice of engaging, nonstereotypical and inclusive photographs, and the quality of the photography and reproduction is stellar. The concluding pages include an amplified text describing the elements of faith in more detail, a world map showing all the countries noted in the photo captions and a glossary of religious terms. This introduction to world religions deserves a wide audience. (Picture book/religion. 3-10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-58089-177-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2009
After the sorry example of the 2000 presidential election, it’s good to be reminded of the simple beauty—and hard-won right—of voting for a candidate. And Christelow goes farther in this primer on the process of electing a candidate. Simple language, gay color, and humorous subplots make for an appealing introduction to electoral politics, and she wisely complements her somewhat dry explanatory text with a typically funny word-bubble story of one woman’s mayoral campaign. Readers learn about political parties and polls, voter registration, to be wary of campaign advertising, the right to recounts, and are urged to conduct research into the candidates. There’s also a very handy timeline of voting rights that conveys the eye-opening evolution of democracy in the US. Impressively, Christelow gives to each individual vote a sense of importance—an act of participation that nestles in the heart of democracy. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2003
ISBN: 0-618-24754-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Noted storyteller Bruchac (Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving, p. 1498, etc.) teams up with his son, James (Native American Games and Stories, not reviewed) to present a pourquoi tale from the East Coast Native American tradition. Bear is undeniably big; he is also a braggart, given to walking through the forest and proclaiming his superiority to all within earshot: “I can do anything! Yes, I can!” When he hears this, little Brown Squirrel challenges Bear to tell the sun not to rise the next day. This Bear does, and when the sun does in fact rise despite his injunction not to, Brown Squirrel unwisely gloats: “Bear is foolish, the sun came up. Bear is silly, the sun came up.” Thanks to trickery, Brown Squirrel escapes with his life, but not before Bear claws the stripes into his back that cause him to change his name to Chipmunk. The Bruchacs translate the orality of the tale to written text beautifully, including dialogue that invites audience participation. Aruego and Dewey’s (Mouse in Love, p. 886, etc.) signature cartoon-like illustrations extend the humor of the text perfectly. One spread shows the faces of all the animals rejoicing in the yellow light of the newly risen sun—all except Bear, whose glower contrasts ominously with Brown Squirrel’s glee. Clever use of perspective emphasizes the difference in size between boastful Bear and his pint-sized trickster opponent. Authors’ notes precede the story, explaining the history of the tale and each teller’s relationship to it. A winner. (Picture book/folktale. 4-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8037-2404-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2000
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