A religious centering amid the run-up to Christmas.
A day-by-day Advent adventure for families to share together.
Beginning on Dec. 1 with an introduction to the season of Advent and this book, and ending on Dec. 25 with just a short rhyme, Nellist’s text familiarizes children with the Christmas season and events ranging from Genesis’ “Let there be light” and Isaiah’s foretelling the birth of a baby to Mary’s visit with Elizabeth and the arrival of the Magi after Jesus’ birth (on Dec. 21 here). A rhyming verse starts each day’s entry. The meter and rhyme sometimes force the word order and choices and, in four entries, unfortunately and jarringly reflect the classic poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas.” The bulk of each page explains the Bible verse that follows the rhyme and humanizes the main characters: Joseph’s indecision about marrying a pregnant Mary, the job of a shepherd, and the treasure box of memories that Mary stored in her heart. The entry ends with a brief prayer: “Dear God, thank you for Mary who was so brave and trusted you. When I need to be brave, help me remember that you are with me.” Depending on their ages, children within a family may find some content too simple and some over their heads. Jewel-toned illustrations in luminous colors and lots of detail fill half of each spread. All the people, save the three Magi, are Middle Eastern in skin color, facial features, and dress. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A religious centering amid the run-up to Christmas. (Religion. 4-10)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-310-73415-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
St. Patrick’s Day will never be the same; beware, though: leprechauns who aren’t caught often take revenge by making messes.
Devious young scientists, engineers, and crafters will be solidly occupied with the 16 traps, three snacks, and 10 leprechaun tricks that are described here.
Each project comes with a level of difficulty, leprechaun appeal meter, list of materials, its STEAM connection (in a separate box listing topics touched upon and extensions), and numbered steps. The STEAM connections vary widely. Too many of the early projects that involve a stick propping up a trap lid have the same STEAM connection. Later projects, including a Leprechaun Run and a Marshmallow Catapult that talk about potential and kinetic energy and a Marshmallow Bridge that is heavy on the engineering piece, have more solid STEAM connections. “Did You Know” featurettes offer fascinating facts: Ireland has more sheep than people, and leprechauns used to wear red, not green. Readers will know to call a grown-up when they see the words “adult supervision” underlined in the directions, which also include “messy alerts.” The artwork is a mix of photographs, line drawings, and cartoons. Only two completed projects are photographed; the rest are digital illustrations. While this allows kids scope for their imaginations, some may need more help with the steps than the cartoons provide (particularly with the catapult). Photos show an array of diverse children working on the projects, although the disembodied hand holding scissors shown frequently is always white.
St. Patrick’s Day will never be the same; beware, though: leprechauns who aren’t caught often take revenge by making messes. (Nonfiction. 4-10)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6388-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for.
An overview of the modern African-American holiday.
This book arrives at a time when black people in the United States have had intraracial—some serious, some snarky—conversations about Kwanzaa’s relevance nowadays, from its patchwork inspiration that flattens the cultural diversity of the African continent to a single festive story to, relatedly, the earnest blacker-than-thou pretentiousness surrounding it. Both the author and consultant Keith A. Mayes take great pains—and in painfully simplistic language—to provide a context that attempts to refute the internal arguments as much as it informs its intended audience. In fact, Mayes says in the endnotes that young people are Kwanzaa’s “largest audience and most important constituents” and further extends an invitation to all races and ages to join the winter celebration. However, his “young people represent the future” counterpoint—and the book itself—really responds to an echo of an argument, as black communities have moved the conversation out to listen to African communities who critique the holiday’s loose “African-ness” and deep American-ness and moved on to commemorate holidays that have a more historical base in black people’s experiences in the United States, such as Juneteenth. In this context, the explications of Kwanzaa’s principles and symbols and the smattering of accompanying activities feel out of touch.
A good-enough introduction to a contested festivity but one that’s not in step with the community it’s for. (resources, bibliography, glossary, afterword) (Nonfiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2849-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2017
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