A perceptive, if occasionally parochial, overview.
From George Washington to Joe Biden, Cohen unpacks a pithy quote from each U.S. president in succession.
Some of the author’s choices resound down the years—“We hold these truths to be self-evident…” “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”—and most still carry some relevance even when they focus on issues more of the day than of all time. Some, such as Andrew Jackson’s crowing over the “happy consummation” of the Indian Removal Act and Donald Trump’s “Make America great again,” are enduringly wince-worthy, and in his accompanying commentary for each selection, Cohen tersely but clearly explains why. Other selections point to historical achievements or failures that the author likewise analyzes with a reasonably even hand. His broader, context-setting notes for each entry are less well considered, though; despite them all being titled “The World in [date],” most focus on events in the United States. Some of Shih’s digitally rendered images are somewhat off the mark, such as a misleading picture of breaking chains representing the ineffectual Millard Fillmore’s anti-slavery views. Still, if the woodenly posed figures in her group scenes aren’t individualized, they are generally racially diverse. Overall, Cohen’s chosen quotes offer useful perspectives on the tumultuous history of the United States.
A perceptive, if occasionally parochial, overview. (speechwriting tips, timeline, speeches the presidents never gave) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922265
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care.
In 1977, the oil carrier Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into a formerly pristine Alaskan ocean inlet, killing millions of birds, animals, and fish. Despite a cleanup, crude oil is still there.
The Winters foretold the destructive powers of the atomic bomb allusively in The Secret Project (2017), leaving the actuality to the backmatter. They make no such accommodations to young audiences in this disturbing book. From the dark front cover, on which oily blobs conceal a seabird, to the rescuer’s sad face on the back, the mother-son team emphasizes the disaster. A relatively easy-to-read and poetically heightened text introduces the situation. Oil is pumped from the Earth “all day long, all night long, / day after day, year after year” in “what had been unspoiled land, home to Native people // and thousands of caribou.” The scale of extraction is huge: There’s “a giant pipeline” leading to “enormous ships.” Then, crash. Rivers of oil gush out over three full-bleed wordless pages. Subsequent scenes show rocks, seabirds, and sea otters covered with oil. Finally, 30 years later, animals have returned to a cheerful scene. “But if you lift a rock… // oil / seeps / up.” For an adult reader, this is heartbreaking. How much more difficult might this be for an animal-loving child?
Like oil itself, this is a book that needs to be handled with special care. (author’s note, further reading) (Informational picture book. 9-12)Pub Date: March 31, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3077-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
A hardworking addition to U.S. history shelves.
In 1776, some of the most respected men in Great Britain’s American Colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, a revolutionary—but not necessarily transparent—document.
Although the declaration is one of the key documents of American history, its sometimes-archaic language may mystify young citizens of the 21st century. After a few pages of introductory information that describes the conflicts faced by colonists before the Revolutionary War, this effort presents the declaration line by line, explaining the concepts, defining confusing words and ideas, and illuminating the intent of the signers in the context of the time. Occasionally, in sections headed “Think Deeper,” the author asks pointed, thoughtful questions on a variety of issues that have never been fully resolved in the past 245 years, without devolving into revisionist history. The format places original text on verso with the translation on recto, but clever design keeps readers engaged. The double-page spreads are neatly laid out, many including portraits of Founding Fathers presented against appealing, brightly colored backgrounds that vary from spread to spread. A variety of maps, cartoon characters, and period illustrations extend the text. With a reading level appropriate to the upper grade schoolers who are often introduced to this tumultuous period of history, this engaging and surprisingly entertaining effort seems like the perfect choice to accompany and expand lesson plans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A hardworking addition to U.S. history shelves. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-638190-48-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Bushel & Peck Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
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