An adventurer receives her due and should inspire readers to reach for their dreams.
A remarkable woman, a remarkable achievement.
You might call Annie Kopchovsky (nee Annie Cohen, 1870-1947) free-wheeling. This young Jewish immigrant became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by bike—in only 15 months. When Annie arrived in the United States from Latvia, life seemed auspicious, but women’s lives were restricted. She wanted excitement, and the bicycle—innovative in the late 19th century—seemed ideal. Setting out from Boston in June 1894, she traveled no more than 10 miles daily; since her skirt got entangled in the wheels, she eventually eschewed “ladylike” skirts in favor of pants. When Annie couldn’t find accommodations, she slept rough—in barns, under bridges, out in the open. In November 1894, Annie sailed from New York to France and discovered her knack for spinning thrilling tales about her exploits that captivated paying audiences. (They were mostly fabrications.) Visiting Jerusalem was especially emotional; she then proceeded deeper into Asia, still inventing escapades. She sailed from Japan to the United States, arriving in March 1895, but she still had to return to Boston, her starting point, by September. She did, to the huzzahs of her proud family, nation, and laudatory newspaper articles. Krensky has crafted an exciting read that deservedly highlights a little-known explorer; Annie’s wild tales enliven the narrative. The charming color illustrations expertly bring period and background details to life and capture Annie’s fierce determination.
An adventurer receives her due and should inspire readers to reach for their dreams. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781681156576
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2024
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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