Subpar poesy aside, this woke ABC’s epic feats of representation prove wrestling is for everybody.
An inclusive ABC imparting essential squared-circle lingo.
E is for everybody, for people like me (and maybe you), who cry out with glee as the ref counts to three in a book that is long overdue! Over the decades, professional wrestling has earned—and deserved—a bad rap due to racist, sexist, homophobic, and otherwise bigoted storylines and gimmicks. Countless competitors have worked to recuperate the business’s image, and this alphabet book casts a diverse coalition of stars to define 25 wrestling terms in verse. Despite some stultifying stanzas—“G is for Gimmick / Every grappler is unique: / special clothes, looks, attitude, / distinct moves, and ways they speak”—wrestlers of all races, gender identities, sexual orientations, body types, and backgrounds come to life in its vibrant digital illustrations. Featured performers include the likes of Nyla Rose, a First Nations wrestler who recently became the first trans woman to win a world championship in a major American promotion; Sonny Kiss, an African American gender-neutral standout; “Big Swole” Aerial Monroe, an African American contender living with Crohn’s disease; and talents hailing from Puerto Rico, India, South Africa, Mexico, Japan, and many other countries around the world. A glossary provides succinct definitions for each vocabulary word and enumerates the roster of over 90 real-life sports entertainers who have graciously lent their likenesses.
Subpar poesy aside, this woke ABC’s epic feats of representation prove wrestling is for everybody. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9993886-4-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Trism Books
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
A good choice for a late fall storytime.
Animal behaviors change as they prepare to face the winter.
Migrate, hibernate, or tolerate. With smooth rhymes and jaunty illustrations, Salas and Gévry introduce three strategies animals use for coping with winter cold. The author’s long experience in imparting information to young readers is evident in her selection of familiar animals and in her presentation. Spread by spread she introduces her examples, preparing in fall and surviving in winter. She describes two types of migration: Hummingbirds and monarchs fly, and blue whales travel to the warmth of the south; earthworms burrow deeper into the earth. Without using technical words, she introduces four forms of hibernation—chipmunks nap and snack; bears mainly sleep; Northern wood frogs become an “icy pop,” frozen until spring; and normally solitary garter snakes snuggle together in huge masses. Those who can tolerate the winter still change behavior. Mice store food and travel in tunnels under the snow; moose grow a warmer kind of fur; the red fox dives into the snow to catch small mammals (like those mice); and humans put on warm clothes and play. The animals in the soft pastel illustrations are recognizable, more cuddly than realistic, and quite appealing; their habitats are stylized. The humans represent varied ethnicities. Each page includes two levels of text, and there’s further information in the extensive backmatter. Pair with Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen’s Winter Bees (2014).
A good choice for a late fall storytime. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2900-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
© 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.
