Although the book primarily reinforces the Western art history canon, readers will happily breeze through Hodge’s creative...
Readers are treated to a whirlwind tour of art history from prehistoric art to new media.
The guide is divided into six sections (an introduction to the very basics, then the history in five chapters from early art to contemporary), and each section includes an introductory glossary. Of the 27 art movements detailed (ancient Greek, northern Renaissance, baroque, postimpressionism, etc.), only four are expressly not of a European or American tradition: prehistoric art, ancient Egyptian, Aztec, and Ukiyo-e. Each double-page spread includes a 30-second rundown of the art movement, a small reproduction of at least one exemplary piece of art, a “3-second sum-up,” and a “3-minute” creative exercise, leaving pages busy but never overwhelming. Cheery mixed-media illustrations create engaging scenes surrounding the famous exemplars: For example, Robins illustrates Van Gogh in the act of painting Sunflowers juxtaposed with a scene of museum visitors examining a reproduction. The visual depiction of real-life artists is almost exclusively of white men, but Robins does include a diversity of skin tones and implied genders in the more general illustrations. One image of a Plains Indian in stereotypical headdress and war paint (the only American Indian presence) is placed next to a garbage can in a most unfortunate combination. A list of resources to “discover more” includes age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction titles, apps, and websites.
Although the book primarily reinforces the Western art history canon, readers will happily breeze through Hodge’s creative introduction and, hopefully, be inspired to seek out more art history knowledge. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78240-608-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Ivy Kids
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Though usually cast as the trickster, Coyote is more victim than victimizer, making this a nice complement to other Coyote...
Two republished tales by a Greco-Cherokee author feature both folkloric and modern elements as well as new illustrations.
One of the two has never been offered south of the (Canadian) border. In “Coyote Sings to the Moon,” the doo-wop hymn sung nightly by Old Woman and all the animals except tone-deaf Coyote isn’t enough to keep Moon from hiding out at the bottom of the lake—until she is finally driven forth by Coyote’s awful wailing. She has been trying to return to the lake ever since, but that piercing howl keeps her in the sky. In “Coyote’s New Suit” he is schooled in trickery by Raven, who convinces him to steal the pelts of all the other animals while they’re bathing, sends the bare animals to take clothes from the humans’ clothesline, and then sets the stage for a ruckus by suggesting that Coyote could make space in his overcrowded closet by having a yard sale. No violence ensues, but from then to now humans and animals have not spoken to one another. In Eggenschwiler’s monochrome scenes Coyote and the rest stand on hind legs and (when stripped bare) sport human limbs. Old Woman might be Native American; the only other completely human figure is a pale-skinned girl.
Though usually cast as the trickster, Coyote is more victim than victimizer, making this a nice complement to other Coyote tales. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55498-833-4
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
Starting with a lonely slice of pizza pictured on the cover and the first page, Thornhill launches into a wide-ranging study of the history and culture of food—where it comes from, how to eat it and what our food industries are doing to the planet. It’s a lot to hang on that slice of pizza, but there are plenty of interesting tidbits here, from Clarence Birdseye’s experiments with frozen food to how mad cow disease causes the brain to turn spongy to industrial food production and global warming. Unfortunately, the volume is designed like a bad high-school yearbook. Most pages are laid out in text boxes, each containing a paragraph on a discrete topic, but with little in the way of an organizing theme to tie together the content of the page or spread. Too many colors, too much jumbled-together information and total reliance on snippets of information make this a book for young readers more interested in browsing than reading. Kids at the upper edge of the book's range would be better served by Richie Chevat's adaptation of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma (2009). (Nonfiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-897349-96-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Maple Tree Press
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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