An adoring and inspirational life story, as ardent as its subject.
A vigorous biography of politician and activist Bella Abzug (1920-1998).
Aronson begins by grounding Abzug’s progressive worldviews in her Jewish childhood and highlighting her outspoken subject’s earliest feats of activism, including reciting Kaddish for her father at age 13 in the men’s section of a gender-segregated synagogue. Abzug’s work fundraising for Zionist organizations is briefly mentioned; some readers may wish for more context. Covering her law career and political involvement—Abzug was the second Jewish woman to serve in Congress—Aronson touches on prominent allies such as Gloria Steinem and Shirley Chisholm as well as her critics’ dismissals. D’Aquino’s expressionistic ink, colored pencil, and wax crayon illustrations match Aronson’s verve and admiration, spotlighting Abzug in vivid reds and depicting her in open-mouthed poses to demonstrate her relentless campaigning for social change. The author’s fervent rhetoric sometimes results in confusing moments. Her explanation for why Abzug wore hats—“she had to wear hats, because those wide-brimmed beauties represented authority and power”—may not make sense to all readers, but many will be swept past these occasional flourishes by the combined force of Abzug’s and Aronson’s determination. An author’s note offers more information about Abzug’s beliefs and causes, from the well known (Title IX) to the overlooked (the Equal Credit Opportunity Act).
An adoring and inspirational life story, as ardent as its subject. (author’s note, timeline, bibliography, photos, photo credits) (Picture-book biography. 5-10)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781635928075
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
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
Self-serving to be sure but also chock-full of worthy values and sentiments.
The junior senator from California introduces family and friends as everyday superheroes.
The endpapers are covered with cascades of, mostly, early childhood snapshots (“This is me contemplating the future”—caregivers of toddlers will recognize that abstracted look). In between, Harris introduces heroes in her life who have shaped her character: her mom and dad, whose superpowers were, respectively, to make her feel special and brave; an older neighbor known for her kindness; grandparents in India and Jamaica who “[stood] up for what’s right” (albeit in unspecified ways); other relatives and a teacher who opened her awareness to a wider world; and finally iconic figures such as Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley who “protected people by using the power of words and ideas” and whose examples inspired her to become a lawyer. “Heroes are…YOU!” she concludes, closing with a bulleted Hero Code and a timeline of her legal and political career that ends with her 2017 swearing-in as senator. In group scenes, some of the figures in the bright, simplistic digital illustrations have Asian features, some are in wheelchairs, nearly all are people of color. Almost all are smiling or grinning. Roe provides everyone identified as a role model with a cape and poses the author, who is seen at different ages wearing an identifying heart pin or decoration, next to each.
Self-serving to be sure but also chock-full of worthy values and sentiments. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-984837-49-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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