A beautiful, relevant picture book with some design problems.
Adults love to talk about justice, but what does the word actually mean?
In this picture book, author Bharara, former United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, defines justicethrough an early-childhood lens. According to Bharara, justice requires hard work, collaboration with diverse groups of people, curiosity, and courage. Each double-page spread features a different individual or moment from the history of justice in the U.S. People spotlighted in Cornelison’s admiring, soft-edged illustrations include contemporary leaders like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; historical heroes like Ida B. Wells and Sojourner Truth; and social justice collectives like the Movement for Black Lives. The book’s text is clear and fluid, and the simple, direct language makes this a good resource for young readers. The examples of injustice, which include the World War II–era internment of Japanese Americans, the Trail of Tears, and the Holocaust, are episodes in world history that are essential to remember, but their placement is confusing: Their abrupt juxtaposition with successful social justice movements and leaders makes them feel like non sequiturs. Adults reading this with children should be prepared to give them context. Additionally, the terse captions, set in white on gray, are very difficult to read. Brief notes in the backmatter provide a few sentences of context for most of the leaders and/or episodes depicted. These design issues are unfortunate flaws in an otherwise important, impassioned book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A beautiful, relevant picture book with some design problems. (Informational picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-17662-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
Buy this book when, as the Spanish say, “frogs grow hair!” (Informational picture book. 4-6)
Kids from different countries introduce idioms.
On the title-page spread, a child with dark brown skin and black curly hair says: “Do you see the dragon?” Another kid, with pinkish skin and straight orange hair, says: “Dragon? What dragon? I’ll believe you…” and the turn reveals a double-page spread with enormous, flying pink porcine creatures and the words “…when pigs fly!” A bucolic, woodland scene is the backdrop, and lettering on a tree indicates “United Kingdom.” The pattern continues as other, diverse children join the first, black child in the same wooded scene, newly named animals and trees with different labels offering a variety. The humorous expressions of disbelief include “…when crows fly upside down!” from the Malayali people of India; “…when the lobster whistles on top of the mountain!” from Russia; and “when chickens have teeth!” from the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The cartoons are stylized but mostly recognizable and usually humorous. The author’s note informs readers that idioms’ “meanings come from the speaking patterns of the time or culture that coined them” but provides no specific information about the 11 selected; only four are from non-European languages. Endpaper maps help orient readers geographically, and on the rear, the sayings are printed in the original languages, all in roman letters even when the original language uses a different alphabet or script.
Buy this book when, as the Spanish say, “frogs grow hair!” (Informational picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-911373-49-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Lantana
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
A straightforward and lively introduction to the democratic process for readers older than babies.
Baby learns about the elections in this latest entry to the Baby Loves… series.
A toddler with light-brown skin works with her white mommy to color signs and put stamps on postcards to get out the vote, and she cheers Mommy on when she “puts the ballot into the machine.” Along the way, Baby explores key aspects of the political process with her white mom and another, brown-skinned caregiver, such as campaigning, candidates, and the different types of political leaders. It is a simplified and rosy picture of American democracy, asserting confidently that the “candidate with the most votes wins,” and political opponents “can still be friends” after an election. The art is a toddler-centric, idealized world in a bold, bright cartoon style featuring political candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. There is a female-presenting president, a black, male-presenting vice president, a brown-skinned, hijabi senator, and a white, male-presenting representative who uses a wheelchair. While the explanations, imagery, and suggested activities are spot-on for older preschoolers, the format and the “baby” label make the content developmentally inappropriate for the target audience of babies and toddlers. Little ones still learning to label things in their homes and their neighborhoods will be hard-pressed to understand the basics of civic engagement.
A straightforward and lively introduction to the democratic process for readers older than babies. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62354-227-6
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
