Attractive illustrations enliven an offbeat but interesting story.
The historic Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company tells how an American woman transformed it into a gathering place for legendary writers and avid readers.
Narrating in the first person, the shop tells readers how, in a time long ago, Sylvia Beach, “An American free spirit as fresh as the spring. / A lover of life—and poetry too— / who brought dreams to Paris and made them come true,” packs the small building with books “from ceiling to floor” and placed old writers’ portraits on the walls. Sylvia sits reading, surrounded by bright images from books, her “treasures.” Her love of books and all they can do flows, matching the enthusiasm from visitors who come to the bookshop and stay “long into the nights.” These esteemed guests, nicknamed in the text but introduced in the backmatter, include Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Janet Flanner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, Simone de Beauvoir, and Man Ray. While one person of color (Josephine Baker) is discussed by the visitors and a few people of darker skin tones appear in the bookshop, none of them are introduced by name. The art is the highlight of this volume; Wu turns a text about books and writers into a veritable party on the page, with daytime and imaginary scenes in bright pastels and night scenes in blue tones highlighted with warm yellows representing the bookshop’s cozy atmosphere. The rhyming text is a bit awkward in the opening but ultimately carries the story well. The ending hammers home the value of books. Both opening and closing seem off-key in a historical picture book, but that should not deter readers.
Attractive illustrations enliven an offbeat but interesting story. (historical, biographical notes) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7245-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)
Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.
Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60060-898-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
A humorous tribute to the zany, determined and innovative side of invention.
Young Virena, one of four children, provides inspiration for her aspiring inventor papa’s latest ambitious construction: a submarine.
Fleming bases her tale on the true story of Civil War–era inventor Lodner Phillips, who tried his hand at submarine design on the shores of Lake Michigan. In Fleming’s lively, enthusiastic account, Papa builds three increasingly large and more complicated underwater vehicles, each of which sinks, with Papa emerging cheerfully, if damply, ready for the next round. As Virena muses on the nature of marine life, providing Papa with ideas for improvements, the baby interjects disarmingly funny comments: “No pee pee!” chortles the baby when Virena asks how fish stay dry. The Whitefish IV has room for everyone, and Papa puts his entire family into the contraption—somehow the cheerful presentation keeps readers from worrying about the outcome. Kulikov’s expansive, comical illustrations offer exaggerated perspectives from above and below the deep blue-green water, huge and beautiful fish just under the surface and a loving family for the determined inventor. Blueprints for each version of the mechanical fish are included—a neat glimpse into the invention process—while the peculiarly human expressions on the family bulldog remind readers that this is a fantasy. An author’s note and an extensive list of adult resources give background information about the real Lodner Phillips.
A humorous tribute to the zany, determined and innovative side of invention. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 11, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-374-39908-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
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