Heavy yet cathartic. We will not forget.
A Black child processes the loss of a neighbor, George Floyd, who was murdered by a police officer.
From its opening words, this work is unapologetic in its condemnation of Floyd’s murder. Gibney writes in simple, straightforward, and age-appropriate language: “We heard about a man who was murdered by police. Everyone was talking about it…Then the police came. They pinned him down. They didn’t listen, even when he said, ‘I can’t breathe.’ Even when he called for his mama.” The narrative doesn’t just remind readers of the senseless manner of Floyd’s death; it demands the recognition of his humanity: “He was a father, a brother, a son, a hip hop artist, a football and basketball player, and a friend.” Gibney also details the historic protests that erupted after his death and how the narrator and the entire community collectively healed and grieved. At its core, this book is also about the abolition of the police; the final words ask readers to consider “a world without police. A world without police violence. What would it feel like, sound like, look like?” The illustrations, dominated by hues of purple, capture the cacophony of emotions that emerged in the aftermath of Floyd’s death; the depiction of tears falling from the eyes of the young narrator is especially haunting and memorable.
Heavy yet cathartic. We will not forget. (Picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781517914448
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Univ. of Minnesota
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This indisputably timely book makes a solid case for greater recognition.
Profiles a virologist who was among the first to photograph and identify the coronavirus family.
Almeida’s own family has a significant presence in this account of her career and discoveries. Slade begins with her Glasgow-born subject’s early love of science and the death of her little brother, continues through marriage, divorce, and single parenting to track her growing reputation for expertise in microphotography and electron microscopy, then highlights the watershed human coronavirus paper she co-authored in 1967. A specific description of how she used “negative staining” to prepare her coronavirus specimens adds a laudatory glimpse of technical detail to the plain-language explanations of her discoveries. Incorporating memories and material supplied by the researcher’s daughter, the author of A Computer Called Katherine (illustrated by Veronica Miller Jameson, 2019) presents another underrecognized woman scientist as a role model. In this case, Almeida is not seen as a crusader breaking down barriers of race (she was White) and sexism but more generally as a smart, hard worker doing her best in both private and professional lives. If her character remains hard to pin down, a bit of verse preceding the expansive afterword (“Virus, Virus, shining bright / In the phosphotungstic night”) hints at a sense of humor. Single scientists of color in two group scenes are the only non-White figures in Paganelli’s clean, precisely drawn cartoon illustrations. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 77% of actual size.)
This indisputably timely book makes a solid case for greater recognition. (timeline, adult bibliography.) (Picture book/biography. 8-10)Pub Date: March 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5341-1132-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A valuable insight into the world of immigration and displacement.
In this fictionalized memoir, a child whose family experiences forced migration moves between two homes.
Zahra loves where she came from, a land with traditions tied to the sea and a place where relatives are closely connected. Despite sharing a culture with those around them, people tell them they do not belong on that land. When her parents decide to leave for a better place, Zahra does not understand why. She is bored and lonely in her new country and feels different from everyone there. Eventually, she comes to love her new home, a land with traditions that are magical in their own ways and a place where she can stay in touch with her family abroad. The names of locations, the reasons behind the events, and stories linked to some of the illustrations are detailed in the backmatter. The author’s two homes were New Mexico and Kuwait, from which her family moved due to being “stateless” and discriminated against (despite having lived in Kuwait for generations). While some readers may feel that revealing the details only in the backmatter moves the plot toward the universal, others may regret that the information there was not integrated into the story itself. The affectionate text is accompanied by traditionally created watercolor illustrations, the palette conveying the feel and beauty of the places featured in the book.
A valuable insight into the world of immigration and displacement. (author's note, illustration note) (Picture-book autobiography. 8-10)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0651-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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