A fundamental mismatch between book and audience.
A picture-book biography introduces mystery writer Agatha Christie to young readers.
Sheaves of papers and pictures of characters and plot elements swirl around the protagonist as she struggles to translate the stories in her head into a publishable manuscript. These scenes of artistic creation follow depictions of the young girl, then woman, in late-Victorian interiors rendered in sunny pastel hues. Visual easter eggs from Christie’s mystery novels appear here and there, but they will likely be lost on young readers who have not yet encountered the legendary author. Likewise, the plot—curious, observant child grows into determined writer—may also prove less than engaging to youngsters. McGrath’s spare, present-tense text emphasizes her subject’s love of stories and curiosity as a child, then her struggles to bring her observations and ideas into a coherent plot. The techniques she uses—taking notes, exploring characters’ voices, tightening and pacing plots—make for solid advice for budding writers but thin gruel for children hoping for a story. A plot requires conflict, and though young Christie suffered the early loss of her father and discouragement from teachers, McGrath is unable or unwilling to lean into these experiences to deepen her characterization. A two-page biographical note written for an older audience than the primary text provides a fuller picture, underscoring the inadequacy of the effort as a whole.
A fundamental mismatch between book and audience. (author’s and illustrator’s notes, glossary) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)Pub Date: May 28, 2024
ISBN: 9781665917933
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
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
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter.
The latest of many picture books about the young heroine from Pakistan, this one is narrated by Malala herself, with a frame that is accessible to young readers.
Malala introduces her story using a television show she used to watch about a boy with a magic pencil that he used to get himself and his friends out of trouble. Readers can easily follow Malala through her own discovery of troubles in her beloved home village, such as other children not attending school and soldiers taking over the village. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations give a strong sense of setting, while gold ink designs overlay Malala’s hopes onto her often dreary reality. The story makes clear Malala’s motivations for taking up the pen to tell the world about the hardships in her village and only alludes to the attempt on her life, with a black page (“the dangerous men tried to silence me. / But they failed”) and a hospital bracelet on her wrist the only hints of the harm that came to her. Crowds with signs join her call before she is shown giving her famous speech before the United Nations. Toward the end of the book, adult readers may need to help children understand Malala’s “work,” but the message of holding fast to courage and working together is powerful and clear.
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-31957-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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