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
Ultimately adds little to conversations about race.
A popular YouTube series on race, “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man,” turns how-to manual and history lesson for young readers.
Acho is a former NFL player and second-generation Nigerian American who cites his upbringing in predominantly White spaces as well as his tenure on largely Black football teams as qualifications for facilitating the titular conversations about anti-Black racism. The broad range of subjects covered here includes implicit bias, cultural appropriation, and systemic racism. Each chapter features brief overviews of American history, personal anecdotes of Acho’s struggles with his own anti-Black biases, and sections titled “Let’s Get Uncomfortable.” The book’s centering of Whiteness and White readers seems to show up, to the detriment of its subject matter, both in Acho’s accounts of his upbringing and his thought processes regarding race. The overall tone unfortunately conveys a sense of expecting little from a younger generation who may have a greater awareness than he did at the same age and who, therefore, may already be uncomfortable with racial injustice itself. The attempt at an avuncular tone disappointingly reads as condescending, revealing that, despite his online success with adults, the author is ill-equipped to be writing for middle-grade readers. Chapters dedicated to explaining to White readers why they shouldn’t use the N-word and how valuable White allyship is may make readers of color (and many White readers) bristle with indignation and discomfort despite Acho’s positive intentions.
Ultimately adds little to conversations about race. (glossary, FAQ, recommended reading, references) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-80106-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
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