Charles Schulz, nicknamed “Sparky,” was the artist behind the Peanuts comic strip for more than 50 years and delighted the world with his popular characters—Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the gang—based on people the cartoonist knew. Readers will relish the opportunity to get the inside scoop on the beloved strip: Schulz wanted to call the strip “Li’l Folks,” but that didn’t fly with his employer; Charlie Brown’s personality was born when Schulz’s marriage proposal was rejected; Snoopy is the character who best mirrors Schulz’s feelings about the meaning of life. Gherman’s clear and direct prose is just right for portraying the life of the famous cartoonist for young readers. The splashy, bright design, with multicolored pages and several of Schulz’s cartoons included, makes this a cheery read that may well introduce the Peanuts comic strip to a new generation, who likely know Charlie Brown mostly through the holiday TV specials. An informative yet lighthearted look at the life of an American icon. (author’s note, bibliography, index) (Biography. 8-12)
Pub Date: June 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8118-6790-0
Page Count: 125
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2010
At Home With The Presidents (176 pp.; $12.95; Sept. 24; 0-471-25300-6) Morris offers succinct biographical information and anecdotes about all 41 presidents with brief information about homes they grew up it, historic sites dedicated to them, or libraries in which their artifacts are housed. Included are small pictures of the presidents and some of the buildings discussed. Readers will find the book of limited use for research, since the sources for quotations are not given, there is no index, and material considered controversial is not attributed. Appearing out of context are statements such as “George Washington adored his older brother” and “George’s mother was jealous of the two brother’s relationship.” The information on historic sites is upbeat but bland, and could have come right out of tourist brochures. (b&w photographs, illustrations, further reading) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 24, 1999
ISBN: 0-471-25300-6
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Wiley
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
Kostyal has written a tight, bracing biography of the renowned Antarctic explorer, illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs. Shackleton, a man whose sense of romance and adventure repeatedly drew him from conventional British society to Antarctica (“that lonely, windswept desert of ice and snow at the bottom of the world”), succeeded neither in reaching the South Pole nor traversing the continent, but he exhibited such remarkable valor that, according to the author, his name has become “synonymous with bravery and endurance.” As usual, there is more about his expeditions than the man, but Kostyal renders the tale in vivid prose that is enhanced by maps, quotes, a timeline and some remarkable photographs. This quality book will be a useful addition in both home and school libraries. (map, chronology, index) (Biography. 8-10)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7922-7393-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1999
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