An appealing portrayal of a female poet, her creativity, and her time.
The tale of a woman who captured the night sky.
Straightforward, informative text with a touch of lyricism illuminates the life story of Jane Taylor, the English romantic poet. Beginning with her unique education as a child, the story relays how Taylor grew up to work in the publishing industry and earn her keep as an accomplished children’s author while finding solace and inspiration in nature. The use of the derogatory term bluestocking to describe women of the era who “read too much, knew too much, and wrote too much” is addressed. Despite countless rejections from publishers and early-19th-century gender mores that barred her from publishing under her own name, Taylor blossomed through perseverance and dedication, ultimately penning the literary work for which she is best known—a poem called “The Star.” Only one line of the poem appears within the text, so readers will have to connect the dots to understand that “The Star” and the well-known nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” are one and the same; however, the full text of the nursery rhyme is included (along with the sheet music) in the backmatter. Enhanced with homespun gouache illustrations, Brown’s luminous portrait of a literary life will inspire budding writers and encourage an appreciation of the beauty of the night sky. All characters are White.
An appealing portrayal of a female poet, her creativity, and her time. (author's note, timeline, bibliography, biography, quotes and sources, sheet music) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0427-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom.
A Black girl’s simple observation propels her into activism.
Woodard, who launched the More Than Peach Project—which arranges for classrooms and children in need to receive kits that include art supplies and boxes of multicultural crayons (crayons in a variety of skin tones)—relates the incident that sparked her journey. As the book begins, she is dropped off at school and notices that her family’s skin tone differs from that of her classmates. While it is clear that she is one of a few children of color at school, that difference isn’t really felt until her friends start asking for the “skin-color” crayon when they mean peach. She’s bothered that no one else seems to notice that skin comes in many colors, so she devises a unique way of bringing everyone’s attention to that fact. With support from her family and her school, she encourages her fellow classmates to rethink their language and starts an initiative to ensure that everyone’s skin tone is represented in each crayon box. Appealing, realistic artwork depicts Woodard’s experiences, while endpapers feature More Than Peach crayon boxes and childlike illustrations of kids of different ethnicities doing various activities. The story is stirring and will motivate budding activists. (This book was reviewed digitally; the review has been updated for factual accuracy.)
An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom. (note from Woodard, information on Woodard’s journey into activism, instructions on starting a drive) (Picture-book biography. 6-10)Pub Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-80927-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
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