An unusual perspective on women’s rights and an engaging tribute to Rosie the Riveter and all she represents.
“Rosie the Riveter was born all grown up in 1942.”
From World War II to the present, the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter has grown into a powerful feminist symbol of resilience and equality. This positive and inclusive selection (trans women activists Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson are identifiable in the illustrations, and other women of color and disabled women are present in multiple spreads) traces Rosie’s development, explaining how strong women of all races, portrayed in the retro illustrations that reference the original posters, existed before and since her creation and how she came to represent their efforts for equality as well as their strength and power. The connection between Rosie as an image and the women she represents is somewhat subtle; the poetic text stops short of explicitly explaining that the initial Rosie was an image to inspire and foster acceptance of working women, so some children may require more explanation. Fact-filled endnotes include the inspiration for Rosie and detail women’s work experiences, past and present, in language that isn’t always child friendly but will help adults provide context. Unique in its multifaceted focus on social justice, human rights, art, symbols, and women’s history—famous women appear in the endpapers and throughout the illustrations—this informative selection will certainly fuel interest and impart inspiration. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An unusual perspective on women’s rights and an engaging tribute to Rosie the Riveter and all she represents. (Informational picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-77450-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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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