A charming exemplar of a type of book we don’t need.
Uhlberg tells the story of Helen Keller using her own words.
As it tells the story of Keller’s childhood and, more briefly, her adult life, the narrative alternates between Keller’s imagined perspective, enhanced with quotes from her book The Story of My Life, and that of a third-person narrator. The two narratives are distinguished by distinct typefaces. The illustrations support the text well, and the best of them are depictions of young Keller with a joyful smile. All the well-known events of her childhood appear in the text. Though this book would be a suitable introduction and is interesting in its use of quotes, it is disappointing in its failure to say anything new about her life. Like far too many Keller biographies for children, it shies away from discussing her political and social achievements or the complex intersections of privilege in her life, offering instead platitudes about love and hope. In 2020, why settle for another indistinguishable Helen Keller book suggesting that her greatest achievements were getting an education, petting a tiger, and giving inspirational talks? Why relegate her disability advocacy to a single sentence in the narrative (the only page that introduces characters of color to the otherwise all-White cast) and a few bullet points in the timeline? Why not discuss her feminism, political activism, or the founding of the ACLU? A charming exemplar of a type of book we don’t need. (author's note, timeline, manual sign alphabet, source notes) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8075-5322-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist.
Frida Kahlo’s strong affection for and identification with animals form the lens through which readers view her life and work in this picture-book biography.
Each two-page spread introduces one or more of her pets, comparing her characteristics to theirs and adding biographical details. Confusingly for young readers, the beginning pages reference pets she owned as an adult, yet the illustrations and events referred to come from earlier in her life. Bonito the parrot perches in a tree overlooking young Frida and her family in her childhood home and pops up again later, just before the first mention of Diego Rivera. Granizo, the fawn, another pet from her adult years, is pictured beside a young Frida and her father along with a description of “her life as a little girl.” The author’s note adds important details about Kahlo’s life and her significance as an artist, as well as recommending specific paintings that feature her beloved animals. Expressive acrylic paintings expertly evoke Kahlo’s style and color palette. While young animal lovers will identify with her attachment to her pets and may enjoy learning about the Aztec origins of her Xolo dogs and the meaning of turkeys in ancient Mexico, the book may be of most interest to those who already have an interest in Kahlo’s life.
A supplemental rather than introductory book on the great artist. (Picture book/biography. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4269-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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