A thin tale with far richer backmatter.
A picture book based on Yukie Kimura’s experiences growing up in World War II–era Japan.
Yukie lives with her family on an island where her father is the lighthouse keeper. She and her brother have adventures around the island as they look for sea gull eggs; her sister prefers to read. One day, Yukie sees a giant ship with military personnel onboard. Up to that point, the war had felt far away. Suddenly, her world shifts as the military takes over the town, planes fly overhead, and bombs drop. Yukie notices that some children do not return to school after the war, but as the book closes, her adventures with her brother resume as they jump across ice floes that have floated south from Russia. References to her father’s flute playing and the hidden meanings behind his intonation imply there is much that Yukie doesn’t understand, though she perceives the underlying threats and tension. Disappointingly sparse text is paired with equally oblique illustrations. Kōdo Kimura’s stiff and impersonal style portrays flat landscapes and children with adult, even elderly faces. Repetitive, unoriginal perspectives lack dramatic emotion, creating distance between readers and the story. Older children can read the in-depth backmatter for historical context; younger readers will need guidance from well-informed grown-ups. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A thin tale with far richer backmatter. (notes from Sheinkin and Kōdo Kimura) (Picture-book memoir. 4-8)Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781250206503
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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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