A heartfelt biography that will encourage readers to live their truths.
Pincus chronicles Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride’s childhood and coming out.
McBride always knew that she wanted to be a politician, but it took time to learn that she could do that and be herself—a transgender woman. Following her through her childhood and college years, when she came out, the book emphasizes her commitment to helping others. It narratively connects her to her political role models, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Informative and absorbing, this is an enjoyable and uplifting read, though it lacks a strong unifying structure. Most of the narrative is devoted to McBride’s coming out; her 2020 election win is covered quickly at the end and does not feel like a strong payoff. Doors are a theme throughout: Telling others that she is transgender initially feels like something best left behind a closed door, and later, McBride works to open “the doors of opportunity” for others. It’s a meaningful metaphor, though one that might go over younger readers’ heads. However, Pincus tells McBride’s story effectively and explains trans identity in an understandable and empathetic way, enhanced by pleasant, straightforward illustrations. She describes McBride’s childhood without ever using the wrong pronouns or her birth name. McBride is White; other characters are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A heartfelt biography that will encourage readers to live their truths. (author’s note, note from McBride, guide to being a trans ally, glossary, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-48465-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
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 inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter.
The latest of many picture books about the young heroine from Pakistan, this one is narrated by Malala herself, with a frame that is accessible to young readers.
Malala introduces her story using a television show she used to watch about a boy with a magic pencil that he used to get himself and his friends out of trouble. Readers can easily follow Malala through her own discovery of troubles in her beloved home village, such as other children not attending school and soldiers taking over the village. Watercolor-and-ink illustrations give a strong sense of setting, while gold ink designs overlay Malala’s hopes onto her often dreary reality. The story makes clear Malala’s motivations for taking up the pen to tell the world about the hardships in her village and only alludes to the attempt on her life, with a black page (“the dangerous men tried to silence me. / But they failed”) and a hospital bracelet on her wrist the only hints of the harm that came to her. Crowds with signs join her call before she is shown giving her famous speech before the United Nations. Toward the end of the book, adult readers may need to help children understand Malala’s “work,” but the message of holding fast to courage and working together is powerful and clear.
An inspiring introduction to the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and a useful conversation starter. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-31957-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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