A valuable story of family, community, new beginnings, and perseverance.
After his family is forced to flee Nigeria and adjust to the United States while living in a homeless shelter, Tani wins a chess championship.
Tani lived “in a home that felt as secure as a castle, in a fine neighborhood in Nigeria.” But one day, his father, who owns a print shop, sneaks away from members of the terrorist group Boko Haram after they ask him to make posters, and the whole family, now in danger, must flee. They move to a home six hours away, but Boko Haram members find them. They must leave Nigeria quickly. They land in New York City and move into a homeless shelter, where Tani and his brother must sleep on a separate floor from their parents. At school, Tani joins the chess club and practices with his brother in their room at the shelter. In his first tournament, he scores the lowest of all players, but he studies and practices and keeps competing, and a year later, he wins the New York State championship. Headlines bring his story to readers around the world, who respond with encouragement and large donations to his family. Tani’s story is narrated in a lovely childlike voice that retains the wonder of learning new things. The turn of events that can cause happy families to need asylum will enlighten young readers and open minds. The generous view of the United States feels optimistic but genuine. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.8-by-21-inch double-page spreads viewed at 65.1% of actual size.)
A valuable story of family, community, new beginnings, and perseverance. (afterword) (Picture book/biography. 4-9)Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4002-1828-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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
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