An excellent, informative tale of an African queen for readers of all ages.
A picture book tells the story of Queen Idia of the African kingdom of Benin.
A girl named Idia dreams of a battle and “a woman who helped to heal those who were hurt by mixing herbs and potions.” The next day, Idia attends a festival, where she performs a traditional dance for the Oba (king) with other villagers. But she remains distracted by her dream. As she gets older, Idia learns about magic and medicine from her mother. Now an adult, Idia is a skilled dancer and is invited to perform for the new Oba. He is impressed with Idia and wants to marry her. She asks her parents for guidance. They seek a native doctor who “made two deep marks in Idia’s forehead, to which he applied special medicines.” Idia dreams of the battle again and realizes the woman is actually her. She sees her future son, a king. Idia decides to marry the Oba. The story concludes: “She became a queen, a warrior, the first woman to fight for the kingdom, and the first Iyoba (Queen Mother) of Benin.” Aire’s intriguing tale is beautifully written. The story of Idia’s journey will captivate readers, offering a vibrant plot and a special protagonist. Shabelnyk’s depictions accentuate the text, delivering lovely portrayals of the narrative’s events and detailed scenery. The book includes useful backmatter: a short history of the Benin Empire and biographical information about Queen Idia.
An excellent, informative tale of an African queen for readers of all ages. (maps)Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77711-790-0
Page Count: 21
Publisher: Our Ancestories
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
