An expansive reminder that the U.S. government is of, as well as by and for, the people.
An introduction to the president’s home and office and many of the people who work there.
Taking the people-first approach of her Trusty Town Hall (2023) and The Capitol (2022), Ward punctuates her tour of the White House’s public spaces (and a few glimpses behind the scenes) with portrait galleries of those who keep it running—from the first family (here, a Black woman and her spouse and son) on up to select members of the permanent staff such as groundskeepers, cooks, a hijab-wearing assistant usher, and the beekeeper. A cutaway view of the residence provides overall orientation as a young tourist, the son of one of the chefs, and the first kid chase after the errant first dog through hallways and larger rooms. Along with bustling scenes of tour groups (including one visitor who uses a wheelchair) and banquet preparations, peeks into meeting rooms and additional lineups of the president’s cabinet and other high-level officials provide an overview of the executive branch’s functions. Befitting the building’s richly documented past, pictures are accompanied, not too obtrusively, by historical facts. More details can be found in the backmatter, along with sources of even more information. The chase ends in the Oval Office, where a quick encounter with the first mom ends the tour on a giddy high note. Figures throughout, large and small, are racially diverse.
An expansive reminder that the U.S. government is of, as well as by and for, the people. (search & find, glossary) (Informational picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9780063208179
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
Go adventuring with a better guide.
Find something to do in every state in the U.S.A.!
This guide highlights a location of interest within each of the states, therefore excluding Washington, D.C., and the territories. Trivia about each location is scattered across crisply rendered landscapes that background each state’s double-page spread while diminutive, diverse characters populate the scenes. Befitting the title, one “adventure” is presented per state, such as shrimping in Louisiana’s bayous, snowshoeing in Connecticut, or celebrating the Fourth of July in Boston. While some are stereotypical gimmes (surfing in California), others have the virtue of novelty, at least for this audience, such as viewing the sandhill crane migration in Nebraska. Within this thematic unity, some details go astray, and readers may find themselves searching in vain for animals mentioned. The trivia is plentiful but may be misleading, vague, or incorrect. Information about the Native American peoples of the area is often included, but its brevity—especially regarding sacred locations—means readers are floundering without sufficient context. The same is true for many of the facts that relate directly to expansion and colonialism, such as the unexplained near extinction of bison. Describing the genealogical oral history of South Carolina’s Gullah community as “spin[ning] tales” is equally brusque and offensive. The book tries to do a lot, but it is more style than substance, which may leave readers bored, confused, slightly annoyed—or all three. (This book was reviewed digitally with 12.2-by-20.2-inch double-page spreads viewed at 80% of actual size.)
Go adventuring with a better guide. (tips on local adventuring, index) (Nonfiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7112-5445-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
The large format and attractive, cartoonlike illustrations provide an inviting look at a country not often included in many...
Three cousins representing the diverse cultural groups who inhabit the Philippines take readers on a tour of the many islands that make up the archipelago.
Mary, Jaime, and Ari are the offspring of three sisters from the Ifugao people of Luzon, but their fathers are of Chinese, Spanish, and Muslim Arab descent. This device lends an artificial, idealized spin to the diversity question, but it gets the job done. No mention is made of the contemporary rise of Muslim separatists, although the section on history notes that the Americans “impos[ed] their style of democratic authority.” The emphasis is on cultural activities, including religious holidays, and favorite foods (with recipes for pancit, a noodle dish; polveron, a candy made from powdered milk; and halo-halo, a combination of fruits and beans with ice, sugar, and milk). There are descriptions of games including sipa, which is similar to hacky sack, with directions for making your own sipa, and sungka, also known as mancala in Africa and the Middle East. Unfortunately, instructions are not clear enough to really play. The only craft is a modified parol, a Christmas decoration. A creation myth and one song are included, but the book’s real strength is the description of activities and life in different parts of the country.
The large format and attractive, cartoonlike illustrations provide an inviting look at a country not often included in many other resources for children. (websites, index ) (Nonfiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8048-4072-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Tuttle
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
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