Triumphant and inspiring.
The first Black female U.S. Supreme Court justice’s journey to greatness.
Charles notes that Ketanji Brown Jackson’s groundbreaking achievements are rooted in the dreams of her ancestors, who “fought to change / the fabric of this country.” Born in 1970, Ketanji Onyika Brown was the daughter of a lawyer and a principal. Indeed, she often sat with them as they studied and graded papers. She was an honor student and skilled debater, but when she set her sights on Harvard University, a guidance counselor discouraged her. She nevertheless attended both Harvard University and Harvard Law School, worked as a public defender, and became a district court judge. History was made when President Joe Biden nominated her as a Supreme Court justice. Never in 232 years had a Black woman ever served on the court, but her confirmation by the Senate changed that. This lively picture-book biography tells Justice Jackson’s story in direct, age-appropriate verse, never losing sight of either her struggles or successes. References to Black women lawyers and judges such as Charlotte E. Ray, Jane Bolin, and Constance Baker Motley make clear that many paved the way for her. The text is supported by colorful and expressive gouache and wax pencil illustrations that contribute to the overall hopeful tone of the narrative. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Triumphant and inspiring. (author’s note, important dates, important people and history shown in the art, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66593-526-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
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
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter.
The latest of many picture books about the young heroine from Pakistan, this one is narrated by Malala herself, with a frame that is accessible to young readers.
Malala introduces her story using a television show she used to watch about a boy with a magic pencil that he used to get himself and his friends out of trouble. Readers can easily follow Malala through her own discovery of troubles in her beloved home village, such as other children not attending school and soldiers taking over the village. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations give a strong sense of setting, while gold ink designs overlay Malala’s hopes onto her often dreary reality. The story makes clear Malala’s motivations for taking up the pen to tell the world about the hardships in her village and only alludes to the attempt on her life, with a black page (“the dangerous men tried to silence me. / But they failed”) and a hospital bracelet on her wrist the only hints of the harm that came to her. Crowds with signs join her call before she is shown giving her famous speech before the United Nations. Toward the end of the book, adult readers may need to help children understand Malala’s “work,” but the message of holding fast to courage and working together is powerful and clear.
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-31957-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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