A poorly designed atlas that reads more like propaganda than nonfiction.
A Christian guide to the world.
This atlas, developed by the Christian organization Compassion International, focuses on a handful of countries around the world served by this faith-based nonprofit. The book is organized by continent, and each country has a set of illustrated maps and photographs of children who are presumably participants in the programs Compassion International funds, although this is never specified. The images and text highlight regional poverty—such as the photo of half-clothed children gathered on the sidewalk in what looks like a slum in Haiti or the accompanying facts about the lack of access to education and economic security—thereby describing each nation from a deficit perspective. Even the opening questions, which are supposed to help readers make connections between themselves and other children around the world, are phrased poorly, including details that derail the focus from children’s ingenuity to their poverty, such as the fact that children in Kenya make shoes from “worn-out tires.” Additionally, many of the observations seem to come from a Western perspective, such as the question of what “language” (singular) children speak, something that would never be asked in a multilingual household in many of the countries featured in this book. The book not only lacks depth, but also scope: It covers only 25 countries, none of which are in Europe. The omission further highlights the underlying message that countries in the global south are underdeveloped and ignores an important opportunity to make connections between Western imperialism and current conditions.
A poorly designed atlas that reads more like propaganda than nonfiction. (Nonfiction. 8-14)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4964-2421-1
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Tyndale House
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
A celebration of progressive Judaism and an inclusive primer on Jews making a difference in the world.
This wide-ranging collection of short biographies highlights 36 Jewish figures from around the globe and across centuries.
Explicitly pushing back against homogenous depictions of Jewish people, the authors demonstrate the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity of Jews. Each spread includes a brief biography paired with a stylized portrait reminiscent of those in Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo’s Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (2016). A pull quote or sidebar accompanies each subject; sidebars include “Highlighting Jewish Paralympic Athletes,” “Jewish Stringed Music,” and “Ethiopian Jews in Israel.” Kleinrock and Pritchard’s roster of subjects makes a compelling case for the vastness and variety of Jewish experience—from a contemporary Ethiopian American teen to a 16th-century Portuguese philanthropist—while still allowing them to acknowledge better-known figures. The entry on Raquel Montoya-Lewis, an associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court and an enrolled member of the Pueblo Isleta Indian tribe, discusses her mission to reimagine criminal justice for Indigenous people; the sidebar name-checks Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan. The bios are organized around themes of Jewish principles such as Pikuach Nefesh (translated from the Hebrew as “to save a life”) and Adam Yachid (translated as the “unique value of every person”); each section includes an introduction to an organization that centers diverse Jewish experiences.
A celebration of progressive Judaism and an inclusive primer on Jews making a difference in the world. (resources) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2024
ISBN: 9780063285712
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Informative and engaging.
An exploration of the lives of Black people throughout American history who were inspired, guided, and fortified by their Christian faith as they challenged injustice.
This comprehensive book spans centuries, beginning in 1625 with William, who may have been “the first child born to an African couple in British-settled North America,” and ending with modern-day figures such as Brenda Salter McNeil, a university professor, pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and author of Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage To Pursue Racial Justice Now. The eight chronological sections include an attractive full-page portrait of each subject, followed by short biographies that highlight their achievements and the role of Christianity in their lives. The activists include both well-known names, like Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Shirley Chisholm, and Toni Morrison, and those who will be new (and equally fascinating) to many readers. Tisby provides helpful context for the biographical sketches, describing how racial segregation and the institution of slavery took hold in the U.S. He uses accessible language that presents his subjects in a humanizing way and effectively illustrates the challenging conditions they endured, but he doesn’t make their situations seem completely hopeless. Readers are encouraged to reflect on how they believe they would have acted in various situations. A strong sense of justice and defiance shines through, showing that there is always hope, even when it seems like things will never get better.
Informative and engaging. (author’s note, bibliography, source notes) (Nonfiction. 9-14)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780310145592
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
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