Entertaining speculation about dreams, but for a more serious treatment of the topic, look elsewhere.
The author of The Practical Witch’s Spell Book (2018) advises young readers on how to understand their dreams.
Blithely dispensing with source notes, Greenleaf opens by talking up the purposes and value of dreaming, then goes on to link common dream elements, such as turning invisible, appearing naked in public, flying, and encountering different sorts of animals, to arbitrary personality traits or unfinished business in the waking world. She addresses her “Dear Reader” in astrological-style generalities, and her brand of symbology is anything but subtle—seeing vampires, for instance, is “often interpreted as a sign that there is something in your life that is draining you,” having surgery hints at irritants that “need to be cut out,” and being decapitated is “often a sign that there is a disconnect between your head and your heart.” Those who feel their dreams to be insufficiently vivid will find fresh imagery, from losing teeth or going blind to feeling shards of glass in the mouth, and for wakeful DIY sorts, Greenleaf also provides basic instructions for projects like making a soothing bath soak. Occasional multiple-choice quizzes, including one with recommendations for healing crystals, lead to a closing quiz designed to test newly acquired interpretive skills. Following an opening view of a multihued group of sleeping children curled up together against a starry backdrop, Le strews equally diverse figures through brightly colored dreamscapes and abstract vignettes.
Entertaining speculation about dreams, but for a more serious treatment of the topic, look elsewhere. (index) (Self-help. 10-13)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7624-7926-9
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
An introduction to ancient Egypt and the Pharaohs buried in the Valley of the Kings. The authors begin with how archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb of King Tut, then move back 3,000 years to the time of Thutmosis I, who built the first tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Finally they describe the building of the tomb of a later Pharaoh, Ramses II. The backward-forward narration is not always easy to follow, and the authors attribute emotions to the Pharaohs without citation. For example, “Thutmosis III was furious [with Hatshepsut]. He was especially annoyed that she planned to be buried in KV 20, the tomb of her father.” Since both these people lived 3,500 years ago, speculation on who was furious or annoyed should be used with extreme caution. And the tangled intrigue of Egyptian royalty is not easily sorted out in so brief a work. Throughout, though, there are spectacular photographs of ancient Egyptian artifacts, monuments, tomb paintings, jewels, and death masks that will appeal to young viewers. The photographs of the exposed mummies of Ramses II, King Tut, and Seti I are compelling. More useful for the hauntingly beautiful photos than the text. (brief bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7922-7223-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s an eye-opening case study in how history and folklore can intertwine.
With assistance from Aronson, a veteran author/editor and nabob of nonfiction, Nelson recasts his adult title Steel Drivin’ Man: The Untold Story of an American Legend (2006) into a briefer account that not only suspensefully retraces his search for the man behind the ballad, but also serves as a useful introduction to historical-research methods.
Supported by a generous array of late-19th- and early-20th-century photos—mostly of chain-gang “trackliners” and other rail workers—the narrative pieces together clues from song lyrics, an old postcard, scattered business records and other sources, arriving finally at both a photo that just might be the man himself, and strong evidence of the drilling contest’s actual location. The author then goes on to make speculative but intriguing links between the trackliners’ work and the origins of the blues and rock-’n’-roll, and Aronson himself closes with an analytical appendix.
It’s an eye-opening case study in how history and folklore can intertwine. (maps, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-13)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4263-0000-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007
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