The book quotes Lincoln as saying, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” This team goes beyond good; they excel at making...
From Ben Franklin: His Wit and Wisdom from A-Z (2011), the dynamic duo of Schroeder and O’Brien here turn their talents to Abe Lincoln.
The alphabetic approach allows them to zero in on fascinating tidbits about both Lincoln himself and historical information pertinent to his past. Each letter is given from two to five entries. For A, Amendment, Autobiography, Ax and Aloud (as in reading) are cited. Many choices are obvious, but others may surprise readers. J is for Jack, a soldier doll that his sons played with. O is for Our American Cousin, the play Lincoln was watching when he was shot. Q is for Quincy (where he debated Douglas), Quorum and Quick (the Gettysburg Address). X is for Xenia, Ohio, where he made one of his railroad stops; the people swarmed the train and ate his lunch. Z is probably the most unusual one, standing for Zouaves, units of volunteer soldiers known for their colorful uniforms. O’Brien’s signature style lends the tableaux enormous flair, humor and zing. Comical tiny details are mischievous and clever. On the A page: A boy wearing a fringed shirt is holding an ax next to a gargantuan tube of Lincoln Logs filled with chopped-down trees.
The book quotes Lincoln as saying, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” This team goes beyond good; they excel at making history real, enjoyable and memorable. (Informational picture book. 5-9)Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2420-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
A beautifully designed book that will resonate with children and the adults who wisely share it with them.
An inspirational ode to the life of the great South African leader by an award-winning author and illustrator.
Mandela’s has been a monumental life, a fact made clear on the front cover, which features an imposing, full-page portrait. The title is on the rear cover. His family gave him the Xhosa name Rolihlahla, but his schoolteacher called him Nelson. Later, he was sent to study with village elders who told him stories about his beautiful and fertile land, which was conquered by European settlers with more powerful weapons. Then came apartheid, and his protests, rallies and legal work for the cause of racial equality led to nearly 30 years of imprisonment followed at last by freedom for Mandela and for all South Africans. “The ancestors, / The people, / The world, / Celebrated.” Nelson’s writing is spare, poetic, and grounded in empathy and admiration. His oil paintings on birch plywood are muscular and powerful. Dramatic moments are captured in shifting perspectives; a whites-only beach is seen through a wide-angle lens, while faces behind bars and faces beaming in final victory are masterfully portrayed in close-up.
A beautifully designed book that will resonate with children and the adults who wisely share it with them. (author’s note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-178374-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
Heartening.
One determined man brings two villages together with a hammer, chisel, and an iron will.
Deep in the heart of India, a mighty mountain separates two villages. Manjhi lives on one side, where nothing grows. On the other, rice and wheat flourish. The people there are affluent, while Manjhi’s village struggles with hunger. Manjhi climbs to the top of the mountain to ponder this problem. When he throws a stone, it triggers a sprinkle of powder, which gives him an idea. Manjhi trades his trio of goats for a hammer and chisel. Hurrying back to the top of the mountain, he positions the chisel and strikes it with the hammer. Powdered rock and tiny chips spray. He continues until he’s exhausted, but he’s also filled with hope. Even though people tell him he’s “crazy,” day after day Manjhi returns to the mountain. After a year, Majhi is a little stronger, and the hole he has made a little deeper. He perseveres and, when he returns to his task each day, notices that others have continued his work. It takes 22 years, but Manjhi lives to see the day that two villages become one, sharing water, hopes, and dreams. Churnin’s prose has an elegance appropriate for her inspiring tale, which is based on a true story. Popovich’s double-page illustrations use a warm palette and are nicely composed.
Heartening. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-939547-34-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creston
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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